Raising the Bar in UK M&A. The Charter Way.

By Gareth Smyth, CEO of Hilton Smythe

“We’re not here to follow the standards of the industry – we’re here to raise them.”

As someone who’s worked in mergers and acquisitions for nearly two decades, I’ve seen the best of what our industry can do and, unfortunately, the worst. I’ve sat across from business owners at every stage of their journey: hopeful, exhausted, excited, and nervous. And more often than not, they ask the same thing:

“Who can I really trust?”

That’s the question that’s shaped everything we’ve built at Hilton Smythe. And it’s why, with our Client Charter and Checklist, we’ve drawn a line in the sand. Not just for ourselves, but for what the entire M&A industry should be aiming for.

There are good, even brilliant, advisers in our field but there are also too many stories I’ve heard and witnessed that make it clear that change is overdue.

• Lack of transparency.
• Inflated valuations designed to lure sellers in.
• Confusing fee structures.
• Poor communication.

For business owners, these experiences don’t just cause frustration; they can cost livelihoods, relationships, and years of work.

And that damage doesn’t just affect the individual. It affects confidence in the whole sector. It undermines trust in a process that should be about helping someone take the next step in their life with clarity and control.

Why we created the Client Charter

We didn’t create the Hilton Smythe Client Charter to sound good in marketing. We created it because this industry needs a higher standard and because business owners deserve better.

The Charter is our way of saying: 

• Here’s what you should expect.
• Here’s what we commit to.
• Here’s what you should ask any adviser you speak to.

Alongside it, the Client Charter Check list gives sellers the tools to ask the right questions before they sign anything, whether or not they work with us.

It’s about protecting people, empowering them and being proud enough of your own process to invite scrutiny.

The four pillars: Our promise to clients

At the heart of the Charter are four values I believe are non negotiable in M&A:

Raising the standard benefits everyone

When advisers operate with these values clients feel confident, deals are smoother, outcomes are better and the industry starts to earn back the trust it’s lost.

This is bigger than Hilton Smythe, it’s about what kind of industry we want to be part of, one that chases short-term wins or one that’s respected for helping real people

through one of the biggest decisions of their lives?

We’ve chosen our side.

The charter way forward

We’re not perfect but we’re trying every day to be better and to lead by example. The Hilton Smythe Client Charter isn’t just a piece of paper. It’s the standard we hold ourselves to in every conversation, every deal, every outcome.

I also want to say this directly to business owners: you have every right to demand better.

Ask the hard questions: 

• Expect Honesty;
• Expect Integrity;
• Expect Trust;
• Expect 100% Commitment!

And to other advisers, if this message makes you uncomfortable, good. That’s where change begins!

Gareth Smyth, CEO Hilton Smythe