£2m invested to fuel management buyout

Debt funder Frontier Development Capital (FDC) has invested £2m in a sales transformation and enablement consultancy to support a management buyout (MBO).

Hertfordshire-based Mentor Group has secured the funds as part of the multi-million-pound MBO by its management team consisting of Matt Webb (CEO), James Barton (CSO), Jack Smith (CFO) and Jane Hall (NED). 

Mentor has developed bespoke consultancy, training and coaching programmes to support client-led sales initiatives for more than 20 years.

In addition, it has invested in building its learning experience technology platform, Kairos, which aims to enhance customer experience.

Matt Webb, CEO of Mentor, said: “Mentor has had continuous growth over the past few years, and we believe this is an exciting opportunity to continue building on the success of the original founders. This MBO will unlock considerable potential for the business, allowing us to improve sales transformation and enablement, putting Mentor at the forefront of the industry.

“Frontier Development Capital has supported us through the process, and this investment will support our vision for the future development of Mentor. This has helped our plan to drive new products to meet our customers’ needs, which will help the business reach its full potential”.

Kathryn Hoverd, investment manager at FDC said: “At FDC, we are dedicated to supporting businesses across the UK with flexible funding capital. The MBO of Mentor Group is an excellent example of how our funds can support businesses growth plans.

“Mentor Group prides itself on delivering high-quality, innovative content with measurable outcomes. This investment will ensure that the management team at Mentor can push their business further with their long-standing knowledge of the sector while continuing to meet the needs of their customers”.

Advisors on the deal were:
Management: Corporate Finance – Transcend Corporate (Steve Bartlett and Harvey Thiara); Legal – Westbrook Advisors (Andrew Sandars); Harrison Clark Rickerbys (Victoria Dingleton)
FDC: Legal – Penningtons (Andy Rushfirth, John Chater, Richard Wrigley); FDD – Azets (Paul Tallon)
Vendors: Legal – FSP (Penny Garden, Jeremy Parkes and Alex Illingworth)