WORLD’S FIRST ETHICAL M&A ADVISORS
Two of the UK’s leading M&A advisors have launched the world’s first ethics-driven deal-making consultancy.
Whilst many advisors signal their progressive credentials, new consultancy CapEQ was launched in July 2020 with a plan to build their entire operation around the concept. The aim is to achieve B Corps status within their first year, joining an elite global movement of businesses which place social and environmental factors alongside financial imperatives.
CapEQ founders James Pugh and Mark Sapsford understand that no other global M&A advisor has ever attempted B Corps accreditation. The consultancy’s unique positioning adds a distinctive element to the founding partners’ ferocious work ethic and hard-won experience, spanning 30 years and more than 200 client projects.
CapEQ scope
The new venture will advise entrepreneurs, business owners and shareholders on long term growth, ongoing value creation and a maximised sale price. Projects may entail optimising strategy and operations, obtaining investment, overseeing M&As and valuing, preparing and selling businesses. Yet as Pugh explains, “every CapEQ project, interaction and relationship will go beyond the standard commitment to optimise bottom line results, by factoring in progressive ethics, long-term strategic thinking and the client’s personal goals.”
Sapsford adds that “too often, M&A’s have been about the bottom line and nothing more. At CapEQ, we start with the people side of the business, not the numbers. We advise on what’s right for the client, not us. That may sound obvious, but 30 years’ experience in the field suggests it’s far from usual!”
To maintain focus, the business has drawn up a 10-point Manifesto, which acts as both a promise to clients and a constant point of reference for the business. Pugh believes this clarity is both timely and necessary. “There is a huge gap in the market,” he says, “for trusted, independent strategic planners, driven by a progressive social and environmental agenda. As we emerge from a period of upheaval and reflection, this is the right idea, at the right time.”
