About Isambard

Welcome to Isambard, Jim Donovan's company and website.  Jim works with business owners, directors and executives to transform businesses. Drawing on extensive hands-on experience of successful business transformations (and lessons learnt from the occasional non-success), Jim can help with:
  • leadership and governance - as a director, interim CEO, or adviser;
  • business strategy & execution - development and hands-on implementation;
  • business capability & performance -  to achieve substantial shifts in business scale and shareholder value;
  • ownership, acquisition & divestment - planning, preparation and execution, pre- and post-deal, buy-side and sell-side.
His industry expertise covers:
  • high value manufacturing, engineering and design-based businesses;
  • information & telecommunications technology products and services;
  • infrastructure and utility networks;
  • business & professional services;
  • international business.
 Jim can undertake a variety of roles:
  • director - chairman, independent director, advisory board member;
  • speaker - conference presentation and chairmanship;
  • interim executive - special projects and turnarounds;
  • adviser - for boards, senior executives and major investors.
The Isambard name honours Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the renowned 19th century engineer. Designing and operating a great business is akin to a great engineering project:
  • an overarching purpose: what you offer the world, to whom (customers, shareholders, staff, communities, business partners), and why they'd want it;
  • a clear, coherent, consistent and elegant design of how you will make and fulfil that offer - core principles, processes, people, products;
  • doing what should be done to build that business (and not doing what shouldn't);
  • thinking, planning and acting for greatness.

If you'd like Jim to call you, please send an email to service@isambardgroup.com with your contact details.

Please note that Isambard does not provide valuation, financial or legal advice (other than assessing business performance). Isambard does not promote or advise on investment in shares, bonds or other financial instruments.