Howard Leigh

Senior Partner & Co-Founder, Cavendish Corporate Finance | Member of the House of Lords | PrimeStart Community Member
Commercial Growth
Growth Investments
Financial Services
Profile Snapshot
Location
London, United Kingdom
Startup Focus
Corporate Finance, M&A Advisory, SME Growth
Stage
Scaling & Advisory Leadership
Looking to Connect With
Founders preparing for exit, SMEs seeking growth capital, Strategic partners in M&A
What I'm Building

I am the Senior Partner and co-Founder of Cavendish Corporate Finance, one of the UK’s leading specialist sell-side advisory firms for SMEs. Cavendish is a publicly listed entity on AIM and part of Oaklins, a global M&A advisory group with deep international reach.

My journey began after studying Economics, followed by an early career in UK merchant banking. I later joined Deloitte Haskins & Sells (now PwC), qualifying as a Chartered Accountant before moving into corporate tax—building the technical and strategic foundations that shaped my approach to high-impact corporate finance advisory.

Senior Partner & Co-Founder
Member of the House of Lords
Part of Oaklins Global M&A Network
Why I'm Part of Prime Start

PrimeStart is building a powerful ecosystem for ambitious founders who want to scale intelligently, exit strategically, and navigate the complexities of growth.

I believe in supporting entrepreneurs through knowledge, experience, and access — and PrimeStart provides the perfect platform to share and collaborate.

M&A & Exit Strategy
Corporate Finance Structuring
Leadership, Governance & Advisory
What I'm Looking For
Currently interested in:
Founders
High-growth SMEs
Entrepreneurs
My Best Advice for Founders

Prepare early. Don’t wait until you’re ready to sell — the process begins years before. Strong governance, clean financials, and aligned leadership create real enterprise value.

Start exit planning long before you need it
Understand the value drivers of your business
Surround yourself with trusted advisors
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2nd Floor, Berkeley Square House,
Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BD
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