Beyond EBITDA: Reframing a brand like you mean business

Brand is often the last thing founders think about before an exit - but investors often see it first.

This session makes the case for brand as a powerful commercial lever: one that shapes risk perception, builds growth confidence, and ultimately moves the dial on valuation. The central provocation is simple - two businesses with identical EBITDA can command radically different multiples. Why?

Brand strategist James Summerscales of Influential opens with a keynote on what it means to build a brand that is genuinely fit for purpose - authentic, coherent, and far more than a logo. 

James is then joined for a moderated discussion with one of the leaders of Manchester’s private equity community for a conversation on the role brand plays as a valuation multiplier, exploring it as a risk reducer, a growth accelerator, an exit narrative tool, and a marker of revenue quality.

The session will also examine why businesses choose to reframe themselves - whether to support a new growth strategy, move from founder-led identity to institutional credibility, consolidate after M&A, professionalise the proposition, or transition from challenger to category leader.

For anyone in the room asking “if our brand disappeared tomorrow, how much would our valuation change?” - this session is where that conversation starts.

Please note that this event is reserved for members only.

If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact [email protected] for more information.