If you have a client who needs a chair, not another adviser

Most of my board roles start with a referral from someone who already advises the owner. You see the business two years before a sale, a succession or a round of funding, and you can see that the board is not ready for it.

The client to send me

An owner-managed business, usually £1M to £100M, in manufacturing, engineering or specialist services, where the owner wants to step back, sell, raise money or hand over to the next generation, and the board, the management accounts or the management team are not yet strong enough to stand up to a buyer or an investor.

What I do, and what I don’t

I chair the board or sit on it as a Non-Executive Director, usually after a defined piece of work on strategy or governance. I do not run sale processes, do the accounts, give legal advice or lend money. I work alongside the advisers the owner already has, and I am usually the one telling the owner to listen to them.

How a referral works

An introduction and a first conversation with the owner, at no cost and no obligation. If it goes further, you stay in the loop. I do not pay referral fees and I do not expect them.

If you have someone in mind, a short email with the owner’s situation is all I need.