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: […]
Episode 11: Jon Grant – How to get ready to be bought…not just ready to sell
From valuations to leadership alignment: what it really means to be ready to be bought In this episode of the Unlocking Value podcast, we welcome Jon Grant, Tech M&A Director at Clearwater, one of Europe’s leading corporate finance firms. Jon is one of the UK’s most experienced advisors on technology and consulting deals and works […]
Episode 10: Andy Strickland – Demystifying Private Equity
How the right investment partner can drive responsible, long-term value In this episode of the Unlocking Value podcast, John Howard speaks with Andy Strickland, Partner at Palatine Private Equity. Andy has spent more than a decade backing ambitious Professional Services founders and management teams, often at the point where external investment is being considered for […]
Episode 9: Richard Jones – The Paradox of Difference: How to Make Senior Hires a Success
Why senior hires so often fail – and how to make leadership transitions succeed In this episode of the Unlocking Value podcast, John Howard speaks with leadership coach and former consultancy partner Richard Jones about one of the hardest things to get right in professional services: senior leadership transitions. On paper, it sounds simple: bring […]
Episode 6: After The Deal – What No One Tells You
What really happens once the ink is dry on a transaction In the final episode of this six-part ‘investment story’ series, we talk to a panel of experienced consultancy leaders and advisors about what really happens after a deal is done – and what no one tells you in advance. The conversation explores the emotional, […]
Building value and focus to accelerate FourCentric’s exit journey
Garwood Growth helped FourCentric prepare for a successful exit by creating a clear, prioritised strategy that boosted performance, built confidence and aligned the team around value-driving initiatives.