After 18 months as an Adviser to the business, Stuart Lawson became Eight Wealth Management’s first ever Non-Executive Chairman in May 2022.With a background in finance, Stuart has held a variety of senior management, development and Chief Executive roles with prestigious corporations including Diageo plc and KPMG UK.In recent years, Stuart’s extensive experience in project management, restructuring and board-level decision-making, as well as a keen eye for detail, has been called on by businesses looking for support in their evolution.Stuart brings 40 years of experience to help the leadership of Eight Wealth Management achieve its vision for the business by overseeing its strategy and performance, identifying opportunities and ensuring seamless growth in keeping with its core values.

With over 15 years experience , eteach help schools recruit better, smarter, faster by providing a number of recruitment solutions including best value advertising, education recruitment experts, innovative technology and operate as a strategic partner to deliver outstanding candidate results.

• Quickly improved the effectiveness and operational governance of both the Holding Board and a new Executive Committee for this £125m turnover, >3,000 employee group operating multiple specialist brands. • Identified margin and overheads changes to achieve a sustainable doubling in EBITDA to £6m without compromising on quality, service or brand standards.• Improvement plans supported the shareholders exit value achieved in a successful merger.

• Leveraged retail and leisure sector experience to strengthen Board with relevant governance, financial and operational expertise, knowledge and insight. • Built effective relationships and personal credibility such that within 6 months was appointed Group Chief Executive to directly lead and influence the businesses strategic development and results delivery.

• Business Plan produced to replace reductions in central funding of this sector skills council (charity) covering the hospitality, passenger transport, travel, tourism and retail sectors. • Proposed value in developing a commercial business stream by merging two existing businesses to generate sustainable profits of £1-2m pa.

I originated and led turnaround and restructuring situations in the UK and Europe, operating with a dedicated team of company side professionals providing a mix of commercial, operational and financial skills to develop strategic and tactical business improvement plans. Selected Project Engagements • Developed a three year turnaround plan for Aberdeen based Oil & Gas entity with operations in Singapore & Australian, which successfully supported an extensive restructuring (reduced leverage), new equity investment and new working capital financing.• Rapid change of control programme for a London / Luxemburg / Germany Rail Leasing JV; achieved across this £400m asset business in less than 3 months. • Early engagement across all strategic options ensuring a stable financial platform from which to develop the Boards strategy for an established UK Retailer. The outputs led to the group announcing a new 2 year £220m bank facility alongside the disposal of one high street division. • Led an exploratory sale process for a UK Listed Bank in conjunction with NMR, which assessed the market options for the whole Group, its divisions and its banking license, a full contingency planning exercise and solvency analysis and advice to the Board.• Developed business continuity and contingency plans for Greece based Global Pharmaceutical business to address potential issues that might arise on a further destabilisation of the Euro zone, adding to the existing sector challenges arising from the troika austerity programme.

Leading provider of integrated property & security services UK and Europe.• In capacity as Chief Restructuring Officer CRO created a situation enabling a successful restructure into a new company and leadership team.

Focus DIY was the UK’s third largest home improvement, DIY and gardening retailer: 256 stores, >8 million sq ft, >7000 employees, >£700m revenues, historically >£40m EDITDA.• Joined the PE backed Board to support a strategic options review in complex and challenging circumstances.• In six months delivered a successful £200m sale, to Cerberus European Investments, which exceeded stakeholder expectations.

Surrey Free Inns (SFI) Group, over 190 high street pubs, bars and restaurants, >£150m turnover, >3,000 employees.• Appointed to lead resolution to a financially distressed plc situation, developed and implemented significant strategic business transformation & turnaround. • Reduced site portfolio by 20%, invested in core brands and improved all operational KPIs. • In 2 years led the business from crisis through stabilisation, public to private with £80m debt / equity swap, trading recovery, £50m - £80m value creation and successful exit of SFI and its trading brands including Slug & Lettuce, to the Laurel Pub Company in 2005.

Alldays Plc a leading convenience store retailer with in-house distribution centres. 770 UK stores, >£500m turnover and c.10,000 employees.• Joined as FD in 1998 and led £200m refinancing and reconstruction of an owned store group, 28 acquisitions integrating >450 stores.• Appointed CEO in 2001 to lead on business transformation, value creation and development of strategic options., enhanced value exit successfully achieved in 2003.• Improved operating profitability by >£11m and operating cash flow by >£15m in 18 months, whilst at the same time investing in the store portfolio, people and systems.• Improved operating model, profits and systems so as to realise >£170m exit value on successful sale to the Co-operative Group.

Progressive promotions in a leading FMCG division of a global brand with portfolios of owned and franchised restaurants. • In 1992 joined BurgerKing EMA in capacity of Finance Controller.• In 1994 appointed Finance Director for BurgerKing UK & Ireland.• In 1997 appointed Commercial Director including all property and franchising.