In this annual PepTalks Podcast episode with DC Advisory, we’re joined by Tim Morris, UK CEO, to explore the current state and future outlook of the private equity deals market.   Tim reflects on deal activity over the past year and shares his predictions for the next 6–12 months, providing a practical lens on what this means for PE-backed CEOs and management teams.   We discuss: What will spark the market back into life How to position your business to attract buyers and run a successful process The role of AI in shaping investor interest and valuations How to get the most out of your advisors at every stage of the deal Essential insight for PE-backed management teams navigating a challenging and uncertain market.

In this episode of the PepTalks podcast, we speak with Simon Crowe, a seasoned CFO with deep experience navigating private equity-backed businesses through growth and exit. Simon served as CFO at energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie and ERM, the world’s largest sustainability consultancy, where he led the company through its fifth PE transaction, valuing the business at $2.85bn. We dive into the fundamentals of a PE-backed finance function, including how to build a growth-oriented and finance-led business, craft board packs that support strategic decision-making, manage leverage and debt relationships effectively and cultivate a high-impact CFO–CEO partnership.

In this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we’re joined by Emma Lancaster, CEO of AAB, who brings a rare dual perspective as both a former CFO and now a successful CEO under private equity ownership. Emma shares how she navigated the transition from CFO to CEO, and what she’s learned about building a high-performing partnership between these two critical roles. Emma also talks us through the M&A strategy that has driven significant growth at AAB.

This episode of the PepTalks Podcast explores how Private Equity ownership has evolved and what that means for CEOs and C-suite leaders today. Our guests are Jon Andrew and Matt Lyons, two highly experienced former Private Equity professionals who now work closely with CEOs and leadership teams through PepTalks training programmes. They share practical insights on: What PE firms are really looking for in today’s market How to build trust and engagement with investors And what it takes to create a high-impact value creation plan Whether you’re new to PE or planning your next phase of growth, this is a must-listen.

For this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by Group CEO of Framestore and Company 3, David kassler… David is an expert in taking on challenging roles and producing great results out of complex and dynamic situations. In this podcast, he recounts his journey as CEO of EMI Music, which was subject to very public industry disruption and challenging debt obligations and Williams Lea Tag, which required a strategic repositioning and transformation process resulting in two successful trade sales.

It’s our annual Podcast episode with Richard Madden, European Executive Chairman of DC Advisory to discuss the state of the Private Equity deals market. We review the deals market so far this year, what we can expect over the next 6 – 12 months, including the impact of likely changes to tax policy, and ultimately what this means for PE-backed business leaders.

For this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by loveholidays CEO, Donat Rétif… Donat is a highly experienced PE-backed CEO specialising in building high-growth tech platform businesses. We discuss loveholidays organic growth journey and how they have utilised AI, data and staff engagement & autonomy to greatly increase their customer base and expand into new international markets.

This episode of the PepTalks podcast is all about running an effective M&A process under PE ownership. We are joined by Babble CEO and M&A expert, Matt Parker. Having joined Babble in 2015 Matt has taken the business through 2 PE transactions and grown the headcount from 15 to 500 people, all whilst completing 34 acquisitions. In this episode, we focus on the acquisition process right up to the point of sale, specifically how you define your criteria, how to source potential deals, how you fund those deals and the DD process.

In this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by experienced Healthcare CEO, Craig Smith… Craig joined healthcare and specialist transport providers E-zec Medical as CEO in 2021 following an MBO by Cairngorm Capital. In 2023 he oversaw a significant merger with ERS Medical resulting in a rebrand to EMED Group where Craig remains as CEO. We discuss how Craig organised and executed this merger as well as how he has driven significant growth as CEO of both E-Zec & EMED through a heavy focus on culture, restructuring programmes, product diversity & innovation and building a winning senior leadership team.

In this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we are thrilled to have Tim Ham, CEO of Pearson Ham and distinguished pricing expert, as our special guest. We discuss the findings of a collaborative report between PepTalks and Pearson Ham titled ‘The Six Key Steps to Pricing Implementation’. Tim provides insights into the findings of the report and takes a deep dive into each of the 6 steps. With his expertise, Tim shares practical advice on how to successfully execute a pricing project within your own business. To access the report, visit: https://pep-talks.co.uk/article/the-six-steps-to-pricing-implementation-guide/

For this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by culture, talent and HR expert David Bowes… David is a highly successful and high-growth Chief People Officer under PE ownership, having held the position at WDS, A Xerox Company, Phlexglobal and Xalient. We discuss the role of the chief people officer, including what a good people strategy looks like, building your top team and how to hire, retain and develop talent throughout your organisation.

In this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we are talking all about strategy and how to build a winning value creation plan under PE ownership with Achilles CEO, Paul Stanley. Paul has held 7 PE backed CEO roles, the last 4 of which he took on when the business was underperforming so he could implement a successful strategic repositioning. Paul shares his approach to building a strategy by focusing on the business's purpose, culture and key customers. He then shows us how you can translate this into an effective value creation plan.

This episode of the PepTalks Podcast is all about operating models and how they can be successfully implemented into a PE-backed business to drive value, culture, innovation and set you up for a successful exit. Our expert guest is Forge Holiday Group & Sykes Holiday Cottages CEO, Graham Donoghue, who has successfully implemented OKRs into the business resulting in a 9x return for Livingbridge and enterprise value of £400m upon their last exit in 2019. Graham attributes a large amount of his success to the successful implementation of OKRs. Listen to hear his full story.

For this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by regular guest, Richard Madden, for an update on the state of the private equity deals market. Richard is CEO of DC Advisory UK a leading international investment bank who provide buy and sell-side advice during PE transactions and other M&A activity. We discuss how the economic climate has affected the market over the course of this year and what we can expect over the next 6 to 12 months.

For this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we welcome David Brennan, Executive Chair of Nexus Vehicle Rentals for the second time to discuss his continuing journey with the business. David was CEO of Nexus for 9 years and steered the company through 3 PE transactions before recently transitioning to Exec Chair. We discuss how to drive organic growth through effective sales and marketing, developing your management team and succession planning for the CEO role.

For this episode of The PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by Andrew Dyckhoff, Founder and CEO of Strengths Unleashed, who are experts in assessment, development and advisory, helping energise individual leaders, their teams and organisations to release untapped potential, transform performance and deliver outstanding results. Our main area of discussion is around personal and organisational energy and why it is so important when delivering the growth required under private equity ownership.

For this episode of The PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by Neil Rodford, Executive Director of Voly Music and Former CEO of YMU, a market-leading talent agency. Neil led YMU through 3 successful buyouts, delivering a 500% increase in enterprise value and a turnover in excess of £140m. During this time Neil executed over 40 acquisitions which are our key topic of conversation for this podcast. We also discuss team development and how your relationship with PE changes through an investment cycle.

For this episode of The PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by Lois Heywood, CEO of Retail & Asset Solutions who are at the forefront of the audit and stocktaking industry. In 2018 Lois became CEO of Retail & Asset Solutions upon leading a Carve Out from ODS group with the support of LDC. Lois draws on this experience and describes how to transition from corporate to PE-backed leadership. We also discuss how Lois and her team became the business's majority shareholders, having completed a debt-funded management buyout in 2022.

For this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by Elona Mortimer-Zhika, CEO of Iris Software Group, who help organisations to make better business decisions by developing integrated software solutions.  In 2016 Elona joined Iris as CFO, transitioned to COO in 2018, and finally to CEO in 2019. During her tenure, Iris has seen incredible amounts of growth. Their most recent exit in 2018 was worth £1.3 billion and since then the value of the business has grown to over £3 billion. In this podcast, we discuss Elona’s approach to M&A, expansion into the US, how to successfully transition from an Exec into the CEO role, and her approach to hiring. 

For this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by Clare Roberts OBE, Founder and CEO of Kids Planet Day Nurseries, an award-winning group of 137 nurseries across the UK. Clare founded the business in 2008 and has since completed two private equity transactions. Clare shares how she successfully transitioned from an entrepreneur to a PE-backed business leader, and how this path to success affects your mindset towards growth, investors, M&A and the culture of your business.