Richard Harpin
Richard is founder and Chairman of Growth Partner.
Best known as founder and group CEO of international home assistance company, HomeServe, Richard was an entrepreneur from an early age.
Now, through Growth Partner, his aim, and passion – to use his experience, his knowledge, and his resources to support fast-growth consumer businesses to achieve breakthrough success – is being realised.
Before he formed HomeServe in 1993, Richard trained as a marketeer with Proctor & Gamble and set up and operated several diverse businesses, from consumer property rentals to game fishing accessories.
HomeServe’s journey began with nothing more than a vision backed by determination and lots of hard work – something Richard has in common with the entrepreneurs who work with Growth Partner. Almost 30 years after starting that journey HomeServe has become a FTSE 100 listed internationally renowned business employing thousands of people and serving millions of customers around the world.
In early 2023 he completed another milestone for the business, completing its sale to Brookfield Asset Management for £4.1 billion. One of Richard’s most strongly held beliefs is that to really succeed in business, you must work with the best people. Throughout his career, Richard has engaged with some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs from businesses like Trip Advisor, Booking.com and Capital One to seek experience and encourage challenge to his business strategies and decisions.
It’s this belief that led him to form Growth Partner and it is a philosophy that is at very heart of how we at Growth Partner support our partners.
“I’ve always sought advice from others and taken on board that advice and stored it up. I want to use all this insight to help people” says Richard.
“It doesn’t matter that I’m now running a large public corporation, I can still relate to smaller businesses, particularly when they are being led by a great entrepreneur. I’m still an entrepreneur at heart – that’s one thing that has never changed”.
You can visit Richard’s own website here, and to request a copy of Richard’s business biography, “A Passion for Business”, email us at info@growthpartner.co.uk
