Death announced of Midlands buyout market specialist

Tributes have been paid to professor Mike Wright, founder and director of The Centre for Management Buy-Out Research (CMBOR), who died earlier this week following a short illness.

Professor Wright was a regular commentator on the Midlands’ management buy-out market and was a world-renowned leader in the study of private equity. He spoke at more than 20 annual economic breakfasts in Birmingham, hosted by Equistone Partners Europe, sponsors, with Investec Corporate and Investment Banking, of CMBOR. Mike was professor of entrepreneurship at Imperial College; London having previously been professor of finance at the University of Nottingham.

Paul Harper, partner at Equistone Partners Europe’s Birmingham office, said professor Wright was not only a world leader in his understanding of private equity but also a great person to work with.

He said: “We are all incredibly sad to learn of this news and send our condolences to his family. Mike was a pleasure to work with, supremely professional and someone whose views and analysis was greatly appreciated by the Midlands’ financial and professional community.

“His presentations at our Annual Economic breakfasts to Birmingham’s financial and professional community were always detailed and on-the-mark and always with a smattering of dry humour, normally regarding another of his passions – football. He also contributed significantly to our understanding of developments in the marketplace as he interpreted trends in the UK, Europe and worldwide. He will be greatly missed.”

Professor Mike Wright joined Imperial College Business School as professor of entrepreneurship in September 2011. He was director of the Centre for Management Buy-Out Research, the first centre to be established devoted to the study of private equity and buy-outs, founded in March 1986 at the Nottingham University Business School. Throughout its duration, it has been sponsored by Equistone Partners Europe.

Previously, he was professor of financial studies at Nottingham University Business School. He wrote more than 40 books and in excess of 300 papers in academic and professional journals on management buyouts, venture capital, habitual entrepreneurs, academic entrepreneurs and related topics. A member of the BVCA Research Advisory Body, he held an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Ghent and was recently ranked number one worldwide for publications in academic entrepreneurship.

He died peacefully on Monday, November 25, 2019 at his home with his wife and family.