“Without Mark’s tenacity, intellect and corporate finance expertise the transaction would undoubtedly have floundered.  Our transaction was extremely complex, shareholders with different motives, complex shareholder option plans, cash, share, earnout and deferred deal structures all negotiated with a PLC that had a plethora of blue chip advisers on their side of the table. Mark’s experience as a main list Plc CEO undoubtedly provided us with an insight that was to prove invaluable. My fellow shareholders and management team were tempted to appoint our auditors, a big 6 accounting firm, as it was the easy option and they had a large and impressive corporate finance team.

Our financial adviser recommended Mark, and once Mark had presented to our Board we knew he was the ‘Partner’ we wanted to appoint. Ultimately a brand name and a big firm is useful in some circumstances but when one’s undertaking the transaction that will impact upon your financial security for the rest of your life then brands and size of the advisory team are irrelevant as what really matters is selecting the very best person, with the ability, desire and energy to dedicate to your assignment and to deliver a successful outcome. Mark didn’t let us down and I would recommend him without hesitation” 

“We thought we had a great business. We thought we might get one or two expressions of interest. A number of large accountancy practices with corporate finance departments had courted us, however my family and I met Mark in Southport at 11am one morning and by noon, even before he had driven from Southport to the M6 on his way back down to London we had called him on his mobile and appointed him. It was an instinctive decision, but having met Mark the competing advisers had lost their appeal.

We had immediate empathy with Mark as he did with us. Mark of course is a superb corporate finance specialist but he is more than that, having run businesses, and bought them and sold them as a principal, he exudes additional qualities that as a family business we all found refreshing. He gives you open, clear advice and support throughout the process. He has a brilliant grasp of strategy and how to handle complex negotiations. You get what you see, personal ‘Partner’ led support throughout, not merely a great first pitch and then being delegated down to a manager. Ultimately Mark and his team were negotiating and managing eight [yes 8] competitive bidders, a data room, and a number of the bidders were Plc’s, Private Equity funds and international companies. The final outcome exceeded all of the expectations of my family and co-shareholders”