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welcome to libertas professional

Bringing Confidence to Board Led Organisations

Whether you are a business, or not for profit with an established board and senior leadership team or are looking at taking the first steps to establish one we provide clear, practical expertise in leadership, governance, performance, risk, and culture.
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why libertas

Confidence through experience

As organisations grow they become increasingly complex to manage. They rely on a broader range of skills and expertise and face new challenges to meet the needs of increasingly demanding stakeholders.

The expectations of clients, investors, staff and often regulators grow with the business and in many cases can be contradictory and even hold back the organisation from delivering outstanding performance, agility and focus on its core purpose.

Mid-sized organisations often face a gap: too complex for simple business coaching, but too small to access the big consultancies. At Libertas, we have both the breadth and depth of experience to bridge that gap by delivering senior-level expertise tailored to the realities of ambitious companies, charities and not for profits.

Our difference lies in clarity, practicality, and access to world class expertise. We don’t sell off-the-shelf solutions, our partners work alongside leaders, boards, and investors to strengthen leadership & governance, drive performance, build lasting resilience and the right culture. With Libertas, you gain the confidence to take decisive steps forward.

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Leadership, Structure & Governance

Strong boards, clear governance, and effective leadership to guide organisations through growth and change. We help align structure, policies, and decision-making so companies, charities and not for profits can scale with confidence.

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Risk Management & Resilience

Proportionate, practical risk management that protects value and builds long-term resilience and delivers competitive advantage. We support boards and executives to identifying threats early and making informed, confident decisions.

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Commercial Performance

Robust strategies and processes to unlock performance, deliver results, and prepare for investment or exit. Our focus is on practical steps that enable you to deliver measurable improvements to revenue and profitability.

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Culture

Support to align culture, engage teams, and resolve people challenges before they become barriers to success. We work with leaders to create workplaces where talent thrives and organisations perform at their best.

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who we help

Clarity and Confidence at Every Level

We work with mid-sized businesses, charities and not for profits, often at critical points of growth, restructuring, or preparing for exit. These organisations are ambitious, fast-moving, and need seasoned expertise they can trust.

Our support is tailored to owners, executive leaders, boards, and investors — helping each group gain the confidence and clarity needed to make the right decisions and achieve long-term success.

Businesses we help

How we help

The Libertas Approach

At Libertas, we specialise in supporting businesses, charities and not for profits who understand that exceptional performance is led from the top and embedded at every level of the organisation.

We work alongside boards, senior executives, and investors to strengthen leadership capability, design fit-for-purpose structures, and build resilience into all areas of the organisation. Our goal is to ensure performance that is sustainable and meets the values and expectations of the organisation’s stakeholders.

The Benefits

  • Clarity & Confidence
    Strong leadership and governance at every level.
  • Resilient Operations
    Processes and teams aligned to values.
  • Protected Value
    Growth that strengthens, not dilutes, long-term potential.
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sectors we serve

Expertise Across Industries

Our professional practice team has experience leading the largest professional services firms as well as successful local practices and understands the need to balance client focus with strong governance and accountability.

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High-Growth Businesses

As businesses grow they need to strengthen leadership, establish clear boards and governance and align strategy with the needs and expectations of stakeholders.

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Charities and Not For Profit

Strengthening governance, leadership, and strategy so charities and non-profits can deliver lasting impact with confidence.

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Construction

We help construction businesses improve efficiency, manage risks, and build leadership strength for long-term success. From oversight to alignment, we create stronger foundations for investor confidence.

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Professional and Financial Services

We support financial organisations in navigating regulation, risk, and client service in a consoldating market. Our expertise helps firms strengthen oversight, improve resilience, and achieve commercial success in a highly scrutinised market.

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Engineering and Manufacturing

Supporting engineering and manufacturing leaders to drive performance, resilience, and sustainable growth in complex markets.

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Retail and Hospitality

We support service-driven industries with strategies to boost performance, engage teams, and deliver
sustainable profitability.

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Private Equity

We support investors by strengthening portfolio companies, protecting value, and accelerating performance during critical growth stages.

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case studies

Delivering Performance & Success in a Range of Sectors

Explore our work by service area and see how our expertise delivers measurable impact.

ABOUT LIBERTAS OPPORTUNITIES

Our Partners & Associates

Our Partners

We are a partner led firm. Our partners all have a track record as leaders in their field with real world experience to back it up. As well as decades of experience in major corporations our partners have all run real world businesses and many are board members and trustees themselves so understand the challenges our clients face and are committed to creating a diverse and values led firm.

Our Associates

We identify and contract the right experts so you don’t have to. All of our Associates have proven track records and work cooperatively to deliver results for our clients. Our partners oversee all services so you get the best of all worlds – dedicated expertise, value and consistent quality.

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resources & insights

Strategies for Success

Culture Isn’t a Gut Feel: Why Boards Need Real Evidence on Employee Sentiment

In mid-market businesses, leadership teams spend plenty of time auditing finances, operational efficiency and risk…

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Character Over Compliance: What True Ethical Leadership Looks Like

When boards and leadership teams discuss ethics, the conversation frequently drifts toward compliance. Committees are…

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Sustainability Reporting: Carbon Transparency as a Governance Metric

In the modern corporate landscape, a business’ health is no longer judged solely by its…

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Internal Audit: A Strategic Lever for Sustainable Growth

In the pursuit of rapid growth, it is common for an organisation’s ambitions to outpace…

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Navigating Conflicts of Interest in the Boardroom: A Practical Guide

Introduction In the strategic landscape of the boardroom, leadership is often a solitary pursuit. The…

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Governance is Not a Box-Ticking Exercise: Why Every Charity Needs a Mirror

Introduction  For many charities, the term “Board Effectiveness Review” conjures up a sense of dread:…

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The Business Valuation Gap: Aligning Expectations with Market Reality

Introduction  For many founders, a business valuation is viewed solely as an exit mechanism -…

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Beyond Compliance: How Assurance, Internal Audit, and Internal Controls Drive Strategic Confidence 

Introduction  When most leaders hear the words “internal audit” or “internal controls,” they think of…

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The Future of Leadership: What Boards and Executives Need to Succeed in a Changing Business Landscape 

Introduction  Leadership has always been central to business success. But in today’s rapidly changing environment…

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Private Equity and the Mid-Market: Strengthening Portfolio Companies for Sustainable Value Creation 

Introduction  Private equity plays a vital role in driving growth, transformation, and innovation across the…

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Culture as a Competitive Advantage: Aligning Values, Behaviours, and Strategy in Mid-Sized Companies 

Introduction  Culture is often described as “the way we do things around here.” But for…

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The Hidden Risks in High-Growth Businesses — and How to Manage Them Before They Derail Success 

Introduction  High growth is the dream of many businesses. Scaling fast brings opportunity, attracts investors,…

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events

Join Us At Our Events

Connect with our team and industry experts through workshops, briefings, and discussions designed to help ambitious organisations achieve success with confidence.

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07

Oct

Libertas Professional Social

18

Nov

Connecting Finance

Matthew Comins

“A growth business requires both an ambitious driver and a reliable rudder. I work alongside entrepreneurs to provide that strategic direction, ensuring their financial infrastructure supports their commercial ambition.”

Matthew co-leads our Commercial Performance practice. A highly experienced fractional CFO with over 25 years of corporate and SME financial expertise, Matthew specialises in helping family-owned, entrepreneurial, and mid-market businesses scale sustainably and achieve their long-term strategic goals.

Matthew’s career spans a diverse array of sectors, geographies and business structures. Having completed his early training within public accounting in South Africa, he spent several years in senior finance leadership roles for a NYSE-listed multinational, establishing new regional offices across East Africa (including Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique) and serving as Regional Financial Controller in Malawi.

Following this multinational experience, Matthew spent a decade as Group CFO for a fifth-generation family-owned enterprise. Under his financial stewardship, the company diversified from being a solely agricultural-focussed business into property development, insurance, veterinary pharmaceuticals and technology, successfully scaling its turnover from R250 million to R2.5 billion. This extensive experience makes him uniquely equipped to navigate the highly nuanced dynamics of multi-generational family businesses and fast-growth corporate scaling.

Complementing his technical financial expertise, Matthew brings more than 15 years of board-level experience to Libertas. Having served as a Board Chairperson, Independent Non-Executive Director, and Risk Committee Chair he understands how to align financial reporting with robust corporate governance.

Now based in Yorkshire, Matthew works with ambitious businesses across the North of England. His collaborative approach focuses on partnering with a client’s existing finance team or external accountants, acting as a trusted sounding board and commercial strategist for business owners.

Becky Shaw

Becky Shaw is the organisational heart of Libertas – the person who keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes. As our dedicated admin lead, Becky brings structure, clarity and calm to the team, ensuring that projects stay on track and nothing is overlooked.
Based in York, Becky is passionate about helping businesses thrive by putting strong systems and processes in place. She loves bringing order to complexity and supporting busy teams so they can focus on what really matters.
A Business graduate with over 10 years’ experience in retail buying and product management, Becky has developed outstanding organisational and communication skills. Her subsequent experience in the education sector further strengthened her administration and project management expertise, giving her a broad understanding of different organisational needs.
Highly organised, deadline-driven and approachable, Becky is known for building strong working relationships and finding practical, creative solutions to challenges. Friendly, enthusiastic and endlessly reliable, she truly is the person who keeps everyone organised at Libertas

Daniel Showman

Daniel is a founding partner at Libertas and, alongside Chantelle, leads the Commercial Performance pillar. A natural problem-solver with a passion for building businesses, his career has taken him from engineering labs to fibre-optic oceans, boardrooms, and even a few celebrity encounters along the way.

Born and raised in Manchester, Daniel studied Engineering and Automotive Manufacturing before moving to London, where he entered the fast-moving world of telecoms in the mid-to-late 1990s. There, he played a role in a groundbreaking project to lay the very first transatlantic fibre-optic cable, an experience that sparked his fascination with complex, high-impact projects.

Chantelle Browne

Chantelle leads our Fractional Finance Leadership offering, partnering with board-level teams in ambitious, board-led businesses, not-for-profits and investment portfolios to drive financial visibility, strategic agility and sustainable growth. As a qualified accountant with a strong commercial lens, she brings a structured yet pragmatic approach to financial leadership, helping organisations strengthen decision-making, sharpen performance management, and embed finance as a value-creating function.

Her career foundation includes building and scaling her own accountancy practice, supporting SMEs across professional services, construction and manufacturing. She has also operated as finance manager within fast-growing UK businesses in the marketing-technology and events sectors, where she played a hands-on role in accelerating growth, managing complex cash-flow cycles, supporting investment planning and steering operational performance in dynamic environments.

Ian Howard

Ian leads our Risk Management and Resilience Practice, supporting organisations develop practical and commercially focussed approached to managing risk. His varied background also places him at the heart of our Governance and Commercial Performance offerings. He worked for 8 years at AVIVA and nearly 15 years in a risk management leadership role within EY, is chair of the Risk and Audit Committee for Inclusion Housing and has recently been appointed head of the Investment Committee at the Wilf Ward Family Trust. Ian has extensive, real-world experience in managing risk in a range of different organisations and has deep sector knowledge of financial services & advice, professional services & accounting, as well as housing, social care and charities. He also has decades of experience helping organisations of all sizes implement the right governance to meet the expectations of their market and stakeholder whilst navigating complex regulatory landscapes

Richard Burleigh

Richard is a founding partner and leads our Structure, Leadership and Governance expertise at Libertas. He is an accredited and experienced executive coach with over 35 years of corporate experience in the construction sector gained working for large multinational companies such as Skanska and Balfour Beatty.

The great majority of Richard’s career was outside the UK, and he has lived and worked in Thailand, the UAE, Poland, and Romania. This international perspective enables him to support Libertas clients navigating cross-cultural leadership, organizational complexity, and change. He brings a pragmatic, globally informed lens to boardroom challenges.

Sigita Russell

Sigita is a founding partner at Libertas and the lead for Marketing and Lead Development. She is an experienced employee engagement and organisational culture specialist with a strong background in research, organisational psychology, and in-house employee experience work.

She previously spent several years at Ipsos Karian & Box, contributing to qualitative research, organisational change projects, and employee experience programmes for major UK organisations. Her in-house experience also gave her a practical understanding of how culture, communication, and people processes work day to day. Her expertise lies in uncovering the real drivers of employee behaviour and translating complex insights into clear, practical actions that support better leadership decisions and healthier workplace cultures.