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In this week's M&A Zing interview, Gareth talks with Toby Henry - former consultant and fintech exec turned acquisition entrepreneur - about buying and running Accelerator Solutions, a 25-year-old learning, research and people-based consulting firm.
We cover:
̇Why he chose self-funded ETA over a traditional search
Structuring a partnership-style deal where founders stay on
Leading a people and culture business as a first-time CEO
Where AI genuinely helps SMEs without breaking culture
Creative funding, lender realities for services, and building an M&A roadmap
Whether you’re planning your first ETA deal or wrestling with post-close culture, this one’s stacked with practical detail.
⏱️ Timestamps
[00:13] Cold open and show intro
[01:36] Guest setup: Toby Henry, Accelerator Solutions
[01:55] Whistle-stop career tour request
[03:40] Consulting years, Alpha FMC culture
[04:29] Fintech leap: Tenx and building Chase UK
[05:26] Disillusionment and discovering ETA
[06:35] Why buy vs build: authentic entrepreneurial pull
[07:51] Stanford/HBR rabbit hole
[09:32] Traditional search tradeoffs vs control
[11:00] Choosing self-funded: scope, savings, debt
[13:26] What builds high-performing orgs
[15:24] Scaling 60 → 600 and culture on purpose
[16:38] First-year CEO lessons: delegation, trust
[18:28] Buying a people business… then proving you 'get' people
[19:22] Day-one transition: vulnerability and continuity
[21:35] Values/brand refresh that stuck
[23:28] Working groups to fix pain points
[24:25] Deal sourcing: why brokered, why services
[26:21] Why Accelerator fit
[28:02] Deal structure: sellers stay in
[29:35] Sellers’ motivations and roles
[31:15] Timeline & funding realities for services
[33:19] Creative financing via asset-backed facility
[35:25] Skin in the game, sustainable growth
[36:23] Deal team shout-outs
[36:57] Biggest challenge: soft market, real L&D
[38:55] Managing humans: messy, rewarding
[39:40] Next 12–18 months: 3-part plan
[40:21] AI offering for SMEs and post-search
[41:22] Next acquisition thesis
[42:14] Mentors that mentor
[45:03] Peer group that actually helps
[45:23] Work–life blend with young kids
[48:06] Advice for ETA jumpers
[49:59] Momentum hack: mum’s laptop, no excuses
[50:16] How to reach Toby
[50:34] Closing: people and culture drive performance
[51:15] Post-show logistics and sign-off
Guest:
Toby Henry, CEO at Accelerator Solutions; Founder, Full Circle Capital
LinkedIn: search “Toby Henry Accelerator Solutions”
Site: www.acceleratorsolutions.com
Hosts:
Gareth Hawkins, Co-founder & CEO, BizCrunch
www.bizcrunch.co
We cover:
̇Why he chose self-funded ETA over a traditional search
Structuring a partnership-style deal where founders stay on
Leading a people and culture business as a first-time CEO
Where AI genuinely helps SMEs without breaking culture
Creative funding, lender realities for services, and building an M&A roadmap
Whether you’re planning your first ETA deal or wrestling with post-close culture, this one’s stacked with practical detail.
⏱️ Timestamps
[00:13] Cold open and show intro
[01:36] Guest setup: Toby Henry, Accelerator Solutions
[01:55] Whistle-stop career tour request
[03:40] Consulting years, Alpha FMC culture
[04:29] Fintech leap: Tenx and building Chase UK
[05:26] Disillusionment and discovering ETA
[06:35] Why buy vs build: authentic entrepreneurial pull
[07:51] Stanford/HBR rabbit hole
[09:32] Traditional search tradeoffs vs control
[11:00] Choosing self-funded: scope, savings, debt
[13:26] What builds high-performing orgs
[15:24] Scaling 60 → 600 and culture on purpose
[16:38] First-year CEO lessons: delegation, trust
[18:28] Buying a people business… then proving you 'get' people
[19:22] Day-one transition: vulnerability and continuity
[21:35] Values/brand refresh that stuck
[23:28] Working groups to fix pain points
[24:25] Deal sourcing: why brokered, why services
[26:21] Why Accelerator fit
[28:02] Deal structure: sellers stay in
[29:35] Sellers’ motivations and roles
[31:15] Timeline & funding realities for services
[33:19] Creative financing via asset-backed facility
[35:25] Skin in the game, sustainable growth
[36:23] Deal team shout-outs
[36:57] Biggest challenge: soft market, real L&D
[38:55] Managing humans: messy, rewarding
[39:40] Next 12–18 months: 3-part plan
[40:21] AI offering for SMEs and post-search
[41:22] Next acquisition thesis
[42:14] Mentors that mentor
[45:03] Peer group that actually helps
[45:23] Work–life blend with young kids
[48:06] Advice for ETA jumpers
[49:59] Momentum hack: mum’s laptop, no excuses
[50:16] How to reach Toby
[50:34] Closing: people and culture drive performance
[51:15] Post-show logistics and sign-off
Guest:
Toby Henry, CEO at Accelerator Solutions; Founder, Full Circle Capital
LinkedIn: search “Toby Henry Accelerator Solutions”
Site: www.acceleratorsolutions.com
Hosts:
Gareth Hawkins, Co-founder & CEO, BizCrunch
www.bizcrunch.co
38 episodes
