MEET THE
TEAM
We are entrepreneurs who have built, sold, floated and secured investments into many of our own businesses. That means we have a deep appreciation of how selling your company can be a challenging, emotional time.
As a firm run by directors who have owned and often sold their own businesses, we have been in your shoes.
Our meticulous approach is proven to generate maximum value – that’s why we are the UK’s No 1 in our field.
Group Executive Chairman
Having previously worked in the commercial and corporate banking sectors, both within the UK and overseas, John joined KBS in 2000 and developed the national sales infrastructure of the Group. John became Group Executive Chairman in 2023 and has been responsible for driving growth as well as being integral in the development of the low-cost, process-driven delivery platform.
John Rigby
Group Executive Chairman
Having previously worked in the commercial and corporate banking sectors, both within the UK and overseas, John joined KBS in 2000 and developed the national sales infrastructure of the Group. John became Group Executive Chairman in 2023 and has been responsible for driving growth as well as being integral in the development of the low-cost, process-driven delivery platform.
Sales Director
Simon began his career in marketing strategy and is renowned for his experience and knowledge within the business sales marketplace. He has almost 20 years’ experience in developing creative sale strategies and fulfilling a decisive role in enabling shareholders to achieve their exit objectives.
Simon Daniels
Sales Director
Simon began his career in marketing strategy and is renowned for his experience and knowledge within the business sales marketplace. He has almost 20 years’ experience in developing creative sale strategies and fulfilling a decisive role in enabling shareholders to achieve their exit objectives.
Executive Director
Stuart is a highly respected corporate financier and was previously Managing Director of Altium and Head of Corporate Finance at Arthur Andersen. He has been Group CEO of Latium Holdings, during which time they acquired Ultraframe plc, Spectus Systems, Kestrel Building Products and successfully disposed of Everest Home Improvements.
Stuart Lees
Executive Director
Stuart is a highly respected corporate financier and was previously Managing Director of Altium and Head of Corporate Finance at Arthur Andersen. He has been Group CEO of Latium Holdings, during which time they acquired Ultraframe plc, Spectus Systems, Kestrel Building Products and successfully disposed of Everest Home Improvements.
Chief Financial Officer
Andrew joined the Group in 2012 following 10 years in various financial accounting roles across a range of industries including media, leisure and property management. Andrew, who possesses strong financial, strategy and commercial management skills including HR, IT and special projects, is a former North West Young Finance Director of the Year and has an MSc in Strategic Financial Management.
Andrew Melbourne
Chief Financial Officer
Andrew joined the Group in 2012 following 10 years in various financial accounting roles across a range of industries including media, leisure and property management. Andrew, who possesses strong financial, strategy and commercial management skills including HR, IT and special projects, is a former North West Young Finance Director of the Year and has an MSc in Strategic Financial Management.
Executive Vice Chairman
Tony is a well-known figure within the M&A industry with a wealth of professional knowledge. He can demonstrate considerable experience in mid-market transactions and achieving deal values above his clients’ expectations. He has first-hand experience of acquiring, selling and floating his own companies.
Tony Ford
Executive Vice Chairman
Tony is a well-known figure within the M&A industry with a wealth of professional knowledge. He can demonstrate considerable experience in mid-market transactions and achieving deal values above his clients’ expectations. He has first-hand experience of acquiring, selling and floating his own companies.
Corporate Finance Managing Director
David is a seasoned Corporate Finance Director with an enviable track record of delivering high value deals across both international and UK buyer pools. His expertise spans multiple buyer and investor types, including private equity funds, evergreen investment portfolios, family offices and strategic trade buyers. With over 20 years spent advising entrepreneurial businesses, David is highly experienced and with a talent for aligning and delivering his clients’ aspirations and exit strategies.
David Gardner
Corporate Finance Managing Director
David is a seasoned Corporate Finance Director with an enviable track record of delivering high value deals across both international and UK buyer pools. His expertise spans multiple buyer and investor types, including private equity funds, evergreen investment portfolios, family offices and strategic trade buyers. With over 20 years spent advising entrepreneurial businesses, David is highly experienced and with a talent for aligning and delivering his clients’ aspirations and exit strategies.
Operations Director
With over 25 years’ experience, Matt specialises in providing exit strategy advice to company owners with a focus on delivering maximum shareholder value. His specific expertise includes company disposals, MBOs, strategic planning and fundraising.
Matt Clancy
Operations Director
With over 25 years’ experience, Matt specialises in providing exit strategy advice to company owners with a focus on delivering maximum shareholder value. His specific expertise includes company disposals, MBOs, strategic planning and fundraising.
Operations Director
Peter is a qualified chartered accountant with over 20 years’ experience in mergers and acquisitions, working with SMEs and entrepreneurial business owners. He has worked in commercial banking as a leveraged lender for a UK challenger bank, in practice as a corporate finance director and has industry experience as a finance director with a £30m turnover recycling business.
Peter Kelly
Operations Director
Peter is a qualified chartered accountant with over 20 years’ experience in mergers and acquisitions, working with SMEs and entrepreneurial business owners. He has worked in commercial banking as a leveraged lender for a UK challenger bank, in practice as a corporate finance director and has industry experience as a finance director with a £30m turnover recycling business.
Associate Director
Having worked at KBS Corporate for 14 years, Anthony has accumulated a wealth of experience in the client onboarding process across many different sectors. He builds strong relationships with clients, ensuring they have full insight into the process, market trends and activity, enabling them to progress with their company transaction at the most opportune time.
Anthony Cobham
Associate Director
Having worked at KBS Corporate for 14 years, Anthony has accumulated a wealth of experience in the client onboarding process across many different sectors. He builds strong relationships with clients, ensuring they have full insight into the process, market trends and activity, enabling them to progress with their company transaction at the most opportune time.
Corporate Finance Director
John joined KBS Corporate in 2014 having had over 20 years’ corporate finance experience in the accountancy profession with Coopers & Lybrand (PwC) and BDO. He has been the Managing Director of a company in the renewable energy sector in the UK, as well as working and living in Scandinavia and the United States. He has also enjoyed working on M&A assignments in China and Russia.
John Hunt
Corporate Finance Director
John joined KBS Corporate in 2014 having had over 20 years’ corporate finance experience in the accountancy profession with Coopers & Lybrand (PwC) and BDO. He has been the Managing Director of a company in the renewable energy sector in the UK, as well as working and living in Scandinavia and the United States. He has also enjoyed working on M&A assignments in China and Russia.
Corporate Finance Director
With over 25 years’ experience in corporate finance, Mark has a demonstrable track record of leading complex transactions of different sizes. Before joining us in 2017, he worked for one of the Big Four audit practices and a number of top-10 accountancy firms in senior positions. His sector experience includes manufacturing, logistics and distribution, business services, telecoms and IT as well as professional services. Mark’s natural ability to build strong relationships, his appetite for success and the positive energy he brings to transactions makes him one of the most respected professionals in his industry.
Mark Lucas
Corporate Finance Director
With over 25 years’ experience in corporate finance, Mark has a demonstrable track record of leading complex transactions of different sizes. Before joining us in 2017, he worked for one of the Big Four audit practices and a number of top-10 accountancy firms in senior positions. His sector experience includes manufacturing, logistics and distribution, business services, telecoms and IT as well as professional services. Mark’s natural ability to build strong relationships, his appetite for success and the positive energy he brings to transactions makes him one of the most respected professionals in his industry.
Corporate Finance Director
A qualified chartered accountant, Ian is a holder of the corporate finance qualification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Leading deals for almost 30 years, before joining us he led the corporate finance business of a Big Four accountancy firm in the South East and has previously been recognised as Corporate Financier of the Year and Dealmaker of the Year at the Thames Valley Deal Awards. He has been a lead adviser on ‘Deal of the Year’ three times in recent years. Ian has advised on over 100 deals in his career, including a number of high-profile disposals in the last two years, including the sales of Launch Diagnostics (healthcare), Climb Online (digital marketing), Prometheus (healthcare), Cuts Ice (vape manufacturing), Compliancy and Portman (financial services compliance), Dezeen (social media), Phoenix Datacom (cyber) and Pareto (facilities management).
Ian Barton
Corporate Finance Director
A qualified chartered accountant, Ian is a holder of the corporate finance qualification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Leading deals for almost 30 years, before joining us he led the corporate finance business of a Big Four accountancy firm in the South East and has previously been recognised as Corporate Financier of the Year and Dealmaker of the Year at the Thames Valley Deal Awards. He has been a lead adviser on ‘Deal of the Year’ three times in recent years. Ian has advised on over 100 deals in his career, including a number of high-profile disposals in the last two years, including the sales of Launch Diagnostics (healthcare), Climb Online (digital marketing), Prometheus (healthcare), Cuts Ice (vape manufacturing), Compliancy and Portman (financial services compliance), Dezeen (social media), Phoenix Datacom (cyber) and Pareto (facilities management).
Corporate Finance Director
After graduating on the EY Degree in Accounting, Auditing and Finance from Lancaster Business School in 2014, Mughees worked in the Audit department at EY Manchester. Following qualification as a chartered accountant, he actively sought a role in corporate finance and after working in the Transaction Services team at DSW, Mughees joined KBS Corporate Finance in 2018. Whilst working sector agnostically, he has led and advised on various deals over the last six years including notable completions such as the sale of plastics recycling companies Aurora Manufacturing and Venture Polymers to Ravago, and IASME, a cybersecurity certification company, to Phenna Group.
Mughees Saleem
Corporate Finance Director
After graduating on the EY Degree in Accounting, Auditing and Finance from Lancaster Business School in 2014, Mughees worked in the Audit department at EY Manchester. Following qualification as a chartered accountant, he actively sought a role in corporate finance and after working in the Transaction Services team at DSW, Mughees joined KBS Corporate Finance in 2018. Whilst working sector agnostically, he has led and advised on various deals over the last six years including notable completions such as the sale of plastics recycling companies Aurora Manufacturing and Venture Polymers to Ravago, and IASME, a cybersecurity certification company, to Phenna Group.
Corporate Finance Director
Jay is a Chartered Accountant and an experienced corporate financier. He spent much of his career working in top 10 accountancy practices and also ran his own corporate finance boutique. Jay has completed more than 150 transactions which include acquisitions, disposals, group restructuring and carve-outs, employee ownership trusts (EOTs) and private equity deals. He has worked in deals across most sectors, with his recent experience including transactions in the professional services, insurance, TMT, industrial and niche engineering sectors. Jay also has experience in cross-border transactions having worked on a number of deals with overseas buyers and investors.
Jay Singh
Corporate Finance Director
Jay is a Chartered Accountant and an experienced corporate financier. He spent much of his career working in top 10 accountancy practices and also ran his own corporate finance boutique. Jay has completed more than 150 transactions which include acquisitions, disposals, group restructuring and carve-outs, employee ownership trusts (EOTs) and private equity deals. He has worked in deals across most sectors, with his recent experience including transactions in the professional services, insurance, TMT, industrial and niche engineering sectors. Jay also has experience in cross-border transactions having worked on a number of deals with overseas buyers and investors.
Corporate Finance Director
An experienced and well-respected lead adviser with a wide and loyal network, Philippa qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG and was a member of the corporate tax team until she realised her skills were more suited to the corporate finance field, where she has worked ever since. With a skill set that enables her to add value to SMEs at all stages, Philippa’s recent transactions include the sale of Amara Living to Frasers, the sale of the IP of Askif to Love Finance and the investment into EC Electronics by Rockpool.
Philippa Robinson
Corporate Finance Director
An experienced and well-respected lead adviser with a wide and loyal network, Philippa qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG and was a member of the corporate tax team until she realised her skills were more suited to the corporate finance field, where she has worked ever since. With a skill set that enables her to add value to SMEs at all stages, Philippa’s recent transactions include the sale of Amara Living to Frasers, the sale of the IP of Askif to Love Finance and the investment into EC Electronics by Rockpool.
Corporate Finance Director
A corporate finance specialist, Adrian is a qualified chartered accountant and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He has worked as a financial controller and chief financial officer and now focuses on the sell-side of M&A. His sector experience includes technology, finance and business services, working closely with corporate clients and private equity houses. Adrian is very much a people person and works collaboratively to achieve the best outcomes for all parties involved.
Adrian Howells
Corporate Finance Director
A corporate finance specialist, Adrian is a qualified chartered accountant and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He has worked as a financial controller and chief financial officer and now focuses on the sell-side of M&A. His sector experience includes technology, finance and business services, working closely with corporate clients and private equity houses. Adrian is very much a people person and works collaboratively to achieve the best outcomes for all parties involved.
Sales Executive
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Harry Knowles-Lawson
Sales Executive
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Corporate Director
Guy has been at KBS for 10 years, having worked on all aspects of mergers, acquisitions and business exit strategies. He specialises in establishing strong relationships with clients and has advised on transactions with values between £1m and £25m.
Guy Haynes
Corporate Director
Guy has been at KBS for 10 years, having worked on all aspects of mergers, acquisitions and business exit strategies. He specialises in establishing strong relationships with clients and has advised on transactions with values between £1m and £25m.
Managing Director
Holly is a transactional tax specialist advising on corporate sales and acquisitions, MBOs, group reconstructions. private equity backed corporate finance investments and family successions. She also specialises in advising on share incentive schemes and employee share related tax issues.
Holly Bedford
Managing Director
Holly is a transactional tax specialist advising on corporate sales and acquisitions, MBOs, group reconstructions. private equity backed corporate finance investments and family successions. She also specialises in advising on share incentive schemes and employee share related tax issues.