As M&A advisors, we provide valuable insight to our clients. But every now and then, our clients allow us to dig a little deeper and provide us with insight into their personal journey. The pitfalls are just as valuable as the successes, and the learnings are important to share.
In 2016, SI Partners advised Chris Averill, founder of We Are Experience on the sale of his business- a global customer experience and service design consultancy with offices in London and New York. Chris sold his business to Globant - a public company listed on the NYSE and with a team of more than 5,200 professionals in 11 countries.
The sale took place as digital disruption was accelerating. Technology was, and still is, changing the way users were starting to interact with brands. Organisations were beginning to rethink the whole consumer experience and were looking for partners than could help them create digital journeys that bring together technology, design and innovation.
Describing himself as a “virgin to the M&A sale process”, Chris, through the process of selling, learned a lot of truths - things no one else had told him. Since selling his business, he has written “Buy, Sell, Retire”, an honest account of his experiences, written to help guide other entrepreneurs and business owners navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions and how to get sale ready.
Joe Hine, Partner at SI Partners talked to Chris recently, to uncover what the “entrepreneurs dirty little secret” really is, how to prepare for sale and create the right team around you, and what he’d do differently next time round.
You can listen to their conversation here...
If you would like to discuss any of the topics covered in this interview, or to have a conversation with one of the partners, please contact us.