Christopher Shelley
Managing Partner
"I have been lucky enough to have had a highly challenging and rewarding career in both in both corporate and as an entrepreneur. I've lived, studied and worked in some amazing places with some fabulous colleagues. I've encountered some major business, cultural and people challenges over the past 40 years. My passion is now evolved to help ambitious people and businesses succeed especially start-ups and early stage businesses where everyday throws up a new challenge"
A bit about me...
Specialist Sectors
Chris Shelley is a highly experienced senior executive and entrepreneur with a focus on heavy and light manufactured goods, project and process engineering services, and capital-intensive industries. With over four decades of experience, Chris specialises in Automotive, Renewables, Utility and Industrial Power Generation, Heavy Building Materials, and Food Process Engineering and Manufacturing.
Chris's business acumen extends across a broad spectrum, ranging from start-ups and SMEs to large-scale industrial enterprises in both listed and private equity domains. His distinctive background combines roles as a serial entrepreneur in high-tech sectors and a former Senior Executive in FTSE 100 and 250 plc industrial groups. His skills encompass general management, sales, marketing, and strategy.
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Currently focused on turnarounds, start-ups, mergers & acquisitions, fundraising, and deal creation, as part-time CEO of SolarBotanic Trees Ltd, Chris is guiding the innovative solar-powered trees company through its startup phase and seed funding rounds having recently successfully concluded a £400k seed funding round in conjunction with Seedrs (https://www.seedrs.com/solarbotanic-trees).
Expertise and Achievements
With a rich history of senior executive positions at international organisations including Invensys APV Asia Pacific, Blue Circle Industries PLC, Perkins Large Engines, and ABB Power Generation (Switzerland), Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience.
Chris’s interest in the commercial application of emerging technology is underscored by his pioneering role in e-cement.com, established in 2000 as a groundbreaking e-procurement spin-out majority owned by Blue Circle PLC, e-cement.com, which utilised at the time state-of-the-art online e-procurement, e-tendering, and reverse auction platforms for capital equipment and consumables in the heavy building materials industry.
An expert in China and the Far East markets and supply chains, Chris's insights are rooted in a decade of experience working in Singapore and Japan, as well as four years of experience studying and working in Africa, France, and Switzerland. With an MBA from INSEAD and a B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering from Sheffield University, Chris's commitment to continuous learning is evident as he currently pursues the ILM 7 Coaching and Mentoring Diploma.
Non-Executive Directorships
Chris is currently Chair (and founder) of Dymag Group Ltd (www.dymag.com), a pioneering carbon composite wheel manufacturer. He is Non-Executive Director at Rubery Owen Holdings (https://www.ruberyowen.com/) since 2014 and previously held a NED role with PSM Fasteners Ltd (name changed to Bulten following trade sale: https://www.bulten.com/) , formerly an EQT Far East Private Equity-owned industrial fastener supplier.
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