AlignEmpower
About

Richard Sanders

Invest · Create value · Positive social impact — London

Twenty-five years in and around private equity value creation. Founder of Sullivan Street Partners, built from a standing start to multiple exits at over 5x money on money in sixteen years, without compromising on values. Chair and non-executive advisor across more than thirty exits, working alongside management teams on the financial, social and cultural sides of the businesses they built. A believer in people, in doing things properly, and in follow-through.

Get in touch
Current roles

Where the time goes now

Founder · Since March 2024

Aligned Empowered Ltd

A vehicle for non-executive and social-impact work. Aligning teams behind strategic goals and empowering people to make decisions and progress towards them.

Chair · Since January 2025

Ancora Group

National marine infrastructure group — coastal defence, dredging and flood risk management — built around Teignmouth Maritime Services, Hesselberg-Hydro and Marine Plant Hire.

Non-Executive Director · Since March 2007

The Barton Partnership

Specialist recruitment organisation and B Corp, focused on placing and advising talent in strategy development and delivery.

Track record

Boards, ventures and exits

Every result below belongs to the management team that built it. This is where he sat alongside them.

Sullivan Street Partners Founder & Managing Partner · 2010–2026

Founded to take controlling stakes in businesses and actively improve them. Built a portfolio stewarding over 2,000 staff across eight entities.

Crest Experiences (The Wave) NED, ex-CEO · 2022–2026

Bristol's inland surf lake. Rebuilt the marketing, brand positioning and events offer around wellbeing for everybody.

Powered By Diversity Non-Executive Director · 2020–2025

Advisory practice, backed by a 10,000-member community, helping organisations move towards fairness and meritocracy.

Octavius Infrastructure NED, previously Transformation Director · 2021–2025

Tier-one highways and rail contractor carved out of the Geoffrey Osborne Group; built a new back office and strategy.

Odyssey Group Non-Executive Director · 2021–2025

Events and experience business behind the Savour food festival, Fume and the Wingjam Chicken Wing festival.

Ultra Marine Energy Advisor · 2023–2025

Early-stage concepts for more efficient deep-water wind turbine deployment.

The Tidal Rum Non-Executive Director · 2019–2025

Caribbean-born, cask-aged spirit. Backed from first raise through to over 25,000 bottles a year.

Celsus Group NED, previously Interim CEO · 2020–2024

Medical staffing and services business, supplying vetted professionals to primary and acute healthcare providers.

Tivoli Group NED, previously Interim CEO · 2018–2024

National grounds maintenance business, built on local recruitment, community projects and a regional identity.

Medica Packaging Non-Executive Director · 2014–2020

Specialist pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging. Productivity up more than 20% since acquisition.

samedaydoctor Non-Executive Director · 2011–2019

Walk-in clinic, telephone and email GP consultations, vaccinations and tests.

Orbis Protect NED, previously Interim CEO · 2013–2018

UK market leader in security for vacant commercial and residential property, over 500 employees.

Egbert Taylor NED, previously interim Transformation Director · 2011–2018

UK market leader in the design and manufacture of steel waste and recycling containers.

BetterPoints Ltd NED, Associate · 2009–2013

Carbon foot-printing and behaviour-change rewards platform, then known as Carbon River.

Earlier career

Before the boards

John Lewis Partnership Strategy Director · 2007–2009

Strategy for the £7bn group — business development, customer insight and the Partnership credit card. Sat on the Partners' Council.

Richard Sanders & Company Ltd Managing Director, interim roles · 2006–2007

Interim leadership, turnarounds and 100-day plans for corporate and private equity clients.

Bain Case Team Leader · 2004–2006

Strategy assignments across Europe in business services, financial services, retail and FMCG.

Burlington Consultants Manager · 1999–2004

Operational improvement work across more than 100 private equity deals.

Fisco Products Ltd Operations Manager · 1997–1999

Board role at a family-run manufacturing business — procurement, factory layout and modernisation.

Education

Grounding

University of Oxford
MA, Physics · 1994–1997
University of Cambridge
Postgraduate Degree, Design, Manufacturing, Management · 1997–1998
University of Cambridge
Chartered Diploma in Accounting and Finance · 1997–1998
University of Cambridge
Certificate, Generative AI in Business · January–April 2026

RSA Fellow · Institute for Transformation Member · Powered by Diversity Ambassador · Author, "Developing a Stakeholder Scorecard"