Who we are

Independent advisers
Our advice is built on decades of experience advising but also running businesses like yours.
Deeply rooted in the media industry
We're sector specialists and have a deep understanding of what drives value.
Custodians of a community
We're passionate about supporting innovators who are driving our industry forwards.

What drives us?

Our mission is to create value, and change lives.

We have witnessed companies leaving value on the table as they strive to grow. This is even more pronounced when selling or raising capital. We’ve learned the hard way. We started Collingwood to change that.

Since 2006, we’ve helped companies to focus on what matters, only the things that move the needle.

We bring our independence and our integrity, and deliver advice that is simple and to the point. But always combined with sincere empathy. Building a business is hard.

Our promise is to give you the tools to transform your business, and your life.

Meet the team

Qualified Chartered Accountant and Tax Adviser experienced in transaction execution, due diligence, and financial modelling. Daniel works closely with entrepreneurs, supporting them in realising their business aspirations.

Daniel Adasonla

Corporate Finance Manager
With 15+ years of experience working with first-time, single-time sellers, selling to global corporates and private equity investors, Connor has advised on c.30 deals at an aggregate value of c.$2b.

Connor Agnew

MD, Head of UK, Corporate Finance
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Former founder of a startup-focused training marketplace and an experienced management consultant.

Simon Bathula

Associate Adviser, Business Information
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Collingwood’s founder: Piers has more than 25 years’ experience in media, including as MD of Terrapinn and founding CEO of Clarion Conferences. He has founded and sold four events and media businesses and led over 20 buy-side and sell-side transactions.

Piers Bearne

Founder

Mark Bentley

CFO
David has extensive experience supporting executives, senior management, and customers across both public and private sector organisations. David has worked in a range of administrative roles and as a user researcher.

David Calderon Prada

Executive Assistant
A strategic global executive with extensive and diverse experience across media. Natasha specializes in accelerating growth, ensuring effective efficiency, bringing clarity to complex transformations and operational excellence.

Natasha Cholerton-Brown

Strategic Adviser
A strategic leader with a proven track record across events and media. Has worked extensively in multiple vertical markets addressing the needs of new launches, growth through market adjacencies and geo-adaptation.

Steve Corrick

EVP, US Strategy, Practice Lead, Events
Drawing on her 25+ years of experience in B2B events, Pauline has successfully grown and optimised product, sales, marketing, and operations across multiple events portfolios and marketing services divisions, and is a sought-after adviser and trainer.

Pauline Coulter

Principal Adviser
A strategy leader with over 30 years of experience in the information, media, and fintech sectors.

Victoria Davies

Senior Adviser
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Fergus has extensive media and advisory experience, acknowledged leader in digital media strategy, marketing services transformation and sales leadership. Former Managing Director at Informa and Commercial Director at The Drum.

Fergus Gregory

Practice Lead, Digital Media
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With extensive experience across insights, content, and community, Ros is an audience engagement expert. She ensures her clients not only know what their customers need but how to deliver it.

Rosalind Hill

Principal Adviser, Product & Insights; Head of Content
For over twenty years Stephanie has worked in finance support roles for management consulting and investment banking firms. She is a particular expert at working with owners and founders to grow and sustain their businesses.

Stephanie Holman

Finance Manager

Philip Hunt

Chairman
A C-level leader with extensive experience in M&A, growth and transformation across media, events, and subscription businesses. Reggie has led sales and P&L management for several B2B media organisations, including Informa and Penton.

Reggie Lawrence

Senior Adviser
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Experienced project management professional who blends expertise in economics, marketing, and law with a focus on tech consultation and scaleup projects.

Michele Maccarelli

Client Operations Manager
Content and product development professional, with experience in delivering strategies led and supported by audience insights and data. Experienced in using a range of research methods to uncover engaging findings.

Kieran Matthews

Product & Content Manager
A results-oriented Community Management professional with extensive experience cultivating and engaging thriving communities across diverse sectors, including sports, ed-tech, community accelerator programmes, and media.

Catherine Mulrenan

Community Manager, Media Entrepreneur Meetup
Experienced project management professional with a background in private equity and investment banking who blends expertise in economics, corporate finance and law with a focus on value creation and M&A for projects.

Talia Naidoo

Associate Adviser
An experienced adviser, who has engaged in governance, process refinement, market research, strategy, and management work for a boutique Canadian consulting firm.

Freddie Peake

Associate Adviser
Diane is a highly entrepreneurial and strategic global marketing leader with extensive B2B and B2C experience across a 30+ year marketing career, and has worked at companies at different stages of maturity – from large corporates to startups, scaleups and agencies.

Diane Perlman

Chief Marketing Officer
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Daniel specialises in sale preparation and exit, and leads Collingwood’s buyer engagement programmes to identify the best possible partners for our media entrepreneur clients. A successful founder, Daniel built and sold Futurum Media.

Daniel Pitchford

Chief Executive Officer
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Insights and product development specialist, with expertise across publishing and events. A pro at uncovering the insights that create opportunities and solve problems for growing media businesses.

Lauren Pulling

Head of Insights
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An expert analyst who began his career at Deloitte as a consultant and adviser. Patrick now supports clients with data analysis, financial modelling, and due diligence.

Patrick Reichle

Associate Adviser, Corporate Finance
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Adam has 25+ years of experience in investment banking and private equity. He has both sold and acquired businesses ranging from £10m to £500m in value, as private and public transactions.

Adam Shaw

Global Managing Director, Corporate Finance
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Daniel Schwarz

Director, Corporate Finance
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With extensive experience in business operations, recruitment, and talent management, Amy is dedicated to driving organisational success and enhancing employee experience.

Amy Sheridan

Business Operations Manager
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An experienced consultant, who has worked on market research, strategy, and financial instruments for PwC and the European Union.

Jordan Sheridan

Associate Adviser, Events
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Steve Smith

COO
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With a 25-year media career spanning sales, marketing, and content, Jen is an expert in helping clients develop the great products that lead to market leadership. Former Informa R&D Director and CPO of SaaS community tool, Zapnito.

Jenefer Thoroughgood

Chief Product & Insights Officer
Tim has 17+ years of experience leading B2B information businesses. His focus is accelerating growth of subscription, marketing services and events revenues through deep customer insight, product development and sales alignment.

Tim Wakefield

Practice Lead, B2B Information
Former Insight and Commercial Marketing Director at Immediate Media, Alison’s expertise is in using customer insight and data to deliver revenue and sustainable growth.

Alison Finnegan

Strategic Adviser
Over 20 years’ experience in B2C media transformation. Andrea has held board positions at IPC Media, Time Inc UK, TI Media and Future.

Andrea Davies

Strategic Adviser
Andy has over 35 years of experience in growing and launching trade events in the UK, Middle East, Africa and Asia and was formerly a Senior Vice President at DMG Events in Dubai.

Andy White

Strategic Adviser
An award-winning events leader with over 18 years of experience, Aurore drives rapid growth for B2B exhibitions and conferences through geo-cloning, business model development, and organic expansion.

Aurore Braconnier

Strategic Adviser
Catherine has more than 25 years’ B2B media experience, driving growth in digital information products, data platforms and high-profile conferences and awards.

Catherine Lewis

Strategic Adviser
Across 25 years of running B2B events and publishing businesses, James has worked in numerous roles within a large Plc, as well as running his own businesses. He has bought and sold several companies, giving him a deep knowledge of the challenges of exit.

James Gareh

Strategic Adviser
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An expert in events, digital media, and training, Julian is one of Collingwood’s most experienced advisers. With over 30 years of media experience, he’s a pro at turning around and rapidly growing businesses.

Julian Graves

Chairman
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Natacha Roberts

Senior Adviser
Jim is a commercial Chartered Accountant with over 25 years’ experience as a senior finance leader in large media companies, including RELX (Reed Elsevier).

Jim Conybeare

Chartered Accountant
An experienced consulting & strategy professional having more than 7 years of experience across consulting firms (ex PwC & EY) and leading industry businesses.

Krishn Mehta

Associate Adviser
A recognised leader in the B2B events industry, Richard specialises in scaling events businesses through launch, acquisition, organic growth and business model development. Broad experience across sectors and regions, including seven years in the US.

Richard Mill
A highly experienced B2B market research, competitor intelligence, and new product development specialist, Ros’s background spans numerous verticals and companies, including as a Publisher at Informa.

Ros Cropper
A B2B events industry leader with experience in business model development, revenue growth and customer success, across both events rejuvenation and launch.

Lorenza Schiaffino
A seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in the digital entertainment and localisation sectors, having honed his skills at industry leaders such as Amazon and TiVo.

Jan Delsoir
A seasoned CEO and MD with 25+ years of leadership across Ascential, Centaur Media, DMGT, and as a founder. A specialist in M&A, value creation, and digital transformation.

Richard Breeden
Founder of SupplyChain360 and former B2B media CEO, Rachel is a content strategist and AI innovator with a track record of scaling media businesses and connecting senior leaders across complex, high-value sectors.

Rachel Montgomery-Young

Senior Adviser

The Media Entrepreneur Meetup

The Media Entrepreneur Meetup

We’ve been the custodians of the Media Entrepreneur Meetup for many years because of our long-standing commitment to the industry. It’s a free, valuable community for founders like you that creates a network for you to share and learn from each other.

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