The CEO
Period at Bain: 1989-2007
Company: Findel plc
Role: Group Chief Executive
How would you describe your current role?
I am Group Chief Executive of Findel plc, a diversified group of businesses in Home Shopping, Educational Supplies and Healthcare. We are in the middle of an exciting turnaround - the group has been weighed down by too much debt in the past and we are just completing a refinancing to help relieve that load. Once that is done, we will be in position to drive our 'Full Potential Plan' forwards, which will hopefully yield significant benefits for all our stakeholders. My role is two-fold - to help develop group level strategy, address balance sheet issues etc, but also to mentor, monitor and encourage business unit managers to deliver on their targets.
What is your greatest achievement since leaving Bain ?
I left Bain to become CEO of a business called BPP Holdings, one of Europe's leading education businesses. We developed a new strategy for the business and developed a new operating plan. In 2009 the business was acquired by Apollo Global, a subsidiary of the US education business Apollo Group for a substantial premium. Shareholders received a total net return some 30% higher than the market over my tenure.
What did you learn at Bain ?
There are just too many things to list in full, so I will just pull out a couple. Firstly, I can't overstress the importance of the Bain fact-based approach. It is the best way to cut through the politics and ill-informed debate that frequently comes up in business and gets in the way of making the right decisions quickly. Secondly, I have found the 'full potential' approach very powerful in both businesses where I have now been CEO - it captures peoples' attention, makes clear what is required, and is a much better descriptor than a 'strategy review'!
