JGA celebrates 10th birthday!
It’s official – on 31 January, we will be 10 years old! But before we bring out the cake, here are 10 milestones that have shaped our first decade…
1. Spotting the gap in the market
Rewind to 2013. It was our founder Jeremy Gadd – fresh from a 30+ year career with the JLP – who spotted a gap in the market he knew he could fill.
That gap was supporting employee-owned (EO) and other values-led businesses to unlock the benefits of their ownership model, culture and teams.
In fact, Jeremy was so excited by the chance he saw to add real value that he went on to do his Henley Business School MSc dissertation on the impact on leaders when organisations become EO.
J Gadd Associates was duly created on 31 January 2014.
2. Establishing a track record of success
Our Founder Jeremy Gadd (right) with clients Neil Hughes from Hayes Davidson and Abi Knight from NC Squared
Every business has to start somewhere – it takes time and care to build your brand.
At JGA, bringing experienced Associates on board and understanding what it means to be successfully employee-owned have played a key role in our success.
As of January 2024, we’re proud to have supported more than 100 clients at all stages of their EO journey – ranging from household names Aardman and Riverford Organics to EOA award-winning businesses LUC, Hayes Davidson and The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan.
Happily, the work’s as fulfilling now as it was on Day One.
Read more about our clients here.
3. Strengthening the value we offer
From preparing founder/owners to let go of their business to embedding a culture of responsibility, opportunity and reward: we’ve always keenly focused on the relevance of what we do.
Since 2014, we’ve evolved to better serve our clients and create an impact that lasts. We were championing the fundamental value of sound governance long before it became headline news.
We’ve learned from every client we’ve had. Today, our services range from EO transition and change consultancy to board-level development, resourcing and succession planning – from leadership development to employee engagement and beyond.
4. Let there be cake… and buns!
Comms Support Katy Perceval gets the brownies ready for our Autumn Business Update 2023
Because, seriously, it’s our birthday so why not?
Like many businesses, we are blessed with several enthusiastic bakers who need no excuse to work their sugar-filled magic. We might not all meet face-to-face very often but when we do there will definitely be cakes!
Anyone for one of our Ops Manager Lisa Fryer’s A-MAZ-ING cinnamon buns?...
5. Proudly supporting the Employee Ownership Association
Team JGA ready for action at the EOA Conference 2023
It’s the ‘go to’ event for EO and we wouldn’t miss it for the world. That’s why JGA has been a key sponsor/platinum exhibitor at the annual Employee Ownership Association (EOA) Conference every year since 2016.
But there’s more to our EOA support than this. We’re proud to help deliver impactful EO leadership development and leadership succession planning through EO Learn and contribute to their webinars and events.
Not to mention our trips north to meet the team in person in Hull.
In 2023 we were also delighted to collaborate with them (and others) on two critical pieces of major EO research…
6. Contributing to data-based research on succession planning and EO
You know what they say: it never rains but it pours. And that is exactly what happened, in a good way, when TWO reports in which we’d been involved went live on the same day.
First up, ‘Generation EO: The Great Succession Opportunity’ showed how useful an increased awareness and understanding of EO would be to the thousands of SME owners planning to exit their business in the next five to 10 years.
Then ‘The Road to Succession: Exploring Leadership Succession in EO businesses’ spotlighted what works – and what doesn’t – during the critical handover/exit stage.
Both projects boost the body of data-based research now available on EO – a resource that’s got real value as the sector grows.
7. Welcoming our first Associate Employees
A real highlight for us in 2021 – moving JGA from an Associate structure to one with Associate Employees.
At the time, our founder Jeremy was exploring employee ownership as his succession plan for JGA and – although that’s no longer our path (see Milestone 10) – taking on employees was the next step.
First on board was our Ops Manager Lisa. We held our first ever JGA Employee Conference in the Cotswolds in 2022 and in 2023 recorded our first ever Employee Conference film!
8. Growing a network of trusted partners
JGA’s Lisa and Jeremy with Fieldfisher’s Neil Palmer and Alan Taylor
Over the last 10 years we’ve grown a network of trusted partners, each a professional expert in the financial and/or legal aspects of EO.
From Fieldfisher and Stephens Scown to Birketts, Postlethwaite and RM2, all operate with the same high standards and integrity that we do.
Each trusted partner is important to us but Fieldfisher wins the prize for the one with the best office view! Well, Tower Bridge does take some beating…
9. Bringing our personality to LinkedIn!
Associate Adrian Wheale and Ops Manager Lisa Fryer practice a selfie…
No white noise – that’s our promise. And it’s helped us create a quality network of followers across our social channels.
This is where we share the latest news about what we’re doing and why, in a way that brings the JGA personality to life.
Not following us yet? See some of what you’re missing on JGA’s Linked Company Page here!
10. Announcing our merger with Telos Partners
Telos’s Managing Partner Adam Campbell (back row, centre) with Jeremy and the JGA team
And finally (though it’s more a beginning than an end) came last November’s exciting news that we are to merge with Telos Partners!
Thanks to everyone – our clients, trusted partners and the wider EO community – for your super-positive reaction. Read our JGA and Telos merger announcement now and watch this space!
Want to know more about the transition, people and governance support we offer? Get in touch with us now.