Director, HNH Partners
www.hnhgroup.co.uk
What does the company do?
Deal Advisory – helping business owners to sell, buy or raise capital
Where are you based?
Edinburgh
Outline your working day
Up by 6.30am and a quick burst in the gym, before heading into the office for 8 (ish). I am definitely more of an office person that working from home as I enjoy the team interaction and discussions, which I think inform better decision making. No day is the same, so I am either working from the office or out meeting clients and contacts for the rest of the day, and as with most people in the technological age, there is never really a ‘stop’.
What are the biggest challenges facing your business right now?
Uncertainty. Businesses in Scotland have not had it easy with 15 years of uncertainty pretty much since the banking crisis, and the looming recession is not going to help.
What should be done to overcome these challenges?
Economic policy from government(s) needs to be pro-business to create jobs and stimulate growth, ideally in actually creating something rather than just in services. A tax on super-profits from the energy companies is not the best advert for a free economy, but might be essential in the short term.
Has Brexit impacted on your business?
It has certainly led to some investment being channelled away from the UK, but the main issue is that the lack of clarity and certainty inevitably slows down deal flow. The wider impact of this, beyond our own business, is that this then restricts growth capital for businesses seeking to scale up. The increased red tape and cost in operating in the EU has also been an issue for our clients.
Do you support a workplace parking levy?
No – not until we have better public transport.
Do you use public transport?
I try to, but Lothian Buses cancelling part of the No 10 service has made this much harder to do these days.
Do you think this is the right time to be calling for an independence referendum?
No. As a native Yorkshireman I get as frustrated as anyone by the London-centric views of certain parts of the UK political establishment, but economically I think it would be a disaster, so we need to focus instead on making Scottish businesses, and the economy, much more dynamic.
What do you drive? Is it petrol or electric? If petrol, what would make you switch?
Slightly embarrassingly, I have got two diesel cars. So once the technology is settled, I will be changing them!
What are your short- and long-term goals?
Our overall goal is to be Scotland’s foremost deal advisory firm and to continue to build our reputation for straightforward, high quality advice. The way to achieve this is to continue to deliver on our immediate goals, of delivering the best outcome, with the best service, for each of our clients.
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