Coaches & Partners 
| John Pearce |
Career Summary He worked with government agencies in South Africa to initiate a variety of mentoring services based on successful international models. The first such service, My Mentor, was launched in Cape Town in October 2005 for 10 companies in an IT incubator. A second phase of this service was launched in August 2006 for 20 IT companies in Cape Town. It used a novel form of mentoring, Growth Mentoring, developed by Pearce Delport & Associates. He currently advises SMEs in a variety of roles, including consulting, mentoring and coaching. John started his career in IT working with UK manufacturing companies installing computers for the first time. Then gained valuable international experience with IBM before co-founding his first IT services company. Has spent the majority of his working life involved with small and medium sized companies. After becoming a successful entrepreneur (forming, developing and selling six international IT companies), he worked in venture capital in the UK and in the US. For many years has been a ‘company doctor’ to SMEs experiencing significant change. As a result he has a deep understanding of their needs and concerns as they develop from early-stage to more mature organisations. As a break from the IT SME scene, he ran a medium-sized firm of accountants (33 partners and 240 staff) in London for 2 years helping it to develop corporate attributes and practices. He also worked for 3 years for the National Enterprise Board, an arm of the UK government using venture capital to stimulate the IT services sector and in particular the export of software products. Skills
Work History Pearce Associates: 2001 – Present (South Africa) Provides consulting services to organisations planning or undergoing significant change. Services are based on in-depth and first-hand experience of developing, running and funding SMEs. Pearce Associates has also developed and run mentoring services for early-stage IT companies. Datafit Group Ltd: 1994 - 1996 (UK) Chairman and Managing Director of Datafit where he raised venture capital to refinance and refocus this retail and banking point of service software product company. London American Growth Trust : 1992 – 1996 (USA & UK) A director of the London American Growth Trust (LAGT), a publicly quoted UK investment trust, with over $100m invested in US venture capital via Hambrecht & Quist. As the US-based consultant to LAGT, worked alongside Hambrecht & Quist in San Francisco evaluating potential investments and reviewing LAGT portfolio companies (over 60 investments in IT and Biotech). Pearce Associates: 1991 - 1993 and 1996 – 2001 (USA) Provided management consulting services to SMEs and in addition worked with professional partnerships on dispute resolution. Chairman of Datafit Group Ltd. Casson Beckman: 1989 - 1991 (UK) Chief Executive of Casson Beckman, a medium-size firm of accountants in London (33 partners and 210 staff). Responsible for making major changes in the firm’s management structure and systems, and for changing the culture to meet a highly competitive market environment. Pearce Associates: 1985 - 1989 (UK) Provided management consulting services to SMEs and in addition held chairmanships and directorships in six software companies. Director of the Aregon Group Ltd until company sold to Kapiti in 1989. Aregon Group Ltd: 1979 - 1985 (UK) Founded the Aregon Group, a subsidiary of the National Enterprise Board and as Group Managing Director built a successful company with 90 staff, specializing in on-line systems for foreign exchange markets. National Enterprise Board: 1976 - 1979 (UK) Joined the National Enterprise Board as Deputy Director of the Computer and Electronics division. Raised $40m and launched Insac Ltd and Insac Inc, as part of an international marketing initiative for UK software companies. Acquired significant holdings in five leading UK software companies and in two US computer service companies. Insac’s activities were halted in 1979 when the UK government changed. Hoskyns Group Ltd: 1964 - 1976 (UK and USA) Co-founded the Hoskyns Group with Sir John Hoskyns and was Group Managing Director, responsible for all aspects of the Group, including: consulting, systems development, software products, education, and service bureau divisions. Responsible for the launch of 4 group companies including the Group’s activities in New York which led to Hoskyns (450 staff) being sold to Martin Marietta in 1975. It eventually became the UK end of Capgemini, and now employs over 8000 people. IBM: 1960 - 1964 (UK and USA) Joined IBM’s Advanced Market Development division in the UK as a systems engineer. In 1961 transferred to IBM World Trade headquarters in New York to coordinate design work for on-line systems (airline reservations) being sold internationally. Joseph Lucas, Smiths Industries and Computer Developments Ltd: 1956 - 1960 (UK) Worked at Joseph Lucas and Smiths as a systems analyst, and at Computer Developments designing a novel business systems description language. Education High School: University College School (1953) University: University College, London (1956) BSc. (Hons) Electronic Engineering |
John Pearce |
 |
 |
 |
 |
