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The BC Capital Chairman & Directors
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| Chairman |
Caroline Williams is a Solicitor who acts as a consultant and business adviser, particularly to small and medium sized owner-managed businesses.
Until 2000, Caroline was the managing partner of law firm Blake Lapthorn, overseeing 400 staff in three locations in the South East and London.
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She was a partner for twenty years at Blake Lapthorn, where she specialised in commercial and corporate law.
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Caroline acts as Non-Executive Director for a number of companies.
She was appointed by the Government in 1998 as a founder board member of the South of England Development Agency, a position which she held until December 2002.
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Since then she has been a Director of Finance South East Limited, a company set up by SEEDA and the region’s Business Links to improve access to finance for growing companies in the South East. Caroline is Chairman of the Hampshire Economic Partnership.
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Caroline’s work builds on her experience of working with growing businesses and their owners. She helps companies define strategies and achieve them.
She helps business owners to build and retain value, plan their succession and future, and maximise the tax efficiency of their investment.
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Paddy Benham-Crosswell - became involved in corporate finance having run his own IT company. After 18 months at AngelBourse he was instrumental in founding Pre-X, which specialises in providing the last private round of funding to a company before IPO.
Paddy raised over £1 million for such companies in the first half of 2006 alone. Having been both entrepreneur and investor, Paddy has understanding of the tensions of growing companies.
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After studying mechanical engineering at UCL Paddy was commissioned into the army in 1985. After 10 years service, and having achieved a top pass of the Staff College exam, he left upon his marriage.
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Immediately after leaving he obtained a diploma in acounting and finance; thereafter he has worked in the reinsurance, defence and marine safety sectors, as well as corporate finance.
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He has a number of directorships, and lives on a beef farm.
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| Director |
Peter Whalley - advises companies and their owners on acquisitions and disposals; undertakes due diligence and independent business assessments for providers of debt or equity finance; assists owner managers with strategic business issues; and advises on turnaround strategies for under performing businesses.
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Peter has nearly 30 years' experience, developed on assignments in the UK, Europe, USA and East Africa. A former partner of Coopers & Lybrand, he left to build up a successful practice of his own, which has since become a cornerstone of Buchanans. Peter has built up a wide range of sector specific experience including aerospace, automotive, insurance, IT, marine, property, retail, telecoms and textiles.
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As well as his professional experience, Peter has gained valuable hands on industry knowledge from a number of consulting and interim management assignments. These include a twelve-month assignment reporting to the board of a health/retail operation with nationwide representation.
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Peter is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW); a member of the Institute's corporate finance faculty; and has been awarded an Advanced Diploma in Corporate Finance.
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He is also a Fellow of the Association of Business Recovery Professionals - a blend of qualifications which means he is almost uniquely placed to advise in turnaround situations. Finally Peter acts, periodically, as a commercial mediator and has successfully assisted in resolving a number of corporate, business and banking related disputes.
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| Director |
Barry Watson - has advised entrepreneurs and business people, large multinational companies and wealthy individuals on their portfolios over 20 years.
A Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser, he helps clients manage their financial assets and wealth, and to minimise their exposure to tax.
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Sheer experience of dealing with the Inland Revenue means Barry has an invaluable knowledge base for clients and other professional advisers to draw on. Frequently he gives "second opinion" advice and assistance in defending challenges or investigations from the Revenue.
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He has also acted as an expert witness in litigation.
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Barry's enthusiasm is fast-growing businesses. He has helped many companies to grow and expand through commercial and financial strategies.
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| Director |
Adam Fraser-Harris - has been advising companies, shareholders and management over a number of years and has a wide range of corporate finance advisory experience including numerous acquisitions and disposals, pre IPO, IPO and secondary equity capital raisings, restructurings, and public company take-overs and defence
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Some highlights of his transactional experience include advising TDR Capital and Capricorn Ventures in their contested public take-over of PizzaExpress, Focus Wickes' aborted IPO and its subsequent secondary buy out and refinancing, the hostile defence of TJ Hughes, the value retailer, resulting in its subsequent sale to JJB Sports, the Recommended Offer by United Auto Group Corp. for Sytner Group, the prestige motor car distributor and the flotation's of Britt Allcroft plc, the developer of Thomas the Tank Engine, Ted Baker, the fashion retailer, Paddy Power, the number one Irish Bookmaker and Quantica, the niche recruitment and training company.
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Adam qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Grant Thornton on their Partner Fast Track program on which he gained experience of audit, insolvency, corporate finance, investigations and tax before pursuing a career in corporate finance.
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He joined Charterhouse Securities in London in 1996, which in 2000 was voted the leading stockbroker and advisory house to small UK listed companies.
He then moved to ING Barings, formerly Barings Brothers, following its acquisition of Charterhouse to head up a European wide corporate finance team.
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Adam is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales as well a member of the Institute's Corporate Finance Faculty and a member of the Securities Institute.
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