Graham Hart
- Specialism: Mergers & Acquisitions Project Manager helping owners, investors and CxOs in UK privately owned businesses to navigate M&A transactions on the Buyer Side, Seller Side/Exits and Post Acquisition Integrations.
- Track Record: Head of Corporate Development with IRIS Software for 6 years on a PE backed Buy and Build journey. Interim and Fractional M&A roles with companies across sectors including: Keywords Studios (Computer Gaming), Kalibrate Technologies (B2B Data & Analytics), Landmark Information Group (PropTech), Omni Capital (FinTech), Informa (Global B2B Media), Ground Control (Landscape and Environmental Services), Blueleaf Care (Care Products).
- Offer: Co-ordinating M&A transactions through the full lifecycle from initial offer, through due diligence, legal negotations and post completion business integration. I work ‘hands-on’ with businesses to support them through a transaction where they do not have the expertise or capacity (or both) to manage a deal process.
- Graham says: “I help business owners and management teams run their M&A deal so they can continue to run their business.”
- Try me: www.isagon.co.uk
After being made redundant in 2012 for the second time—following a PE secondary buy-out and company restructuring—I took some time out to reflect on the kind of work that gave me the most satisfaction and where I had been able to make the greatest impact during my career. At the same time, I decided that going back into another full-time role was not for me. I quickly realised that project-based work supporting multiple clients to execute M&A deals successfully, rather than full-time employment, was how I wanted to operate.
To get started, I took the plunge and set up my company, Isagon Associates, in 2012. I’ve been a business owner myself (with all that entails), trading independently ever since.
My first success came from a chance conversation with a Corporate Finance connection, which led to my first assignment. They had been engaged by the wealthy owner of a Financial Services company to sell the business, but the management was struggling to cope with the demands of running the business while also responding to the information requests from the Corporate Finance advisors and potential acquirers. The process had stalled. My contact introduced me to their client, and I was hired to accelerate the flow of information between the company and rebuild momentum into the sale process. This success has become a repeatable model for me.
Along the way, I’ve learned the need for flexibility. M&A projects typically involve multiple stakeholders on both sides. Everyone has busy calendars and many commitments, so working on more than one “live” deal at a time presents some fairly unique challenges. Transaction projects can also “disappear” off the desk quite suddenly if either of the parties falls out of love with the opportunity. However, post-acquisition integration projects offer interesting work and more certainty, as the deal has already completed.
It’s working for me now because I’m currently engaged with one client on a “live” buy-side transaction that has some time pressures and urgency, and with another client on an “exit” preparation assignment with a longer time horizon and lower urgency.
Looking ahead, I’m hoping to expand my portfolio and be found by more companies and business owners involved in M&A in the UK—those who don’t have either the experience or the capacity (or both) and therefore have a short-term need for some expert transaction support.