Meet Jeremy – bringing a lifetime's EO experience to our team
- May 11
- 5 min read
What drives someone to launch their own business?
For Telos Partners’ consultant Jeremy Gadd, it was the mix of entrepreneurial spirit and spotting a gap in the market he sensed he could fill.
Jeremy launched his previous business – J Gadd Associates (JGA) – in 2014. JGA went on to merge with Telos Partners in January 2025, when Jeremy officially joined our team.
The ‘gap’ he’d spotted all those years ago was that founder/owners were transitioning their companies to employee ownership (EO), but finding down the line that it wasn’t ‘working’ as they and most people had expected.
Often they would say their people didn’t ‘get it’, Jeremy says – that employee ownership wasn’t delivering the benefits they’d assumed.
‘It was clear that they were well served with the legal/tax aspects of selling to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT),’ he explains.
‘But they weren’t understanding that transitioning your business to employee ownership is a major organisational, governance and cultural change as well.’
‘I could see an exciting opportunity for me to add value by helping founder/owners prepare for the impact on their organisation, their people and themselves – then leverage the benefits of their model, culture and teams to create and sustain success.’
Recognising the need for effective employee ownership support
Jeremy’s perception proved right.
Over the next 10 years, he and his team grew JGA into the UK’s largest independent multi-service provider of commercial, cultural and engagement services to the employee ownership sector.
Then in November 2023 Telos Partners and JGA announced our plans to merge.
‘JGA had been collaborating with Telos Partners for a while, including on the delivery of ‘The Road to Succession’ report for the eoa,’ says Jeremy, who had been exploring his own succession options for some time.
’We overlapped and shared similar values. Merging our two businesses just made sense and today we’re committed to creating even better value for our employee-owned clients as one team.
‘Over the last two years, we’ve clarified and strengthened the support we offer – matching our clients' need to be agile, effective and focused. It's especially relevant for the volatile times we'e in.
‘This means we specialise in providing practical and effective support for businesses that want to transition to, embed, grow or renew their employee ownership. It’s interesting and rewarding work.’
Read about our employee ownership support here.
Gaining practical insight in employee-owned leadership teams
'I started on the shop floor at 17 as a John Lewis trainee... [this means] I understand the disconnect that can occur between leadership and those being led'
Jeremy’s deep understanding of EO is an asset to both our clients and our Telos team.
His experience at JGA is key, but so too are the 30-plus years he spent before with the John Lewis Partnership.
‘I started on the shop floor at 17 as a John Lewis trainee,’ he recalls.
‘Because I was dyslexic, I’d struggled at school which meant no university for me. In fact, it was John Lewis who had my ‘gift’ of dyslexia diagnosed and I’ll always be grateful for that.’
Being a Partner at John Lewis and Waitrose was, he reveals, a ‘fantastic opportunity’ to work his way up to the senior leadership team, gaining commercial, operational, strategic and HR experience as well as becoming a City & Guilds qualified coach.
‘I wasn’t on a fast path so it enabled me to understand the disconnect that can occur between leadership and those being led – and how it feels to be an elected representative being challenged by your senior team.’
Understanding the impact of change
Jeremy took redundancy from the Partnership in 2013, giving him time to reflect and rethink what he wanted to do.
This led him to undertake an MSc in Behavioural Change programme at the Henley Business School.
His research for the dissertation he wrote (on the impact on leaders when their business becomes employee-owned) helped shape JGA’s launch and subsequent growth.
It continues to inform his work with our clients today.
So what excites Jeremy about the employee-owned sector? ‘It’s always different and exciting. It also matches my skillset and passion – it’s where my DNA lies,’ he explains.
‘I love meeting company founder/owners. I take care to remain objective, but I can identify with their concerns and aspirations. I bring my understanding of the journey they're embarking on.’
Enabling employee-owned clients to create and sustain success
‘I understand why succession is something many don’t want to think about. So much of our work life is about our identity, and that’s not necessarily appreciated by the exiting founder/owner.
‘Considering how they’ll spend their time after they let go of their business, involving their loved ones in the decision, is important to the employee ownership transition’s success.’
Yet Jeremy’s work isn’t all about founder/owners.
As he explains: ‘One of the most important things I've learned about building a successful employee ownership culture is that – like receiving a dog as a festive gift– employee ownership is for life, not just for Christmas.’
This is why he derives equal satisfaction from the longer-term support Telos Partners offers clients to make their transition a success by embedding, growing and renewing their employee ownership in the months – and years – after the transition documents are signed.
As with anything worthwhile, it’s not always easy work but Jeremy thrives when he has a level of challenge in his working day.
‘I enjoy navigating a way through quite complex situations in a way that works for both our clients and for Telos Partners,’ he says.
Bringing a fresh perspective through the independent trustee role
Alongside his work at Telos Partners, Jeremy is also currently an independent trustee director at employee-owned IPEX Consulting.
Previously, he was an independent trustee director for more than five years at two other employee-owned businesses: international award-winning animation studio Aardman and architectural services The Rooflight Company.
The additional role keeps him busy, meeting new people and means he’s always learning – all things that are important to him in life.
What else keeps Jeremy energised through his working day?
1. Chatting with my Telos Partners colleagues. I’m a people person.
2. Porridge, prunes and seeds (you’ve got to have the seeds!) – and the first cup of coffee.
3. The fact that every day offers a fresh challenge: who knows what it might bring?
4. Taking a break outside and breathing the Wiltshire air.
5. Some sort of cake, at some point. But I do also run....
Next steps
At Telos Partners, we can support you and your business to successfully transition, embed, grow and renew your employee ownership.
Find out how here and get in touch to speak with our experienced employee ownership team
