News and Insights

During our investment in the leading provider of SaaS safeguarding software to schools, CPOMS, the ECI Commercial Team helped them launch new products, create a predictive model to drive sales and deliver a North American internationalisation strategy.

Following on from our investment in 2018, the company experienced significant organic growth, increasing its client base from 6,000 schools to more than 14,000, and significantly increased its international presence, selling to 34 countries.

Here are some key areas of growth over the course of our investment: 

Internationalisation

One of the most critical factors in CPOMS growth story was the expansion into US markets. Recognising the potential for growth, the ECI Commercial Team helped develop an internationalisation strategy, led by our North American Growth Specialist, Brett Pentz.

Brett assisted in creating a go-to-market strategy specifically for Canada and the USA. This hands-on support in navigating new markets was instrumental in CPOMS expanding its reach from serving schools in just four countries outside the UK to 34 countries by the time of ECI's exit.

Product innovation and development

Product expansion was one of the key ways in which ECI supported CPOMS. We helped the management team with a customer engagement project through which CPOMS assessed demand for products that complemented its core child safeguarding and wellbeing software. This led to the launch of two additional products: CPOMS StaffSafe, which aims to strengthen governance relating to members of staff, and the CPOMS Engage module, which aids alignment and communication between schools and local authorities.

Leveraging technology and data analytics

Beyond the predictive sales model, ECI supported CPOMS in investing in the underlying technology platform and operational processes to ensure scalability and efficiency. This commitment to technological advancement was a key factor in CPOMS receiving the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2020, as well as winning the PEI Operational Excellence award in 2022.

In October 2021, CPOMS was successfully realised to private equity-backed US school safety software provider Raptor Technologies.

Each month, we turn the spotlight on the leadership teams in our portfolio to find out what drives them, who inspires them, and the biggest lessons they’ve learned.

This month, we chat with John-Paul Savant, CEO of Auction Technology Group (ATG), a global leader in online marketplaces and auction technology. Since joining ATG in 2016, John-Paul has led the business through a period of significant transformation, growing its impact on the circular economy while scaling operations to facilitate over $13 billion in annual sales.

John-Paul shares what motivates him, his thoughts on leadership, and the one rule he expects his employees to live by.

Q: Which one rule do you expect your employees to abide by?

Be honest. Whether it be within my exec team or within our overall team of 600, I want people to tell it as it is and to give me the reality.  I’m not saying I take what everyone says without challenging whether their truth is THE truth, but I want people to tell their truth. Without that, it leads to a cascade of other issues, not the least of which can often be a cascade of bad decisions. Colleagues, the management team, and the Board cannot make good decisions unless what they hear is truth, so yes, my one rule is Be Honest. 

Q: What motivates you?

Seeing the full picture of what I envision become a reality. I’m a fairly intuitive person and I love seeing potential in things that others may overlook whether it be people, buildings, objects, or whatever. But when I see the potential in something, often a whole picture of “what can be” emerges in my mind at a gut level that feels right, and then I start looking for data, people, and other elements that can help me make it become reality. But the motivation is building something that encompasses the fullness of what I envisage and turning it into a reality. 

Q: What are you most proud of in your career?

I would have to say it’s what we’ve achieved at ATG over the last 8+ years as it’s been a financial success but also is doing something good for society as we are massively accelerating the circular economy. In 2016, when ECI hired me, we facilitated the sale of just over $1 billion, had ~$20m of revenue and $3m of profit and I think ATG was valued at about $30m. 

Today, we facilitate the sale of over $13 billion, we have $180m+ of revenue with over $80m of EBITDA and is valued at ~$850m. So we make a bigger impact on the environment and are more successful financially. I feel more proud of what we've done at ATG than having been part of the team at PayPal that built PayPal Europe from $0 revenue to $1.8 billion over 10 years. 

At PayPal you always wondered if it was really YOU making the difference. And if you have any humility at all you realise that maybe you made a bit of a difference but that it was a great idea at the right time and you were lucky to be part of the journey. But with ATG, I think the staff and the management team and I, especially Tom Hargreaves, Richard Lewis and Badr Khan in the early days and now my current exec team of Meghan Nally, Jeremy Stewart, Darren Ali, and Richard Lewis (still!) are the ones who can truly say we’ve led this transformation and made a difference.    

Q: Who do you admire / who inspires you?

My father. He was a true Renaissance Man in that he loved and was capable at everything - great sportsman, lauded university professor, published poet, excellent musician, great public speaker, and also great with building things with his hands, as he basically built half our home as we grew up. 

He was also a great grandfather - lying on the ground with my kids for 4 or 5 hours at a time. But above all, what I respected was that he always saw the best in people and people knew that and were drawn to him. He focused on what he saw that was good in people versus what he didn’t like. He was authentic.  What you saw on the outside was how he behaved at home as well. He used to say he was a French peasant at heart because of his love of manual labour and working with his hands, but I always saw him as someone who had natural nobility in him. 

Q: What do you think makes a good leader?

I think to be a leader requires passion and belief in what you are doing. As leading by definition means you’re taking others in a direction. And you don’t get paid to lead because it’s easy. So you have to have belief and passion to give you the energy to see you through the hard times, the times when things are not clear on what to do next, the ability to give others faith that you can reach where you’re heading, even if there’s doubt and doubters around you. 

Strategy, hiring well, prioritising, the ability to sell your idea, and setting up solid processes are all important but if you don’t have that next level of belief, I don’t know if you’ll be able to lead through the hard times or when things don’t go to plan.  When you have it, it’s what sustains you and also helps you remain focused on doing what’s right for the company regardless of short-term obstacles.

Q: How has leading a publicly listed company changed the way you approach leadership?

Since ATG went public in 2021, I think what’s changed most for me in how I lead is really two things:

1) Seeing truly the importance of hiring far ahead of the curve at the exec level to get the talent I need for the next level of aspiration for ATG. One great exec in a key role makes a huge difference and they are worth the money.

2) Needing to learn how to bring a public Board along my thought journey and how to better support the education process by sharing the right information and thinking further ahead on key questions.

I’ve worked with many good board members but I’ve learned the most from our Chairman, Scott Forbes, about seeing how all elements of running a public company - from Remco, Nomco, Auditco, ESG, Board meetings, Trading Statements, to Earnings Calls - can be run and organised and what you can achieve with each to the benefit of the company.

Q: How do you switch off from work?

Lots of things help me switch off. Primarily time with my kids as each of the 4 of them want and need different things and I enjoy the variety of it. But when it’s purely for me, it’s probably thinking about our home I am restoring in the Savoie region of France where my family is from or talking about it with my eldest son or younger ones. And, closer to home in London, I enjoy gardening and hiking or any National Trust property with the family. 

Q: What item do you own that you would you never put up for auction (no matter the price!)?

Our family home in France. Someone could offer me 20x the actual value of it and I’d not sell it because it means too much to all of us. Closer to home, probably the plaster imprints of the kids feet from when they were babies.

Q: Favourite film?

Lots of good films. I can't really choose. But something I can watch over and over again? Probably any of the Super Bowls of the 49ers where Joe Montana was quarterback.  

This April is stress awareness month, and those in high-pressure industries (such as those working in private equity or PE-backed companies!) know that stress is often unavoidable. To some extent, having responsibility and working with high-calibre individuals in a fast-paced environment is part of what makes the job so exciting. But stress should not be a constant factor in your work, and it needs to be managed to make sure your mental health and job satisfaction are not negatively impacted. We have pulled together 7 simple ways to help combat stress, no matter where you work:

1. Communication culture 

Acknowledge stress and don’t try to hide it. Not only will this help lighten the emotional burden and promote healthier coping mechanisms, but it also makes other people feel less inclined to bottle it up, so it has an amplifier effect across your organisation. Your network should also provide support and a safe space to vent. Connecting with mentors who understand your position can help reframe challenges through sharing lessons learned.  

2. Recognise the signs of burnout

Prevent stress from turning into burnout by recognising when your stress levels have become unmanageable. This might be physical symptoms such as sleep problems, emotional symptoms such as irritability or depression, or behavioural symptoms such as a negative mindset and feeling worthless at work. Spotting these early means that you can intervene and get help or face the root cause rather than letting it spiral.  

3. Time away from Teams/Zoom 

Everyone needs time away from work or thinking about work, but in today’s always-on tech, it can be easy to feel like the work never stops. Create space for time where you aren’t one notification away from being pulled back into thinking about the next task on your plate.  

4. Understand when stress is advantageous

Stress can reflect that we’re invested in something we think is important. It can make us work harder, dedicate more of our time and think creatively. Understanding when it is beneficial and using it appropriately can be a superpower. Just as stand-up comedians try to imagine that the nerves they feel before going on stage are in fact excitement, try and understand whether some moments of stress can be reframed as reflecting your enthusiasm.

5. Realistic and clear priorities

An unrealistic to-do list will make anyone stressed. Avoid being overwhelmed by understanding which tasks you need to do – if possible, use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritise by urgency and importance.  Set realistic deadlines and communicate them clearly. Block out time for focussed work and don’t be afraid to say no to meetings that take up space needed for thinking and doing. Remember, you control your time. 

6. Avoid superhero syndrome 

Leaders are often under immense pressure to make critical decisions, but feeling you must handle everything yourself will only lead to isolation and feeling overwhelmed. Instead of trying to save the day, empower your team to make decisions with your support. Not only will this promote leadership across your organisation, but it will also bring in a broader range of perspectives and more job satisfaction for those who feel trusted to do their job.   

7. Celebrate successes 

Working in fast-paced jobs means that expectations are incredibly high. Which may mean it feels like every milestone is par for the course, and you end up in a high-stress and low appreciation cycle. Instead, take time to celebrate work goals, projects finished, deals done, etc. Not only will it give you greater job satisfaction, but it will also help the whole team recognise that hard work is valued.

ECI Partners, the leading mid-market private equity firm, has promoted George Moss to its Investment Committee, with effect from April 2025.

George has been a Partner in the Investment Team since 2015, leading investments across ECI’s established subsectors, specifically in HealthTech and Travel. During his 17 years at ECI, he has been instrumental in many successful exits including 4Ways, Travel Chapter, CarTrawler, Citation, Reed & Mackay and Great Rail Journeys. George currently sits on the Board of two of ECI’s portfolio companies: Avantia, a high growth specialist home insurance MGA; and TAG, a leading global travel management company.