Selling the family business"Adam was introduced to me at the time that we were first contemplating the sale of our business. It soon became clear that Adam's background in M&A specifically and senior management generally positioned him perfectly to assist us with our sale process. From the outset he was instrumental in the decisions we made and ultimately he oversaw the transaction right through to its conclusion. His advice throughout was well thought through and first rate, he held everything together during the inevitable periods of distress in negotiations. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Adam to anyone thinking of selling either an equity stake in their business or pursuing an outright disposal."
Chairman, SME Business Guidance and oversight"Adam was recommended to me via a friend who was a Board member of a major UK PLC. Adam has helped us to navigate the difficulties resulting from the Covid Pandemic, ensuring that we identified and mitigated key areas of risk to our family business and bringing his expertise and experience from multiple business sectors to bear on our company.
Having helped to maintain the company on a sound footing and confirmed our underlying strengths (and weaknesses), Adam has helped us to develop a plan which will allow us to maximise the value of the company should we decide to sell at a later date. Adam has identified issues that we weren’t aware of and which would otherwise have a negative impact upon the potential timing and sale value of the business. Adam’s business acumen is excellent and I would be happy to recommend him to other businesses needing guidance and oversight during difficult times / on the pathway to potential sale." Chairman and CEO, SME Business Non Exec Directorships“We introduced Adam as a Non Executive Chairman to a business and have been working alongside him as that company prepares for sale. Adam is highly experienced in M&A and has held senior managerial positions in business and so is able to bring excellent challenge and direction to the board room. Business owners who use Adam soon realise the value he brings and he quickly becomes an important member of the management team. We would be very happy to introduce Adam to other clients of ours who need senior oversight and guidance as they contemplate the journey to sale.”
Partner, major international accountancy & consultancy firm. Transaction execution assistance"Adam was introduced to us by a leading accountancy company to help us prepare for a transaction that was already underway. From our first meeting, it was clear Adam had good knowledge, a good manner and was someone who we could work with and expect good advice. Adam highlighted some key areas of the business that needed immediate focus and bought planning and direction to the process. Adam has a calm and friendly manner about him and he helped us enormously during the difficult times when tensions were high and the pressure was on. I would recommend him to anyone thinking about selling, already in the process of selling, or contemplating taking an investor into the business."
CEO, SME Business Working alongside corporate financiers“Selling your family’s business brings a unique set of emotional challenges - alongside the usual practical and technical ones that exist in any corporate finance deal. Experienced professional advisers are used to these issues, but there are still many situations where it can be immensely helpful to have additional independent support. This might be a non-executive director, a business mentor or personal friend, who themselves have experience of mergers and acquisitions and can act as a sounding board to stakeholders during the most difficult parts of the process.
Adam supported the shareholders from initial meetings with prospective corporate finance and legal advisers, appointing those advisers, and then playing the part of that trusted confidante through the long process to completion. He was a critical interface between the shareholders, Deloitte and other advisers to the deal – helping support the sense of trust and partnership that needs to exist for large complex deals like this one to reach a successful conclusion. He was a second pair of eyes on key decisions and robustly generated healthy debate when appropriate, but was equally comfortable backing Deloitte’s advice. Relationships like this work best when advice is complementary rather than point scoring and on this deal there was a sense at all times that we were all working together to achieve the best outcome for shareholders. Adam was a key adviser on the project and a pleasure to work with throughout." Leading global corporate finance firm |
Preparing an SME business for sale"Adam was introduced to us to assist in the preparations for a potential future sale. Aside from bringing expertise around the sale process, Adam has conducted a review exercise of the business to determine the current state of readiness for a corporate transaction. This review has highlighted areas requiring improvement / remediation and we now have a plan in place for resolution. Adam’s broad experience in both managing M&A transactions and also running businesses positions him well to look at companies end to end and he has provided robust but healthy challenge to our existing ways of doing things. I’ve been impressed with Adam’s contribution to date and look forward to continuing to work with him on the journey through the appointment and interface with professional advisors, and ultimately to our eventual sale. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Adam to other businesses looking for similar in-house support for their acquisition or disposal ambitions."
CEO, SME Business Expert Advice"When contemplating selling our business, we realised we would require expert advice and a certain amount of hand holding in addition to what could be provided by the lawyers and accountants. With a background in M&A and senior management Adam came highly recommended as the right person to be on our side and guide us through the sales process. Adam is coaching us through the on-going transaction process with foresight, planning and excellent negotiation. What can be a stressful experience is handled with skill and sound advice. Throughout this process it became very clear that when the road became bumpy, Adam was the man to have in the passenger seat with you. We are very grateful to Adam, who is certainly a major factor in ensuring a smooth and successful transaction in the sale process of our business. We do not hesitate in passing the recommendation forward; Adam is a highly competent and skilled consultant."
Owner, SME Business Preparation for exit in due course"Adam has been assisting us with preparing for a future sale event. This exit is likely still a few years away, but we understood the importance of planning well in advance and making the right decisions now to maximise our chances for success later. Adam’s review of our business has highlighted areas requiring attention and we now have a remediation plan in place. This review has been valuable in any event, but with an eye on future exit the exercise has proved essential. It is reassuring to have someone with Adam’s experience guiding us through the process and we look forward to his continued counsel on the journey to eventual sale."
Co-Owner SME Business Working alongside lawyers“We worked alongside Adam for a group of family shareholder sellers, in the disposal of their corporate group to a private equity backed buyer. Adam played a dual role as a provider of advice and guidance to the shareholders (utilising his corporate finance background) and as an effective go-between, between the bankers, tax and legal advisers and the family.
Overall Adam's role on the transaction really provided a bridge between the sellers and the rest of the adviser teams in a way which helped secure a successful outcome for the deal and which never felt like any duplication of effort. I would recommend Adam for a similar role on future transactions.” A premium UK law firm Material progress right from the start"We were introduced to Adam by another business that has been using his services in their preparations for sale. Adam came highly recommended and so we hired him to help us gear up for a potential future exit event.
Adam has made a material contribution in a short space of time. We have made more progress in the few months since Adam joined us than in the previous 8 years. He has identified the key issues relevant to our business quickly and has helped us build a remediation plan to address them. It is now clear that we would not have been able to achieve a sale of the business without the professionalisation and preparation that Adam’s involvement has brought. This, alongside Adam’s obvious detailed understanding of the landscape for selling your business, has given us more confidence to now move forward with our plans. We would definitely recommend Adam to other businesses wishing to prepare for sale." CEO, SME Business Corporate Restructuring“Adam supported us through the process of restructuring our business and widening our shareholder base. His support was invaluable in guiding, driving, coaching and advising us through a myriad of hurdles and choices. At all points throughout he had all bases covered - and managed everything with a serenity which helped steady us through some of the trickier or more hectic periods, ensuring alignment across a wide group of stakeholders and partners in the business. He played an integral role in our transaction and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to others facing similar briefs. “
Partner, global consulting firm |