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Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down with Steve Bell, Group CEO of Kerv. In this episode, Steve Bell discusses: Founding marketing agency Iris Worldwide in his mid-20s and growing it to more than 1,000 employees across 14 markets, completing seven acquisitions along the way; The dangers of easy money and why he regrets securing £5m of interest-free funding; The lessons learned from Meredith Corporation’s investment in Iris in 2011 Why he wouldn’t recommend a five-year earn-out; The scrutiny that came with becoming CEO of listed gaming group Everplay; The differences between running a listed company and a private equity-backed business; The next chapter at Kerv and consolidating its buy-and-build strategy; and, Why Bell describes himself as an 'AI optimist'

In our latest episode of The Dealmaker Uncut, Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Christopher Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, sit down with Soraiya Salemohamed, Development & Operations Director at 4C Group. During the episode, Soraiya Salemohamed discusses: The Rising Cost of Building in London Going from a Hotel to Student Accommodation How Wimbledon Drives London Hotel Prices Being the Only Woman in the Room The Biggest Red Flag That Kills a Deal

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down with Garry Partington, CEO of Apadmi. In this episode, Garry Partington discusses: Why being made redundant was the kick he needed to launch Apadmi How a brush with death made him realise he was running a lifestyle business His plans to expand to 1,500 staff across five markets in five years Why he is still best friends with his exited co-founder Global growth through acquisition and a planned US launch Why geopolitics and business don’t mix

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down with Tom Staff, co-founder of Street Group. In this episode, Tom Staff discusses: The reality of founding a business with your sister How the fast-growing PropTech now serves more than 4,000 estate and letting agency branches The lessons bootstrapping teaches founders Hitting a £200m valuation following Hg’s investment Why the siblings are having way too much fun to exit

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down with Mark Sweeny, CEO of de Novo Solutions. In this episode, Mark Sweeny discusses: Dreaming of being a drummer in a rock brand Why selling Certus Solutions to Accenture was no fluke Why founders seeking investment need the ‘eye of the tiger’ to succeed The crucial role his wife Natalie played in founding de Novo Solutions in Wales Growing a business in Wales, US and India The rise of AI

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down with Mia Drennan, Founder & CEO of GLAS. In this episode, Mia Drennan discusses: Growing GLAS from £6k loan to a £1bn+ business How her gender grounded her hopes of being a fighter pilot Working as a holiday rep in Corfu Exiting her first business Square Mile Connections How it took 400 meetings to secure her first deal for GLAS Expanding into 10 countries; 14 cities and 4 continents Securing c£1bn investment from Oakley Capital and La Caisse Being one of only a handful of female founders of  a £1bn+ business

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down with Steve Rigby, CEO of Rigby Group. In this episode, Steve Rigby discusses: Life as an entrepreneur, business leader, investor and philanthropist His remarkable father Sir Peter Rigby Growing Rigby Group’s turnover from £1.5bn to £4bn Investing in disruptive AI firms How the US differs from the UK Getting growth back into the economy Importance of LinkedIn in leadership

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down with John Hughes, Chairman of Cortus Advisory Group and serial board member. In this episode, John Hughes discusses: Rediscovering his mojo after a 29-year career at KPMG Turning around the fortunes of loss-making delivery giant Yodel Supporting ambitious companies like Modern Milkman The pain of electric cargo bike firm Zedify going into administration His role as Chairman of the ambitious Cortus Advisory Group Getting married again and having his daughter Harriet in his 50s

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down with Tom Dunlop, Founder and CEO of Summize. In this episode, Tom Dunlop discusses: Turning his back on Olympic dream to launch Summize Lessons learned from 150+ investor pitches Growing ARR to 8 figures Raising $50m How to crack American market and Staying true to yourself

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down with Ruth Percival, Founder and CEO of Contollo Group. In this episode, Ruth Percival discusses: Dealing with misogynism Why women have to work harder than their male counterparts Making 5 acquisitions and growing to £35m turnover in less than two years Building the right culture No dickheads rule Finding the right private equity partner Being married to Jonathan Boyers

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down with Fernando Kufer, CEO of Emmy award-winning visual experiences giant Disguise. In this episode, Fernando Kufer discusses: How watching Massive Attack at Glastonbury in 2014 changed his life Speaking 7 different languages Tripling the size of Disguise Surviving and then thriving after Covid Winning two Emmy Awards Finding the right private equity partner Using tech to make Oasis, Bono and Beyonce immersive

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, as he sits down with Adam Farricker, CEO of Empower Youth Zones, the charity behind Hideout Youth Zone in Manchester and Salford Youth Zone. In this episode, Adam Farricker discusses: Growing up in one of Manchester’s most deprived neighbourhoods and how youth work changed the course of his life; The collapse of traditional youth services across the UK and the safeguarding challenges that created; How state-of-the-art Youth Zones provide safe spaces, hot meals, and life-changing opportunities for thousands of young people; The story behind philanthropist Fred Done’s involvement and the dealmaking required to fund and build Youth Zones; Partnering with local authorities and the private sector to create sustainable, long-term youth provision; The scale of impact so far, including thousands of members and tens of thousands of hot meals served; and Why backing Youth Zones isn’t just morally right, but a smart business decision for companies investing in future talent and their local communities.

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Christopher Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, sit down with the King of Fudge Cakes himself, Chris Ormrod, CEO of Cakesmiths, the entrepreneur who turned Ministry of Cake into a private equity success story… not once, but twice. Episode summary Building, selling, re-acquiring and selling again the same cake business, turning Ministry of Cake into a private equity success story; Buying and selling six businesses; Learning people skills from Sir Richard Branson; Selling his house to become a first-time entrepreneur at 40; Importance of having no Plan B; Identifying your buyer on day one;  Appointing yourself Prime Minister; and Working with private equity successfully.

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down to discuss Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget. In the second half of the episode, Jonathan will looks at the trends in the 2025 deals market and look at  what 2026 might have in store. Episode summary Who are the winners and losers from the long-awaited Budget?; Will we now see more companies listed in London? What impact will the Budget have on the deals industry? Will entrepreneurs now head for the UK exit door? and Quiet optimism for 2026.

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down to interview Paul Gedman, Co-founder, eComplete Group. In this episode, Paul Gedman discusses : · Making 10 acquisitions at THG Beauty and growing revenue to £600m; · Launching eComplete in 2020 to provide alternative to private equity; · Raising £100m; · Trading your reputation for capital; · £50m investment into CurrentBody (part of The Beauty Tech Group); · Doing an IPO; and · The impact of AI.