Building relationships
I approach every company by trying to become an expert in its market. This might mean reading up on industry news, speaking with former employees of closest competitors, or listening to customer sales calls, all to build enough understanding and credibility to discuss growth strategy, while knowing I'll never match a founder's depth of knowledge in their own business. I aim to be a trusted sounding board, helping to cut through the biggest problems and opportunities a business is facing. If we can't solve an issue directly, my focus shifts to making the right connections and building action plans that get to a solution as fast as possible. I'm pragmatic and action oriented, and that is what I try to bring to every company I work with.
Background
I started my career as an engineer, earning a First Class MEng from the University of Bristol and working in product development at The Technology Partnership. Looking to broaden into strategy, I moved into consulting at L.E.K., working across commercial due diligence and growth strategy for private equity funds and technology businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
Wanting to get closer to the operational reality behind the strategy, I moved into hands-on roles at Urban and REEF Technology, running large parts of the business day to day, from P&L ownership to scaling new service lines from zero to £6m annualised revenue.
This operating experience shaped how I later worked as Portfolio Director at ScaleUp Capital, where I sat on the boards of six portfolio companies, partnering with founders on GTM strategy and commercial performance, and on occasion, stepping into acting Chief of Staff roles to help businesses navigate periods of significant change. I joined Mercia in August 2026 as a Portfolio Director in the VCT team, continuing to focus on value creation work across our portfolio.