I had been approached by several companies over the previous three or four years who were interested in acquiring the business. Garwood helped with due diligence of those firms and offered me advice on long-term value, relative size and the strategic fit.

Having received a speculative offer for my business, I appointed Garwood to help me evaluate it and subsequently — concluding it was the wrong offer — to take my business to market. Garwood provided the expertise I required in a calm, supportive manner that de-risked the process and optimised the outcome. Garwood led me and my leadership team through an initial market engagement, offer evaluation and, finally, deal negotiation. Their advice and guidance as well as leadership were invaluable to me in selling my business.

I worked with Garwood as they supported us during our implementation of a PSA platform. Their knowledge of operational best practice for professional services organisations proved invaluable. They challenged our team each time we started to fall into the trap of maintaining the status quo. Their team would be an asset to any professional services firm considering process or IT change.

Garwood’s business process knowledge and experience was invaluable during our Kimble implementation, helping cut through some of the difficult configuration questions and achieve what was a very aggressive implementation timeline.

The Garwood difference and unique value is that they bring personal, deep experience of consulting and professional services businesses. They've built and run these businesses themselves and know the reality. So, what we get is focused and pragmatic — not theoretical. It's instantly applicable and valuable — not just to us the investor but, even more importantly, to the leadership team taking the business forward.

John has been an invaluable trusted friend to ETHOS. His ability to align shareholders, challenge our thinking, and develop a clear growth strategy has transformed how we lead and structure the business. With his guidance, we now have the clarity, control, and confidence to drive our next phase of success. Any business navigating shareholder alignment, growth, or strategic leadership would benefit greatly from working with Garwood.