Episode 19: Unlocking Christmas
Reflections on our 2025 conversations and what comes next To round off the year, the show takes a slightly different shape. In this brief episode, John reflects on some of the common themes from conversations in 2025 and says thank you to the guests and listeners who’ve shaped the series. He also looks ahead to […]
Episode 18: Olly Purnell – The Anti-Exit Strategy: Building a Consultancy Designed for Long-Term Independence
Independence. Long-term ownership. Growth. What it takes to build a consultancy that lasts. In a sector where scaling often leads to external investment or an eventual sale, what does it look like to build a consultancy that grows, stays independent and develops a long-term ownership model for its people? Olly Purnell is the co-founder of Q5, […]
Episode 17: Pekka Metsaranta – No Co-Founders, No Roadmap, No Illusions
Inside the unvarnished journey of a solo founder learning to lead, delegate and scale in the world of professional services. In this episode of The Unlocking Value Podcast, John Howard speaks with Pekka Metsaranta, founder and CEO of Sisua Ltd, a consultancy known for stepping in to help clients succeed with their most complex programmes. From […]
Episode 16: Laura Morrill – Game, Set, Growth: An Investor’s View on Resilience, Partnership and Long-term Value
What private equity can teach consultancy founders about resilience, value creation and leading with clarity – with or without investment. If you’re leading a professional services firm and want to grow without losing what makes it yours, this episode brings clarity to one of the biggest decisions you’ll face: whether to take on investment and how […]
Episode 15: Tom Burnet – Building With Intent: Lessons on Focus, Client Service and the Courage to Make Tough Decisions
Intent. Commitment. Tough calls. The discipline behind lasting value. In this episode of the Unlocking Value podcast, John Howard speaks with Tom Burnet, an experienced chair, former public company chief executive and long-time leader across technology, services and people-centred organisations. Tom’s career spans the army, entrepreneurship, public markets and multiple board and advisory roles. On […]
Episode 14: Rhys Hefford – Build, Scale, Exit, Repeat: A Serial Founder’s Playbook
Building. Scaling. Exiting. Starting again, without losing yourself in the process. In this episode of the Unlocking Value podcast, John Howard speaks with Rhys Hefford, a serial founder who has built, scaled and sold multiple professional services businesses over the past fifteen years. Rhys has launched six firms and successfully exited two, typically taking each from start-up […]
Episode 12: Adam Craker – Leading in one of the toughest markets ever and the subtle art of GESHIDO
How to stay agile, motivated and mission-driven through shifting ownership models In this episode of the Unlocking Value podcast, John Howard speaks with Adam Craker, Chief Executive of iqbusiness, one of South Africa’s leading consulting and digital integration firms. Adam has led iqbusiness for more than 15 years, guiding the firm through three distinct chapters: […]
Operational Due Diligence and Post-Deal Integration Planning of Atombit
A fast-scaling, Palatine-backed, consultancy in the emerging field of Experience Intelligence, required a trusted partner to assess its readiness for growth and insight into delivering value from acquisitions.
Supporting strategy, growth and leadership alignment at ETHOS
ETHOS had grown successfully over three years, but the founders recognised the need to solidify the business and prepare for the next phase of development.
De-risking GCP’s investment in Cloudrock through operational DD
Leading UK PE firm Growth Capital Partners engaged Garwood to assess Cloudrock’s ability to execute its ambitious growth strategy ahead of a potential investment. Working within a tight three-week exclusivity period, we provided a comprehensive operational due diligence assessment, helping GCP make a confident investment decision.