Secantor Business Services is delighted to welcome Peter Laurie as Regional Director for London and the South East, bringing several decades of experience working alongside SME owners, entrepreneurs and management teams across a wide range of sectors.
In his new role, Peter will work directly with Secantor clients as a Non-Executive Director and Board Advisor, providing experienced, independent support to business owners, directors and leadership teams. Drawing on his own experience of building, growing and selling businesses, Peter will act as a trusted sounding board to SME leaders, bringing commercial perspective, constructive challenge and practical support to boardroom decision-making.
His work will span many of the issues facing growing and established SMEs, from strategy, profitability and operational performance to governance, funding, acquisitions, succession and exit planning. Importantly, Peter understands the realities of business ownership and the challenge of balancing immediate operational demands with the longer-term decisions required to build a stronger and more valuable business.
A second important aspect of Peter's role will be helping business owners access the right expertise and professional support when they need it. Over many years working within the SME, corporate finance and professional services communities, Peter has developed an extensive network of trusted contacts.
Where appropriate, he will be able to connect businesses with experienced specialists from within Secantor, including NEDs, Finance Directors, CFOs and Operations Directors, while also making introductions to trusted advisors and specialists across his wider professional network. The aim is simple: to understand what a business needs and help its owners find the right people to support them.
Peter brings considerable first-hand business experience to his role with Secantor. He has held senior director positions and has founded, grown and successfully exited businesses in IT, hospitality and corporate finance.
In 1996, Peter founded Capital for Computers, building a substantial specialist finance business serving commercial and public-sector markets. Following its acquisition by Investec Bank, Peter remained with the business as a Director of Investec Asset Finance, where he continued to drive growth and develop new market opportunities.
More recently, Peter spent 14 years as Regional Director of The Business Magazine, working extensively with the SME and professional services communities. During this time, he developed and led events, forums and business initiatives that brought business owners together with the expertise, funding and relationships they needed to grow.
This combination of business ownership, corporate experience and many years working closely with SME leaders gives Peter a valuable perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing owner-managed businesses.
Peter Laurie said:
"I'm delighted to be joining Secantor at an exciting stage in its development. Having spent much of my career working with business owners, I'm particularly looking forward to working alongside Secantor clients as a Non-Executive Director and Board Advisor.
"Running and growing a business can be demanding, and having someone alongside you who can provide an independent perspective, challenge thinking and help you step back from the day-to-day can be extremely valuable.
"I've also been fortunate over the years to build a wide network of people with considerable expertise across the business and professional services community. Being able to connect business owners with the right people, as well as drawing on the expertise within Secantor, will be an important part of how I can help."
Paul Gibbins, Director of Secantor Business Services, said:
"Peter brings a combination of experience that is particularly valuable to the SME businesses we work with. He has built and sold businesses himself, worked within a major financial institution and spent many years at the heart of the SME and professional services community.
"Just as importantly, Peter understands business owners and the pressures they face. He has an excellent ability to listen, ask the right questions and bring an independent perspective to the boardroom. Combined with his ability to connect businesses with the right expertise when they need it, I believe he will be a tremendous asset to our clients and to Secantor. We are delighted to welcome him to the team."
Peter's appointment further strengthens Secantor's ability to provide experienced, practical board-level support to ambitious and owner-managed businesses, complementing the NED, Finance Director, CFO and operational expertise already available across the Secantor team.
To arrange a conversation with Peter, please contact us, or connect with him directly via Peter Laurie’s LinkedIn profile.