GUIDING COMPANIES TO Success ON THE PRIVATE MARKETS
Gara has a clear mission: we prepare private companies to be successful public companies.
We believe that IPOs are the life blood of any stock market and that a vibrant stock market is a critical part of a resilient and growing economy.
about Us
Our proposition
Gara Strategic Advisory advises private companies on how to prepare themselves for life as a listed company, recognising that an IPO is a step on that journey not a destination.
We help to establish the foundations for sustainable success in the capital markets well in advance of any public transaction.
We deliver this through a holistic package of independent advice that addresses all the key areas that impact a company in the public markets.
Our objective is to create a “win/win” for the company, as well as for its current and future shareholders.
Our team
We have decades of experience in working with companies on how to manage their relationship with the investment community on an ongoing basis.
The team is independent and advice-driven with broad-ranging capabilities.
Gara Strategic Advisory advises companies on how to prepare themselves for life as a listed company, recognising that an IPO is a step on that journey not a destination. Our objective is to create a “win/win” for the company, as well as for its current and future shareholders, by helping to establish the foundations for sustainable success in the capital markets well in advance ofany public transaction.
Simon Hardy
Simon has spent over three decades advising UK listed companies across equity capital markets, M&A andcorporate broking. He has led over 150 IPO’s and significant market transactions, including the IPO of DarkTrace. Simon has advised clients from a broad range of industries with a particular focus on technology andhigh-growth businesses. He started the first half of his career at UBS Warburg with the latter half at HoareGovett/Jefferies. He qualified as an accountant with Price Waterhouse and is a member of the BVCA’sCapital Markets Working Group whose primary objective is increase connectivity between private andpublic markets in the UK. Simon founded Gara based on the simple conviction that better prepared privatecompanies will be more successful public companies.
Camilla Hughes
Until September 2023, Camilla led the ESG advisory work in the investment banking division at Rothschild& Co. Prior to this role, she had a diverse career in corporate broking and equity capital markets, advisingFTSE 350 companies specialising in tech, consumer, real estate and industrials at UBS Warburg and CreditSuisse. She also worked in fintech at Marketpipe, a SaaS business now owned by S&P Gobal. Camilla is an experienced Plc NED, currently sitting on the board of Glenveagh Plc, one of Ireland’s leading listed homebuilders, and chairing the ESG committee; she also sits on the Remuneration Committee at LincolnCollege, Oxford University.
Linda Main
Linda is a Chartered Accountant who retired from KPMG LLP in September 2023 after a long career leading their Capital Markets Advisory Group. Linda has advised on well over 100 IPOs and significant transactions by listed companies of all sizes ranging from start ups to members of the FTSE 100, across a wide range of sectors including consumer, technology and financial services. She was also a member of the UK board of KPMG where she chaired the Risk Committee and sat on the Audit Committee. Linda is aSenior Independent Director at AIM-quoted EARNZ plc and a non –executive director of MHA, a 2025 IPO; she is also a director of the Quoted Companies Alliance which champions smaller quoted companies.
Iain Hunter
Iain has been advising businesses and their leaders on a wide variety of business matters for more than 30years, both as an external advisor and from within business. This includes more than 20 years as a corporate finance partner at Clifford Chance, and more recently, until summer 2024, as Chief Legal Officer in a regulated, VC backed, capital markets focused Fintech business, with operations in the UK, the EU and the US. Iain's experience covers a wide range of sectors including, in particular, financial services and technology. He has also been a Certified Function holder under the FCA's SMCR and is graduate of theCambridge Judge Business School, Senior Management Programme and the FT's Non-Executive DirectorDiploma.
Richard o'Connor
Richard is a highly experienced investor relations leader with an extensive track record in the financial services sector: Global Head of Investor Relations HSBC (2016-23) and RBS /NatWest (2003-16). He has substantial experience of main Board work including Audit, Treasury, Disclosure and ESG SteeringCommittees as well as a deep understanding of investors and capital markets in the UK, Europe, theAmericas and Asia. Richard has led 25 capital market events (plus over 80 results processes) as well as playing key roles in strategic M & A, listings and capital raisings including the IPOs of Direct Line andCitizens. Prior to his IR roles, Richard was a portfolio manager running £15bn UK Equity Life funds atClerical Medical as well as being Global Head of Equity Research managing 20 analysts across all sectors and geographies. He is also a senior adviser to Bain & Company, the global management consultant.
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Stephen Smith
Steve has worked in financial markets for over 35 years, with the bulk of his career at Morgan Stanley (27 years). In that time, he was a leading figure in the European, and more latterly, Global equity sales team.Steve spent 13 years as a quorate member of the European Equity Underwriting Committee; in that role, he helped to oversee 150 IPOs and multiple secondary offerings, convertible transactions and rights issues.When he left Morgan Stanley, Steve completed the Cambridge University Sustainable Finance course and went on to work for the sustainable finance consultancy BwB for three years; he now acts as a SeniorAdviser to the firm. He is also a non-executive director of two unlisted companies.
OUR Team
We are a team of successful and senior professionals who have advised listed companies on hundreds of IPO’s and significant market transactions. We have decades of experience in advising companies on how to manage their relationship with the investment community on an ongoing basis. The team is advice-driven and independent with broad-ranging capabilities across all the key areas that impact public company life.
Simon has over three decades of experience in advising UK listed companies across equity capital markets, M&A and corporate broking. He has led over 150 IPO’s and significant market transactions. His client base covered a broad range of industries with a particular focus on technology and high-growth companies. The first half of his career was spent at UBS Warburg and the latterhalf at Hoare Govett/Jefferies. He qualified as an accountant with PriceWaterhouse.
Until September 2023, Camilla led the ESG advisory work in the investment banking division atRothschild & Co. Prior to this role, she had a diverse investment bankingcareer at Credit Suisse as a strategic member ofits Capital Markets andAdvisory coverage team, specializing in tech, consumer, real estate andindustrials and at UBS Warburg in its EMEA Equity Capital Markets division. Shealso worked with Marketpipe (then a fintech startup and now part of IHS Markit) as its Head of Strategy and Development prior to its successful sale to Ipreoin 2007. Camilla currently sits on the board of Glenveagh Plc, one of Ireland’sleading listedhomebuilders, where sheis chair of the ESG committee. She is also a member of the Remuneration Committee of Lincoln College, Oxford University.
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