About Us

Principal-led. Hands-on. Done it ourselves.

Hunter Hawes & Co. was founded on a simple belief: the best M&A advisers for smaller companies are those who've lived transactions as principals. We've been in your shoes; we've built, bought, scaled and sold creative and consulting businesses, so we understand what's truly at stake.

Our Philosophy

Advise every deal as if it's your own

We experienced that too many advisors approached sub-£5m revenue deals from a purely financial perspective. We come from the operating world ourselves - we've managed teams, won clients, navigated earn-outs and made the difficult decisions that founders face. That's why we see things differently.

The experience of being directly accountable, and having to live with the consequences of getting it wrong, shapes everything we do. From how we value a business, to how we position it in the market, to how we negotiate terms that protect value, owners, people and promise.

We're selective about the mandates we take on. Partly, because every deal deserves our full commitment not a fraction of our attention, but also because we only want to work with companies we know we'll be able to help. When a buyer receives a teaser from Hunter Hawes & Co, they must know it's going to be a great business, not an also ran.

Our Manifesto

We are creative dealhunters.

Creative Relentlessness

The best deals are hard to find without a creative mindset. Many advisers miss them because they only look in obvious places. We are not them.

Straight Speaking

We shun corporate-speak and faux formality. This isn't high diving, there are no prizes for style. Outcome is everything.

We Are You

We will never forget how high-stakes, distracting and stressful transactions can be when you're in the hot seat. When we work together, we are you. Your needs are our needs. Your success is ours.

Astute and Incisive

We see what others miss, identify the real levers in a deal, and frame them clearly. We shape the narrative so value is understood, not assumed.

Firm when Required

When we push, we push hard. When it's time to hold the line, we're firm. When we need to absorb impact on your behalf, we're there. Every time.

The Team

People who get it.

We work with a small group of senior associates rather than full-time employees. Our associates are independent, highly experienced advisors who operate under a clear framework between us all, but engage directly with you on agreed terms. This gives you direct access to top-level expertise, without the overhead of a traditional firm structure.

Dom Hawes

Hunter Hawes & Co.

Dealhunter | Board Advisor | Chair

Dom brings over 30 years' marketing, creative agency and principal-led M&A experience. He works with founders, shareholders and boards of creative, media and consulting businesses to deliver high value exits and acquisitions, create and realise value pre-exit, and to design and execute well-structured deals. He focuses on what you need to do to achieve peak exit, HH&Co. associates help you get there.

Andy Oliver

Andy Oliver Consulting

Principal Consultant

Andy has over 30 years' experience working in and leading creative agencies. He's built and led communications businesses and global teams across Europe, the US and APAC: founding agencies, driving turnarounds and executing M&A. He works with Hunter Hawes & Co. on sale preparation and post-acquisition integration. He's an expert at the hands-on support founders need to build high value agencies.

Ezra Cohen

LucidCircus

CEO / Founder

Ezra has spent more than 25 years building digital products and the agencies behind them. As the owner of LucidCircus, he's led web, SaaS, and mobile development for Google, HBO, MTV, Deloitte, DirecTV, and AOL. For Hunter Hawes, he runs technical due diligence on agency deals, telling buyers what they're really acquiring and helping sellers fix the technical story before a buyer's team finds the cracks.