Matthew Charman

Co-Founder

After narrowly escaping an early career in restructuring and M&A, I spent the best part of a decade working alongside Charles and Scott at one of Europe’s most successful private equity funds. Over time, the pull to take the entrepreneurial leap and build our own business became too strong to resist.

My first job was dishwashing in a care home. Whilst the job itself has certainly changed, my work ethic remains the same. I am inquisitive about how things work, interested in what makes people tick and have a passion for unpicking business models and value chains. Investing to support founders and teams grow great companies has always felt like the perfect fit.

Outside of work I’m a big proponent of keeping active, whether that be with a racquet in hand or (more recently) marathon running. I even took my daughter to her first Park Run at 4 years old which, fortunately for me, she loved!

Focus Areas: Financial Distribution, Vertical SaaS, Governance Risk & Compliance, Professional Services

Scott Fairlie

Co-Founder

Visiting my grandparents’ toy shop in Glasgow taught me the value of hard work and instilled entrepreneurial ambitions within me from a young age.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant at KPMG, I moved into private equity and worked for two of Europe’s most successful funds. It was at one of those that I met Charles and Matt, and the rest is history.

The greatest part of my job is the variety of people I meet and businesses I have the privilege to help scale. My career so far has taught me that creating and harnessing effective culture is at the heart of every long-term success story.

My happy place is by the sea, be that a family trip to the West Coast of Scotland or a holiday in Santa Barbara, albeit California is a little more tricky these days, with young kids in tow!

Focus Areas: FinTech, Cyber, IT Services, Testing, inspection, certification, Vertical SaaS

Charles Dale

Co-Founder

I co-founded Northcote alongside longstanding friends and colleagues, Matt and Scott. Following successful careers at some of Europe’s leading private equity funds, the time came to finally ‘walk the walk’ and launch our own firm.

In my opinion, private equity is all about people. At Northcote we have a simple goal, to work with the brightest and boldest company founders across the UK and Ireland. This is my favourite part about what we do: forging new partnerships as we discover future success stories.

Outside of work, you’ll often find me tirelessly cheering on England at Twickenham or out on the golf course making little to no progress on my handicap. I live in South West London, a mere stone’s throw from the spiritual home in which our early visions of Northcote Equity were dreamt up!

Focus Areas: Data & Insights, EdTech, Digital Health, HCM

Darren Jordan

CFO/COO

After graduating with a degree in history, PwC marginally improved my chances of employment by training me as a Chartered Accountant.

I spent nine years in PwC’s London and Sydney offices before embarking on a career in private equity. In 2000, I joined Inflexion (a new mid-market firm at the time) and subsequently continued my career at Silverfleet Capital.

I was introduced to Charles, Matt and Scott by a former colleague who had been the CFO at one of their portfolio companies. After giving them some friendly guidance around the operational set-up of a new firm, I was delighted when asked to join this new venture.

I’d love to say that my time outside of work is spent training for my next Iron Man or working on a ‘Grand Designs’ self-build project, but I shall leave the endurance training to Matt and hanging a picture on a wall is the limit of my DIY skills. Instead, you’ll generally find me in an art gallery, at the theatre, wine tasting or watching an Ipswich Town football match. However, my real passion is live music and I’m never happier than when in a remote corner of Glastonbury Festival.