What most attracted you to joining the MML team?
Two things. First, the opportunity: MML is a successful firm with a clear strategy, and the chance to build out an operational capability from the ground up, working directly alongside the investment teams and the management teams of our portfolio companies, was too good to pass up. Second, the people. From my first meetings it was obvious how much the team cares about what MML stands for and how it operates. That passion and culture are hard to fake, and easy to feel.
How did your career path bring you to work for a private equity house?
By a slightly meandering route. I started out in scientific research, completing a DPhil in molecular biology at Oxford, before moving into management and strategy consulting. Over more than a decade at firms including Alvarez & Marsal, EY and Mars & Co, I worked almost exclusively with private equity funds and their portfolio companies on value creation, transformation and due diligence. That led to IK Partners, where I built and led the in-house value creation function for their UK portfolio, and ultimately to MML as Head of Value Creation.
What does life look like when you leave the office?
Mostly it revolves around my two young daughters and the ongoing challenge of keeping them entertained. Beyond that, I’m a keen runner and try to get out as often as I can. I also love to travel, and I’m always on the lookout for the next adventurous holiday that I can persuade/ drag the rest of the family along on.
