The Dealmaker Uncut

The Dealmaker Uncut

By Alvarez & MarsalBusinessEntrepreneurshipCareers
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The Dealmaker Uncut episodes

  • Episode 27: Is Hospitality Still Worth Investing In?

    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
    • 32 min
    • Episode 26: The brush with death that transformed Apadmi

      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
      • 46 min
      • Episode 25: Tom Staff: Building a £200m PropTech with my sister

        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
        • 40 min
        • Episode 24: I sold out to Accenture - but my new business will be bigger

          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 
          • 38 min
          • Episode 23: Building a £1bn business from scratch

            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
            • 36 min
            • Episode 22: Why US AI Companies Scale Faster Than the UK

              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 
              • 39 min
              • Episode 21: I got my mojo back in my 50s

                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
                • 33 min
                • Episode 20: I swapped Olympic dream to launch tech firm

                  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
                  • 38 min
                  • Episode 19: The hard truth about women in deal-making

                    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
                    • 36 min
                    • Episode 18: Massive Attack helped me build a multi-million pound business

                      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

                        29 min

                      About The Dealmaker Uncut

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                      The Dealmaker Uncut podcast gets inside the heart of the deal.