"There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end until it be thoroughly finished yields the true glory." - Sir Francis Drake, 1540-1596 .

A key rationale for any of Carlyle Forbes’ investments is that we feel we can add value not only by providing capital, but also by being actively involved with strategic oversight and general support to management, so that we can assist in value creation post-investment. We will therefore expect to be involved with the companies in which we invest after the investment.

Our involvement will primarily be via the Board of Directors where we will expect to get one or more seats, often assuming the role of non-executive Chairman. Occasionally we may take a more active role, including assisting management as consultants in specific areas, or by serving as informal speaking partners to management, or taking on other roles that may make sense on a case by case basis.

We take a very active and responsive approach, engaging with all the relevant issues. We make our own investment decisions and the same team you first meet will give you the benefit of their expertise all the way through to the point of exit.

In recent years our portfolio has broadened considerably, most notably into Continental Europe and Asia where we have benefited from the expansion of the use of private equity to finance the growth of smaller and medium-sized companies.

• Strategic development and oversight
• Recruitment and retention of key managers and senior advisors
• Improving the Board of Directors and its ability to support the business, including recruitment of additional directors with complementary skills, development of the work within the Board and other improvements to ensure we maximize the benefit the Board can provide management and the company
• Guiding management to ensure that they grow with the company and that they develop the ability to handle the different challenges they will face when managing a larger and more complex operation as the company grows
• Introduction of systems, policies and procedures to ensure development of the organizational structure as the company grows
• Development/improvement of financial and IT systems including development of key measurements for monitoring of progress
• Looking for ways to maximize revenue from existing customer bases and broaden revenue streams by identifying new business lines
• Leading acquisition or joint venture initiatives