Client Success Stories
Below are a few summary case studies and testimonials which show the difference Philip makes.
Not Afraid to Challenge
I first asked Philip to work with me when I was the CEO of the Henley Management College when it was about to merge with the University of Reading to form the Henley Business School. His “Slaying Dragons” process was integral to how two diverse business schools were merged successfully into one.
As I transitioned away from academia, Philip has been a great mentor and has played a pivotal role in guiding me as an entrepreneur and business owner.
Philip highlighted the importance of identifying what success looks like to me and what my long-term goals were with regards to exiting the business. This really helped me to think about what I want to achieve in my professional life.
Being clear about this meant that I could make better choices for my business. This was important to me because just like all entrepreneurs, I want to make sure I’m leaving a legacy behind.
Philip is honest, direct and no matter how uncomfortable the message he has to relay, I always know he is on my side. Philip’s coaching has proved invaluable and he has helped me to deliver bigger and better outcomes within my business.
Increasing Value
After 24 years of running my business, I called on Philip to help prepare it for sale. I instantly trusted Philip – his concern for the wellbeing of my family and myself gave me all the reassurance I needed.
The most important thing Philip taught me was to recognise the value of my business’s intellectual property. I had failed to realise how established my brand was in the market before this point, and the revelation was pivotal when it came to selling the business. It meant we could continue to build up the IP so I could attract the right buyer and secure a higher sale price.
Philip’s counsel was always very wise, and whilst he never shied away from difficult situations, he got on well with every member of the team. He also did a great job of preparing me for life after the sale of the business.
I would thoroughly recommend Philip and would have no hesitation to call on him again should I need to.
Case Study – Chemical Engineering Company
Objective
To work with the owner and senior management team to prepare the company for sale.
The owner was in his late sixties and wanted to retire. Shortly before Philip was engaged, the Company was valued at circa £2.5m by a global firm of accountants. The owner’s aspirational price was £4m.
Profits fell during the engagement as considerable effort was put in to make the company more saleable.
Outcome
The Company was acquired by a competitor for £6.4m.
Case Study – Financial Services Training Company
Objective
To help the founders grow the business and create a strategy that would enable them to eventually exit the company.
Outcome
We identified that the business model was inefficient and that certain skillsets were missing.
We changed the model and applied it to historic figures which showed that profits could increase by more than 500%.
Complex Business Transformation
Having an extensive knowledge of our products, which formed the basis of the business within the education sector, I was invited to be involved in running the company on the untimely death of its founder. It quickly became obvious that the company was at a crossroads and needed to develop software to replace the paper based aspects of our service with a streamlined offering fit for the 21st century. We knew where we wanted to go, but lacked the team and the knowledge to start and complete this journey. Initially, Philip was engaged to review our IT strategy and future requirements. It was very clear from our first meeting that the questions he posed, and his extensive knowledge of and connections in both the IT and the wider business arenas, could be invaluable for us if we were to move forward, so it was logical to re-engage him as our mentor.
His insight and mentoring enabled both the shareholders and me to develop a clearer understanding of the challenges we faced. Philip patiently prepared us, so, as a Board, we could make informed decisions at key stages of our journey, as we invested in new personnel, developed the software and eventually engaged with PR and advertising. With his help, we successfully rebranded the company into a state-of-the-art software as a service (SAAS) provider in the education sector.
Identified Our Issues
Philip was able to enable us to clearly identify the current issues we faced. At each session he constructively challenged our discoveries and provided expert support in-depth knowledge and mentoring to help us address these. We now have a trusted mentor who truly understands our business and it’s challenges
Case Study – Open Source Technology Services
Objective
Engaged by the owners to grow the business and prepare the company for an eventual sale over a three year period.
Outcome
The company sold for £4m.
The eventual acquirer had tried to buy the company for £500,000 at the very start of Philip’s engagement.
Video Testimonial
Rob Goddard has been responsible for over 350+ successful business exits, and has worked closely with Philip for many years.
For more information on Rob, please see his Linkedin Page.
Business Nous
I retained Philip de Lisle to facilitate strategic development with a high powered multinational association board members. He quickly grasped the key issues, and used his Slaying Dragons format to enable 40 people from 27 countries with competing priorities to consider the issues and develop future plans effectively.
I had been concerned that the strategy workshop had the potential to fail spectacularly. However Philip swiftly picked up on the interpersonal relationships and politics, and handled some hard issues that emerged on site well. He faces difficulties head on and assists his clients with insight and good business nous.
Providing Direction and Clarity
In the 25 years I’ve known Philip, we’ve worked on a number of projects together. From mentoring directors, restructuring organisations and putting the right people in the right places, he knows exactly how to put businesses on the road to success. I’ve had first hand experience of this when he worked with a company in which I was an investor, and when I’ve introduced him to clients of mine.
Philip has a great head for analysing companies. He runs discovery sessions with clients so that he can gain a lot of knowledge about their business and why it’s struggling or lacking direction. This enables him to dig underneath the skin and get to the bottom of their problems.
Rather than telling clients what to do, Philip points them in the right direction by asking challenging questions. By providing people with the tools and guidance they need, I’ve seen him enjoy great success with the organisations he works with.
One of Philip’s greatest attributes is that he thinks differently and therefore gets other people to think outside the box. He’s incredibly diligent, proactive and always looks at the bigger picture.
I would recommend Philip to anyone and very much look forward to working with him again in the future.
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