Long-term Ownership · Founder Succession

Acquiring and Building Great British Businesses

You have spent years building a company and are wondering what comes next.

Who will look after your employees, your customers and, most importantly, build on the reputation you have created?

Have a confidential conversation How I think about succession

The real question

The hardest part of succession isn’t always deciding whether to sell.

For many owners, the hardest question is who to sell to.

You’ve spent years building relationships. Your employees know you. Your customers trust you. Your suppliers know how you work. Your reputation has taken years to establish.

A buyer can put a price on the business. But they can’t put a price on all of that.

That’s why I believe the right transition needs to be about more than the transaction. It needs to be about finding the right person to continue the legacy you have built.

How I think about succession

The best transitions are less a transaction, more an apprenticeship

Understand the history

Every established business has its own history, relationships and ways of doing things. Understanding that history and respecting that legacy will be critical when taking the reins of the business

Listen and learn

The first responsibility of a new owner should be to work with the outgoing owner; listen to the team, customers and suppliers.

Build trust

Ownership is more than signing the documents. It means earning the confidence of the people who have spent years building the company alongside you.

Guide responsibly

The objective isn’t to remain an apprentice forever. It is to steward the business to the next stage, guiding and supporting those within the business as well as driving it forwards.

Meet Adam

Adam

Founder & Principal

I grew up near Croydon. My dad was a taxi driver, and I was the first in my family to go to university. I worked throughout my studies, waiting tables and running a nightclub and luxury events business to help pay my tuition.

Those experiences taught me to adapt quickly, work hard and find a way through unfamiliar situations. I've carried those qualities into my career, from advising business owners at PwC to working with families at Citi and alongside privately owned businesses.

Over time, I've come to realise that what motivates me most is not advising from the sidelines, but taking responsibility for something myself. I want to find a good business, earn the trust of its owner and build on what they've created.

I know the path won't always be straightforward. But I'm resourceful, persistent and motivated by the opportunity to build something meaningful - something that creates lasting value for the people connected to it.

Energy, resilience, curiosity and a genuine willingness to get stuck in - combined with the experience to understand the decisions that come with succession.

The kind of buyer I am

Think of it as a successor, not just a buyer

The idea is simple.

If you had spent 25 years building a company, wouldn’t you rather hand it to someone who wanted to inherit the business from you as opposed to someone who simply wanted to buy it?

Someone capable and humble enough to listen. Someone with the energy to take it forward. Someone who genuinely cares about what happens to the people and wants to respect the legacy you have created.

The aim is to be the person you can hand the business to, with confidence.

What I’m looking for

The numbers matter. They aren’t the starting point.

I’m interested in established businesses with strong customer relationships, capable people, repeat demand and a reputation worth protecting.

Long-term ownership: One; One acquisition. One controlling investment. A commitment to operating and building the business for the long term.
Geography: Great Britain; South West and South Central England are the initial focus, with flexibility for exceptional businesses elsewhere in Great Britain.
Indicative enterprise value: £3–30m*; An indicative acquisition range, considered in the context of the individual business and transaction. *We may consider up to £50m in exceptional cases
Sustainable EBITDA: £1–3m; Earnings supported by a sound underlying operation and capable independent management.

Particularly interested in founder-led businesses where an owner is considering retirement, succession or a change in role.

Not looking for: distressed situations, property plays or businesses requiring a fundamental turnaround. The objective is to find something good that deserves to continue.

A retiring business founder owner, happy that she has handed over to a successor

The long-term view

Handing over the baton

Coningsby aims to be a different kind of buyer.

We aim to be a responsible long-term steward of the business, respecting what has come and building upon it for the future.

Listen firstUnderstand the business before deciding what needs to change.

Protect what worksPreserve the relationships, culture and expertise that created the business.

Build deliberatelyInvest where doing so strengthens the underlying business.

A few practical questions

It starts with understanding.

Do I need to be ready to sell?

No. You may simply be starting to think about succession, retirement or a different role. You don’t need a valuation or a fixed plan to begin a conversation.

Could I stay involved in the business?

I want to learn from the person who knows the business best. Your future role and the pace of a transition are things we would explore together, taking account of what you want and what the business needs.

What matters to you about the team?

The people, knowledge and relationships are a large part of what makes an established business valuable. My approach starts with listening to the team and understanding what already works before deciding what should change.

Is this a confidential conversation?

The intention is a private, principal-to-principal conversation. We can discuss confidentiality arrangements before you share sensitive business information. You don’t need to send detailed financial documents to make an introduction.

Can an adviser make an introduction?

Yes. If you advise an owner whose business may be a fit, please use the form below and select ‘I’m an adviser’. The indicative criteria above are a useful starting point for that conversation.

Start a conversation

Thinking about what comes next?

You don’t need to be ready to sell.

You don’t need a valuation. And you don’t need to have worked out exactly what the transition should look like.

I’d simply like to hear about the business, understand what you’ve built and learn what has prompted you to start thinking about the future.

There’s no obligation and no need to prepare detailed information for an initial conversation.

I aim to respond to every enquiry within 24–48 hours.