Tim Connolly

Tim Connolly is an entrepreneur because he thrives in an environment where he can shape and influence both his own destiny and that of the businesses with which he works. His own entrepreneurial journey started in 1994 when, with colleague Mark Smith, he left consulting firm KPMG and founded Partners for Change, which rapidly established itself as an innovative, forward thinking company that was one of the fastest growing consulting businesses in the buoyant late 1990s.

Tim and Mark attracted great people and clients to Partners for Change because they succeeded in creating an enabling environment in which good people could operate with minimal constraints whilst also contributing to the development and growth of the company for whom they worked. This model had some hairy moments but was absolutely core to the success of Partners for Change as it went through 100% per annum growth in each of the five successive years following its formation. This growth experience resulted in the company being placed in the Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track table for three years in a row and left the founders with deep insights and views on what it takes to create a successful and sustainable entrepreneurial company.

Tim and Mark sold Partners for Change to Diagonal plc in February 2003, having concluded that by this time the company was ready for a new stage in its development and needed the support of a broader-based IT business. Since then they have run Ugly Duckling, which works closely with entrepreneurial businesses at various stages of their development to help them develop into graceful, swan-like companies. Their involvement in Ugly Duckling reflects their passionate commitment to entrepreneurialism and innovation, which they believe are key pillars of a thriving economy and society.

Tim is married with four young children, watches and plays sport whenever possible, and retains a keen interest in history, having landed a first in the subject at Oxford University in 1981. He is also a qualified accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultancy.