Alternative Exit #30 | From Ownership to Legacy: Barry Horner’s Journey to Employee Empowerment

Alternative Exit

What happens when a traditional exit strategy feels like value destruction rather than creation? In this episode, I sit down with Barry Horner, co-founder and executive chair of Paradigm North, one of the UK's leading financial planning firms. Barry shares his transformative journey from exploring trade sales to pioneering employee ownership in 2019, and how he recently completed the leadership transition piece of the puzzle by stepping back as CEO while remaining as executive chair.

We dive deep into the practical realities of building an employee-owned business over six years. From managing deferred consideration payments to restructuring governance models, Barry unpacks the lessons learned, challenges faced, and unexpected benefits of choosing employee ownership. This conversation is packed with honest insights about leadership transition, stakeholder management, and why protecting culture and client relationships ultimately trumped financial maximization.
Key Takeaways:

• Why Barry's exploration of trade sales felt like "value destruction" rather than creation
• How wide share ownership (20 employees) complicated but ultimately enhanced the EO transition
• The strategic decision to communicate EO plans 18 months early to build trust and excitement
• Why a nine-person trust board was too big and how they streamlined to five with independent chairs
• The critical importance of aligning meeting cadences between main board and trust board decisions
• How "partner voice" groups separate operational input from trust board governance responsibilities
• Why deferred consideration payments create healthy tension around growth vs. payout priorities
• The unexpected client acquisition benefits of being publicly employee-owned
• How leadership transition and ownership transition are two distinct processes requiring separate focus

About Barry Horner:

Barry is the co-founder and executive chair of Paradigm North, a 93-person financial planning firm that transitioned to employee ownership in 2019. With over two decades of building values-driven businesses, Barry recently completed his leadership transition by stepping back as CEO while maintaining his role as board chair. He's an active champion of the employee ownership community and advocates for sustainable, purpose-led business models that prioritize long-term stakeholder value.

Connect with Barry:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/barry-horner
Website: https://paradigmnorth.co.uk

Connect with Andy Farquharson:

LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/andyfarquharson/
Instagram - https://instagram.com/andyfarq
Website - https://abettermonday.me/
Email - [email protected]