Who we are

Independent strategic advisors to owners

Acanthite Partners is an independent, specialist advisory firm dedicated to addressing the unique situations faced by family-owned groups. Our mission is to help families make the right decisions for their business and investments and protect their legacies for future generations.

We co-create lasting solutions, enabled by decades of experience and an intimate understanding of family dynamics.

Who we work with

We collaborate with multigenerational family-owned businesses and family offices. Our services include owner advisory, portfolio strategy, governance design, succession planning and talent development.

Structure & clarity in complex decisions

We transform complex and sometimes conflicting viewpoints into unified plans. Our proven ability to navigate the intricacies of governance structures, align business priorities, and sensitively address family dynamics distinguishes our approach.

We approach every client interaction with nuanced understanding. We appreciate the emotional as well as the strategic complexities that our clients encounter and develop solutions accordingly.

Our approach

We take the time to understand the full picture, bringing together governance, business and investment strategy, and family dynamics. Every facet of our clients’ needs is thoughtfully considered, positioning them for sustained success across generations.

Our business principles

Family comes first

We prioritise the interests of client families – whether they are owners, principals or beneficiaries, and whether we work with them directly or through their trusts, boards or executive teams.

A long-term focus on our clients’ capital – of all forms

Our ultimate goal is for our clients’ capital to be sustainable and to grow over the long term. This capital may be financial, social (community) or personal, such as talent, lives well lived. It may be that the family stays together, or that they are better going their separate ways. We want them to be clear in their goals and choices, and to be aware of their consequences.

We listen

We listen to our clients and to each other. Finding the right question is as important as finding the right answer. We are not owners of the truth but seekers of the best outcomes.

We do not rush clients

We encourage our clients to find their own cadence – we don’t rush you/them. We believe that we can help clients more by being less intense whilst staying around longer.

We don’t play politics - ever

However, we are highly attuned to our clients’ politics and help them to work their way through it.

We overdeliver

We work to the same or greater quality standards that our clients would expect from the world’s leading professional service firms. We strive to overdeliver and help our clients in surprising ways. We are continually putting ourselves in our client’s shoes.

We never work alone

We believe that more ears, more eyes and more experiences bring greater insight and a better outcome. Every client relationship is served by a minimum of two partners.

We leverage our network

As a firm with a big network, we can collectively help our clients resolve a wide range of issues. We recognise when another firm may be better placed and are happy to help bring in the best.

Our team

Our team consists of professionals with decades of experience in organisations such as The Boston Consulting Group and Goldman Sachs. Collectively, they have worked within and alongside entities including family offices, their expertise spanning investments, strategy consultancy and family business advisory.

Helping a family owner make the most of their own talent

A family in transition from fourth to fifth generation were seeking support in unlocking the potential of their own people. There was a sense that there were many capable next generation family members, but none were interested in helping the family business – and few had the knowledge and skills required to do so.

The situation stemmed from a decision taken by the previous generation to heavily restrict the opportunities for family members to work in operational roles. Over the course of a generation, the family had convinced its younger members to progress their careers elsewhere, leaving the impression that there was no pathway back to the family business.

With a critical leadership transition on the horizon, the family recognised the need for a new approach to re-engage the next generation and secure the long-term continuity of the business.

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