Lincoln Stollery
If you follow the Premier League you would know that Manchester City are currently a long way ahead of their nearest competitor (Man United), and at this stage it looks like the title is theirs to lose.
They have some of the best players in the world, but when you watch them in full flight and playing as one team, they are a team on a mission and near unstoppable.
Their success has come from many seasons of meticulous preparation and consistency.
As part of my role in the Originate team at Pemba I talk to founders and owners of businesses about their future growth ambitions, both personal and professional.
We discuss their strategy and drivers, and then look at how we can potentially help them on their journey to success.
I am often asked:
“What sets Pemba apart as an investment partner, and why do your partners typically work with you?”
It’s simple. Timing. Alignment. Opportunity (and Exit).
“How do I know when the time is right?”
As experts in growing businesses, we can help with timing in many ways, including:
- Planning for succession to help you leave a long-lasting legacy for your hard work.
- Accelerating your growth timeline by working strategically alongside you and your management team.
- Identifying and funding strategic M&A opportunities to add expertise and complementary business skills to your business that accelerate the growth.
Our dedicated team of investment professionals are here as your resource, with the Sherpa ‘tool kit’ to support you.
As a growth investor, Pemba has completed over 160 transactions in a 20-year period. We have been one of the most active mid-market growth investors in Australia during this time, helping businesses accelerate their growth and realise the reward for their hard work.
We do that by:
- specialising in ‘Buy & Build’ partnerships,
- maintaining our sector focus,
- being highly flexible in our approach.
“How do I know that we’re on the same team and that you’re not going to be a distraction?”
Just like Man City, the key to any good partnership and growth story is synergy. It is important that we are aligned.
The first step is trust.
We recommend you speak with those that we have trusted partnerships with to gain insight into what it is like to work with Pemba.
We are focused on people.
We help you find and retain good staff and progress their careers so that they can share in your legacy. A strong management team is key to driving success and a strong team of investment professionals is key to finding the right opportunity for us to grow together.
We act as your sounding board.
Our sector expertise, investment track record and business development skills are available to you when you need.
“How can you help me and my business?”
What sets us apart from other growth investors is that we have 3 dedicated teams of Sherpas that you can use as you require. These three teams are Originate, Transact and Accelerate.
Each team is designed to provide you with a full suite of rounded capabilities and your ‘tool kit’ for growth.
Originate are your classic Sherpas; carrying the oxygen, supplies and searching for the next route to give you the best chance of scaling the summit in the quickest way possible.
If M&A is in your growth strategy, Originate are your feet on the ground, talking to business founders to help you find complementary skills and expertise that fit your business. (They are also great guys – no bias!)
Transact is your Sherpa base camp outpost – They are your data engine room, analysing financials and working closely with your team to improve inefficiencies. The transact team work closely with the Originate and Accelerate teams to analyse which of the M&A opportunities looks the most financially attractive to you.
Accelerate are the Sherpa team leaders. Think of them like your in-house management consultants. Their goal is to support your growth strategy and identify ways to enhance it, both organically and inorganically.
- Organic growth opportunities like; expanding into a new state, opening a new office, or developing a new technology offering to take advantage of an untapped market.
- Inorganic growth opportunities like; acquiring complimentary skills and expertise that cut down the implementation period and help add to your growing repertoire of services.
At the end of the investment timeframe, every stakeholder wants to be rewarded for their hard work.
For you and other major shareholders, that means being remunerated for your tireless efforts in growing your business. For your key staff, that might mean becoming part of the shareholder structure, and rewarding other staff with more senior roles in a larger organisation.
If part of your growth strategy is to IPO and be a CEO or Senior Executive of a listed business, then we can help.
We have completed many different types of exits and can provide the flexibility to generate the best outcome for you to leave your legacy.
To learn more about what it’s like to work with us, listen to Marc Washbourne, the CEO of the ASX-listed ReadyTech, talk about his experiences here:
https://pemba.com.au/working-with-us/
To learn more about how we can help you in your path to Premier League glory, please InMail me.
“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” – Michael Jordan
(Image Source, Sky Sports)
