Simon Webster

Simon is an entrepreneur by background who raised the first search fund in the UK. The fund enabled Simon to acquire RSL in 1995 and he became the chief executive. Over a 10-year period Simon grew the organisation by 10 times, with sales of £3.5m to £30m through acquisitions and via organic growth and increased employees from 50 to 450. Simon delivered top quartile returns for his investors.

Simon is now a company director, investor and educator. He is focussed on investing in Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition. He has an interest in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. He remains committed to building businesses, mentoring entrepreneurs and generating capital growth. He is currently acting as mentor and investor to several search fund entrepreneurs. He has invested in over 60 search funds and more than 20 entrepreneurs who have acquired companies through acquisition.

Simon has also successfully undertaken several turnarounds including one business that was losing more than £3m per year and another that was losing more than £1.5m yearly.

Simon has been instrumental in raising awareness of search funds in Europe and he is the chair of the Search Fund Advisory Board at IESE and helps to organise the International Search Fund Conference every two years.

In addition to his teaching at London Business School, he is also a part-time lecturer at Judge Business School and an Entrepreneur in Residence at INSEAD.

Specialties: Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, Healthcare, Pharmaceutical services, mergers and acquisitions, turnarounds and leadership.