Lawrence is responsible for ensuring LDC continues to support the growth ambitions of businesses across the South of England, based in Reading. This includes identifying ambitious management teams that would benefit from private equity investment and ensuring they have the right partner to help them realise their growth strategy.
He brings 25 years’ experience as a UK private company investor and finance professional to LDC and has led and managed investments in the TMT, consumer & leisure, services and manufacturing sectors.
As well as managing LDC’s South team, Lawrence has led numerous investments and exits for the firm and often represents LDC on the board of portfolio companies. He led the significant investment in Evolution Funding, the largest online car finance marketplace in the UK, which over a four year partnership made two strategic acquisitions and quadrupled its transacted volume to over £2bn. Lawrence also led the investment to support the national expansion of BOXPARK, the investment, exit and reinvestment in Thames Valley based digital transformation business FSP and managed the investment and exit of cloud data migration specialist Aker Systems. Elsewhere in the TMT sector, he has led the buyout of Instinctif Partners and originated LDC’s investment in CAD software specialist Solid Solutions. Businesses in the LDC portfolio which he has supported as a board member include e-fulfillment specialist James & James, cyber and network security provider Red Helix and Blue Bay Travel in the online luxury travel sector.
Prior to LDC, Lawrence was with mid-market private equity fund NBGI Private Equity, latterly heading up its UK buyout team in London and was one of the founding partners of Stage Capital which led the €300million spin out of NBGI in 2016.
An Economics graduate from the University of Durham, Lawrence started his career in corporate finance at SBC Warburg / UBS where he advised on a number of high profile UK and cross-border M&A deals. He then joined a VC-backed online travel business, which grew rapidly before being acquired by Lastminute.com.
We would like to thank the team at LDC for their support over the last four years, investment in the development of our technology platform, and for helping us to position Evolution at the leading edge of the market. We are excited for this next stage of Evolution’s journey as we continue to transform the motor finance market.”
Private equity with purpose helps the UK economy to grow
Lawrence Dean spoke to The Business Magazine about how LDC’s experience and relationship-based approach is helping the South region’s businesses to grow.
Read articleAwards
Mid-range Deal of Year (investment in Aker)
Thames Valley Deals Awards
Large Deal of the Year (sale of Babble)
Thames Valley Deals Awards
Management team of the Year (Foundation SP)
Thames Valley Deals Awards
Funder of the Year
Insider Midlands Dealmakers
Growth Management Team of the Year
Blue Bay Travel – BVCA Management Team Awards (Midlands)