Entrepreneurs join Ford Campbell board

CORPORATE finance house Ford Campbell has added Mark Gidge and Mike Driver to its board as each have invested to become equity partners in the firm.

Gidge, who will hold the role of chairman at Ford Campbell, founded Professional Finance and Leasing in 1990. A decade later after building it up into a £10m company, he sold the business to IT finance group Syscap. He remained on the board until 2010 and played a pivotal role in the 2006 management buyout of Syscap to private equity firm, AnaCap Financial Partners.

Driver, who has become a partner in the firm, founded managed print services business M2 Digital in 1992. In 2004 he appointed Ford Campbell to mentor the business and in 2006, Ford Campbell sold a 39% stake in the company for an enterprise value of £33m to ECI Partners.

 Chris Froggatt, managing partner, said: “With the additions of Mark Gidge and Mike Driver as shareholders, Ford Campbell now has one of the strongest and most diverse boards in the corporate finance industry, and a management structure that befits a company of our size, track record and ambition. Both Mark and Mike have built and sold highly successful businesses and exemplify our typical client – driven, passionate and motivated to achieve the best possible price for their businesses.

“Both are also experienced private investors in ambitious, growing companies and know a strong investment opportunity when they see one. With their addition to Ford Campbell, we are confident that we will meet our objective of doubling in size over the next three years by continuing to achieve exceptional results for the UK’s most ambitious entrepreneurs and owner managers.”