Richard is an experienced consultant, non-executive director and senior advisor focused on special situations and their aftermath.

He currently sits on the board of two public companies with a focus on active shareholder value creation and rebuilding reputations with equity and credit markets. He also sits on the board of a number of private companies working through complex financial situations. In addition, he is a senior advisor to a London-based, mid-market, special situations fund, which provides a good insight into how such investors assess and manage their investment opportunities.

Before starting Fulcrum Partners, Richard founded and led Lazard’s restructuring advisory business in Europe, advising companies and groups of creditors in many of the largest and most complicated restructurings and special situation transactions in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the US. This experience covered many industries and jurisdictions and provided an extensive network of contacts. In his 32-year career at Lazard, Richard developed a wide corporate finance experience and expertise including M&A, refinancing, IPOs as well as restructuring.

Clients of Richard have commented that: “What stands out is the ability to navigate different stakeholder groups and drive for consensus, never giving up until the deal is done.”

Richard’s aim in founding Fulcrum Partners is to provide a more focused and senior service in special situations, where he and his partners can bring their vast experience directly to the board table, alongside other directors.

Richard has an Engineering degree from Durham; qualified as a Chartered Accountant (FCA) with Arthur Andersen; and is an alumni of Insead.

Richard remains interested in higher education and is a Governor of his former Durham college, St Chad’s College, and is also a Non-Executive Director of the Office for Students (“OfS”), the independent regulator of the higher education sector in England.

Richard is married with two adult children, has two labradors, and lives in London, but enjoys escaping on a regular basis to the green fields of West Sussex.