Jane Hales

I sit in the space between co-founders, boards and investors when things get tense — so value isn%27t destroyed in the argument.

I specialise in co-founder conflict, governance and the %22messy middle%22 of scaling: the phase where the founding relationship strains under the weight of growth, investment and competing visions. This is battle-tested experience. I have sat in boardrooms where relationships were breaking down, decisions were being blocked and value was quietly haemorrhaging. I know what it takes to stabilise those situations — and how to prevent them from developing in the first place.

My advisory work spans agencies, creative businesses, research and insight firms — sectors where founder identity and business value are most tightly intertwined, and where getting the relationship dynamics right determines whether a business exits well or falls apart quietly.

What I bring:
— Founder experience: bootstrapped a services business to multi-million pound valuation and successful exit
— Board governance: NED, Vice Chair and subgroup Chair (currently moving to Chair)
— Deep expertise in co-founder dynamics, shareholder agreements and high-stakes leadership transitions
— Author of a forthcoming book on co-founder conflict, with proprietary frameworks including the Partnership Hype Cycle and Co-Founder Alignment Canvas

I work with founders who are scaling fast, navigating co-founder tension, preparing for investment or exit, or building a board for the first time. If you are in that space — particularly in professional services, agencies or insight businesses — I%27d welcome a conversation.