Irrespective of the size of a business, successful strategic growth, either organically or via M&A, is difficult. Success or failure can largely be attributed to the quality of preparation prior to embarking on either strategic path.

Growth by M&A is always attractive yet fraught with difficulty, even danger. Anecdotally and despite utterances regarding preparation, more than 60% of all M&A transactions can be shown to destroy value and have, in many cases, brought a business to the point of substantial crisis if not failure. This need not be the case.

Both routes require meticulous strategic planning, clarity on the type of opportunities to be identified and pursued (and why), clinical execution and an even tighter control of cash during the process, such that once either path is followed to its logical conclusion it can be demonstrated, within a defined timeframe, whether each route is value enhancing.

Tony’s extensive understanding of strategic need, target evaluation and then M&A application, on single or multiple jurisdictional opportunities followed by post M&A integration in supporting a board in this process, is invaluable.

Transformation - a definition: a marked change in form or nature to achieve a similar or better outcome.

Transformation in the post COVID world is arguably the single biggest challenge facing many businesses globally. In many cases revenues have been decimated and whereas some costs might have been stripped out to keep the business intact, once markets free up again, without the business structurally reviewing and ultimately transforming itself, there is a high probability that it will be uncompetitive and / or lack working capital. There is a real possibility that failure will quickly follow. It’s a new world and whereas which products and / or services are offered now might not have fundamentally changed, how you make and offer them undoubtably needs to.

Tony brings proven experience not just to understand where a business is but help shape where it wishes or needs to be and then work with the management team to get it there in both a cost and time effective manner. 

Simply put, a business in turnaround mode requires a set of measures to be applied to it at pace in the short to medium term that, if not implemented, would result in the business failing to the detriment of all the creditors and stakeholders.

Tony offers a proven, experienced record of leadership and support to a stressed board facing these challenges. This is augmented with excellent working relationships with the leading UK banks, accounting and legal advisors, Private Equity and, if needed, third party funding agencies.

This work can range from a light touch, advisory role over a short period to more substantive support over a longer period, but always driven by you and your stakeholders’ needs to support the turnaround to a successful conclusion.

Tony has been a member of the Institute for Turnaround since 2008, a Fellow since 2017 and is currently on the IfT board. The IfT is recognised as the UK’s premier professional body for Transformation and Turnaround practitioners.

Tony offers pre and post appointment support to boards and Insolvency Practitioners acting as Monitors as they implement and navigate the new Restructuring Moratorium process. Once legislation is firmed up he also offers third party Evaluator services to companies, investors and again Insolvency Practitioners.