ADVISOR & NON-EXECUTIVE SUPPORT

But many have never actually built and sold a business themselves.

I have.

From bootstrapping, to scaling, to exit - and through the reality of an earn-out.

That experience shapes how I support founders today.

Before EKTE Vision, I built and scaled Verve Search, one of Europe’s leading SEO and digital PR agencies.

• Bootstrapped from scratch
• Built a 50+ person team
• Sold to Omnicom Media Group in 2017
• Stayed on as CEO through the earn-out period until Dec 2020

I didn’t have a co-founder or non-executive.

And while I had an M&A team supporting the transaction, I brought Omnicom to the table myself.

I’ve lived the full journey - from growth to exit, and everything that comes after.

Not every founder should sell.

And even when they do, it isn’t always the outcome they expect.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is founders optimising for what seems like the obvious next step - rather than what they actually want.

That might be:

• Growth at all costs
• Preparing for exit
• Or following a path that looks right externally

My role is to help you step back and ask:

→ What are you actually building?
→ What do you want from it?
→ And what does success really look like for you?

Because the “right” decision isn’t always the most financially obvious one.

This isn’t theoretical advice.

It’s grounded in real experience of:

• Scaling a business from zero
• Building teams and leadership structures
• Preparing for and navigating an exit
• Managing due diligence and negotiations
• And leading through an earn-out inside a global network

I understand not just how to sell a business - but what it takes to live through the reality of it.

I typically work with founders and leadership teams as a:

• Strategic advisor
• Non-executive voice
• Sounding board for key decisions

This might involve:

• Regular advisory sessions
• Ongoing strategic input
• Or a more formal non-executive role

But the core of the work is the same:

→ helping you make clearer, more intentional decisions at the moments that matter.

This work is most relevant for founders who are:

• Scaling and facing more complex decisions
• Considering growth, investment or exit
• Preparing for a potential sale
• Or navigating the reality of post-sale leadership

And who want perspective from someone who has actually been through it.