Winning thoughts on management – Kissing Frogs
by Peter Opperman In the last ten years I’ve worked with over 30 management teams, the best display key characteristics, principally a total clarity of purpose – a positive but ruthless ability to act...
View ArticleWinning thoughts on management…decisiveness is key
by Ken Hills I’ve seen even the best management teams wait until the last minute before retreating from unprofitable markets. Don’t hang around to see if things pick up – decisiveness is key. I hear a...
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We all live in the adventure world!
By Mark Beaumont Not to be unkind, but I don’t think that all of the LDC team are (in) the right shape for cycling around the world. But I do believe that success in private equity and extreme...
View ArticleWinning thoughts on management – a leader’s legacy
What is leadership and who gets to be a leader…being bigger and stronger than anyone else…shouting louder…being around for longer, being the oldest…or is it that person that is selected because they...
View ArticleWinning thoughts on management…if you want to lead then lead!
by Chris Thomas In my experience, the best companies are led by dictatorial CEOs. They make the difficult decisions and the team executes the strategy. By communicating clearly and frankly with your...
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Aren’t you that cyclist?
By Mark Beaumont, Adventurer & Film maker If I had a pound for every time I am asked that! Well, it may come as a surprise that I do not really see myself just as a cyclist, certainly not a...
View ArticleWinning Thoughts: There is value to thought leadership…with the right thoughts
One of the most important aspects of marketing for a business is the brand…and whilst this note could eulogise about the beauty of brand management and the positive benefits of brand support, creative...
View ArticleWinning thoughts on management…tough is difficult
by Ray Ledger, Chairman, Kimberly Access Management teams by their nature have to be tough. They have to implement decisions that will be unpopular, which requires guts and tenacity. If they can’t do...
View ArticleWinning Thoughts: Competing With The BRICs
In a recent article CriticalEye, with the help from a number of senior contributors, reviews what is required to compete with the BRIC economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China The article is based...
View ArticleWinning Thoughts – Delivering Operational Improvements
Rob Curwen, investment director at LDC’s Value Enhancement Group, the team dedicated to enhancing portfolio companies’ shareholder value, sets out the key areas he believes are critical to delivering...
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When is the ‘Time to Commit’– Lessons from Arch to Arc
Mark Beaumont - Adventurer, author, expedition cameraman, speaker Follow on twitter: @MrMarkBeaumont What if the target had been 23 hours?… why do we rarely exceed our own expectations? In every...
View ArticleA Winning Exit Strategy
This is an article that originally appeared on the Criticaleye website and is copyright Criticaleye, the Network of Leaders. For more information about Criticaleye visit their website:...
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Winning Thoughts – State of UK Entrepreneurship
By Daniel Sasaki, Managing Director LDC London. As feautured in Private Equity News. The health of entrepreneurship in Britain is critical to our efforts to secure economic recovery. The image of the...
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The Sweet Sound of Local Radio
By Phil Riley, Chief Executive, Orion Media From the days of crackling, muffled long wave to the now crisp sound of digital stations, radio has always been an influential source of entertainment and...
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LDC Ambassador Mark Beaumont’s return from the Arctic
Mark Beaumont - Adventurer, author, expedition cameraman, speaker. Follow on twitter: @MrMarkBeaumont Spring 2007 and Jeremy Clarkson and his Top Gear chums made history when they ‘drove to the Pole’....
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Southerly Forecast – Winter 2011
LDC’s South Region encompassing the Reading and Bristol offices has been a key part of LDC’s regional footprint for over 13 years, and in that time, has played a key role in developing LDC’s investment...
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Dealing with the aftermath
By Mark Beaumont Fourteen weeks ago I was in the fight of my life. That’s not meant to sound melodramatic, it’s a very real statement of fact. I was 530 miles offshore from Barbados, in the Atlantic...
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Special interview: David Horne, Chairman of LDC (1981-1992)
David Horne was one of the original architects of LDC, becoming its first chairman when it was founded in 1981. Thirty years on, we met David to reflect on the original rationale for creating a private...
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Darryl Eales – Review of the Year
When writing this time last year, the prevailing view across LDC’s portfolio was that the blanket negativity surrounding the UK economy was significantly overdone. Indeed, many Chief Executives...
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Change Management – 10 Rules For Success
By Andrew Hampshire, Investment Director at LDC. Andrew is a qualified programme manager and a registered MSP (Managing Successful Programmes) practitioner. Change always starts with people. People...
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Cloud offerings in IT contracts need to be handled with care
As businesses increasingly move their computing functions to the cloud, the proportion of IT outsourcing contracts that rely on remote data and software has risen strongly, with research at the end of...
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Fast Growth Pains
A recent article produced by Criticaleye focuses upon five ways to help manage fast growing businesses…and whilst there are likley to be much more than five in anyone’s list this is a good place to...
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Junior athletes continue progress at Birchfield Harriers
LDC has continued to support the Birchfield Harrier ‘Junior Development’ programme in order to provide much needed Rowan funding support to young athletes from across the Midlands region, all of whom...
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Portfolio Round-Up
Supporting the ambitions of our 80-strong portfolio of businesses across the UK remains a key focus for LDC. This was evidenced by the £86million of additional equity we provided in 2012 to facilitate...
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Another epic challenge for LDC Ambassador Mark Beaumont
LDC Corporate Ambassador Mark Beaumont is setting out on another epic challenge – but this time in the UK and all in aid of children’s projects and charities. From June 1st (this Saturday) until June...
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Award success for LDC companies
A number of past and current LDC companies had a successful evening at last night’s BVCA Management Team Awards. A-Gas International completed the double by winning the National Award for Mid Market...
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My Summer 2013 – Update from athlete Meghan Beesley
By Meghan Beesley, UK athlete, supported by LDC. So what a difference 12 months makes. This time last year I had just returned from a holiday as I was so disappointed with how the season had turned out...
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1 Year on from LDC’s investment in Dale Power Solutions….whats happened since...
Dale Power Solutions the leading national power supply, service and manufacturing specialist, celebrates a most successful first year after the MBO by LDC in August 2012. Since the management buyout...
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Big Issue Invest Big Tech Bash
By John Paul Preston and Rob Pendleton Naeem Ahmed from Selfless with his mentor John-Paul Preston from LDC Hosted in London, at Bank of America Merrill Lynch offices, the eleven winners of the Big...
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Dale Power sign up to 5% Club
By Rob Pendleton The future of UK commerce has and always will rely upon skilled labour at all levels of the value chain. This position will never change and there remains a responsibility with...
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Driving Top-Line Growth
By Andy Wilkinson (Director, OWB) LDC’s Sales and Marketing Conference – September 2013 During September the inaugural LDC ‘Driving Top-Line Growth” event for Sales & Marketing Leaders was held at...
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Welcome to the 2013 edition of Reflections
By Darryl Eales, Chief Executive, LDC Chief Executive, LDC To begin, in the words of Bob Dylan – ‘How does it feel?’ Optimism and growth seem to be back in town – this is unreservedly good news and I...
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LDC in the Community – Update
The relationship between business activity, community endeavours and personal development is at the heart of LDC. It is embodied in our Charter and guides our activities. Our ‘LDC in the Community’...
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And I will run 400 miles…LDC runners reach target..
Team LDC – (L – R) Richard B, Chris N, Dafydd P, Humphrey W, Marcus K, Christian W, David A, Andy H, Alastair W & Sarah L A fantastic effort by all the runners in this year’s ‘rather hot’ Virgin...
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Four LDC portfolio companies rank in the Sunday Times Profit Track 100
Four LDC portfolio companies appear in The Sunday Times Profit Track 100 LDC has four companies from its portfolio that feature in the latest Sunday Times Profit Track 100. The league table, which...
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Warm Weather Training by LDC Supported Meghan Beesley
LDC Supported athlete Meghan Beesley By Meghan Beesley. Meghan is an athlete who represents Great Britain and England in the 400m hurdles. Meghan is supported by LDC, as part of LDC’s ‘LDC in the...
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Business is GREAT…at the races
On Friday 6th June LDC, in partnership with the Business is GREAT campaign, an initiative led out of the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (‘BIS’), hosted the second in the series of...
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From Cairo to Cape Town…LDC’s Corporate Ambassador Mark Beaumont’s 2015 World...
Mark Beaumont is LDC’s Corporate Ambassador and is an adventurer and film-maker. Mark is a previous world record holder for the solo cycling circumnavigation of the world, he has also cycled between...
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