Over the past year, I realised that MCA had reached an inflection point. We’d built a strong reputation and a global footprint, but I could see that continuing to grow at scale would require a different approach than the founder-driven model that had got us this far. I recognised that if we wanted to unlock the next phase of growth, I needed to bring in new partners and allow more senior leaders to step forward rather than keeping everything centred around myself.
I made the decision to secure outside investment after we had devised a long term vision for the company. After plenty of meetings with different potential investors, we secured a partner in YFM Equity Partners, that gave us not only growth capital but also the governance and expertise to scale sustainably.
At the same time, I am shifting my role from being the central decision-maker to enable a stronger senior leadership team so MCA could run as a platform business rather than a founder-dependent one.
The challenges were numerous, but going through external investment means an incredibly rigorous due diligence process. The investor wants to interrogate everything and not leave anything unturned. That’s stressful as the amount of work for yourself and the team means long hours. It’s like trying to do two jobs at the same time, and it shouldn’t be overestimated.
The shift is still ongoing but I believe it will be transformative. With YFM’s backing and a broader leadership structure, MCA is no longer reliant on me to drive every decision. Along with a new Chairperson, it is allowing us to accelerate investment in our technology platform, expand into new markets, and give our clients more resources and stability. Culturally, it’s also freed me to focus on vision, partnerships, and innovation — creating more space for the team to step up and thrive.
I learned that growth requires letting go. As a founder, it’s tempting to think that the way you’ve always done things is the only way. But true scale comes when you share the load, bring in partners who complement your skills, and empower others to lead.
It’s not about losing control — it’s about creating the right conditions for the business, and the people in it, to flourish well beyond you.
I have always loved the saying which could be attributed to a number of different people including Einstein and Tony Robbins the motivational coach and it is “if you carry on doing what you’re doing, you’ll get what you’ve always got”