About Us
Jonathan Wright: Co-Founder
Jonathan is an engineer turned entrepreneur who in his late teens and early twenties pursued his life ambition of becoming a professional racing driver. Jonathan competed in over 100 races recording 4 wins, 8 pole positions and 1 lap record. He made it to Formula 3 where he competed against the legendary Ayrton Senna and the now Sky Broadcaster Martin Brundle. In his own words he then realised that he did not possess the talent needed to reach Formula 1 and he stepped away from racing.
In a 30-year business career Jonathan has led or managed 2 IPO’s, 12 rounds of Private Equity funding and 16 acquisitions including founding his own business that he took from start up to an IPO in 4 years. He has worked with and been influenced by some of the countries most decorated entrepreneurs including 2 that have received a CBE, a Veuve Cliquot Business Women of the year and an IT industry CEO of the year.
Jonathan is a non-executive Chairman and Board Adviser to a portfolio of growth companies where he enjoys the opportunity to share his successes and his mistakes with ambitious business leaders.
James Osborne: Co-Founder
James is an award winning business consultant, advisor and entrepreneur, with an international board level background in the staffing and recruitment sector.
For the past 17 years, James has worked with recruitment business leaders, helping them to achieve significant growth, performance improvement and competitive advantages acting as a Non-Executive Director, consultant, trainer and strategist for numerous fast growth recruitment businesses.
James is a passionate speaker on behalf of the staffing and recruitment sector, and is the Chairman of The Recruitment Network, the fastest-growing global support and advisory club for recruitment business leaders.
Toni Cocozza: Partner, Strategic Advisory
Toni created a recruitment start-up in 1990, weathered two significant recessions and created a successful business model, building a sustainable company from the ground up.
Toni grew the team and the business to a multi-million-pound turnover organisation before exiting to focus on growing the coaching and consultancy business, Empower Business and Executive Coaching.
She is well known throughout her industry and in the world of executive leadership. Toni has earned her reputation through both personal and business growth.
Toni trained and is accredited through the Association of Executive Coaching (the AoEC) and via the Coactive Training Institute.
Kevin Davies: Partner, Corporate Finance - BHP
Since moving to BHP Corporate Finance in 2006 having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a BA in Mathematics, Kevin has worked on a wide range of change of ownership deals involving fundraisings, MBOs, disposals and acquisitions.
He has particular experience in the recruitment and human capital sector having advised on various transactions, including the MBO of Hallam Medical, the transfer of Elevation Recruitment to an employee ownership model, and the disposal of MyJobGroup to Saon Group.
He takes great pleasure in working closely with business owners and their management teams, developing strong relationships and helping them achieve their strategic and financial aspirations.
He is the holder of the ICAEW’s Corporate Finance qualification.
Gordon Stoddart: Partner, Strategic Advisory
Gordon is the Co-Founder of The Recruitment Network, TRNWorld and the award winning consultancy and training group Innergy.
With significant experience over 15 years in unlocking the potential of businesses, teams and individuals within everything from global multi-nationals to award winning fast growth SMEs, he helps businesses achieve their strategic goals through a blend of face to face and on line solutions.
As well drawing on the experience of working with many world class, market leading businesses and inspirational business leaders, the principles that shape his thinking were formed from his own experience of building and growing his own family business into the largest privately owned food distribution business in the UK leading to a successful trade sale. This was achieved through creating an experience led, customer obsessive business with a brilliant team and a great culture.
Chris Humphreys: Partner, Tax - BHP
Chris is an experienced Tax Practitioner who prides himself on looking at tax issues with a commercial eye and can explain them in a way that takes the jargon out of complex tax legislation.
Having gained experience as a Tax Partner with two Top 10 National Firms Chris joined BHP in 2014 and now heads up a tax team of over fifty tax specialists of which over half are Chartered Tax Advisers.
Chris has over 25 years' experience, dealing with a wide variety of entrepreneurial manufacturing companies, and advising on their taxation issues, and has particular experience in providing taxation support and advice during change of ownership and M&A activity.
Sean FitzGerald: Partner, Corporate - Ward Hadaway
Sean is a Corporate Partner with more than 30 years' experience advising on a wide range of deals.
He provides legal advice to clients undertaking transactions including sales, acquisitions, mergers, investments and private equity deals. Recent deals include:
- The equity and debt funding of Techstream Group and the acquisition by Techstream of Cloudstream, Xcede and Etonwood
- The acquisition of Crest Plus by JSA Services (one of over 10 acquisitions for JSA over the last several years)
- Key Capital Partners’ investment in Commhoist
- The acquisition by CMO of Total Tiles Limited
- Equity and debt funding for Operam Group
- Sale of Estio Training
- Sale of Converge IT
- MBO of Hallam Medical
- MBO of Templine
- Sale of Aptus Group