Eben Barnett

Architected and scaled a premier vertically integrated construction group for the ultra-prime residential market.

Held ultimate P&L accountability for all operations, delivering 15 consecutive profitable years with seven-figure annual revenue and robust six-figure margins.

Corporate Strategy & Value Creation:

• Originated and capitalized the venture, orchestrating its strategic expansion into London's prime markets (Mayfair, Chelsea, Highgate, Hampstead), international destinations (Côte d'Azur, Balearics), and the Northern Powerhouse.
• Directed end-to-end delivery of 35+ complex projects (£1M–£5M budgets), blending creative vision with precision commercial execution to consistently generate 10-15% above-market resale value.
• Stewarded the entire deal portfolio as principal negotiator, sourcing and closing high-value, confidential transactions.

Operational & Financial Governance:

• Commanded full commercial oversight of cost planning, procurement, and financial control, driving on-budget and on-time delivery across all projects.
• Architected all contractual and compliance frameworks, embedding rigorous protocols for legal, regulatory, and H&S standards, resulting in a flawless record of zero formal disputes.
• Developed an automated app using facial recognition and site geofencing, eliminating timesheet disputes, automating overtime, and streamlining payroll coordination, providing stakeholders with real time operational accuracy and visibility.

Innovation & Market Leadership:

• Directed top-tier design talent through a rigorous strategic framework and critical discernment, validating creative decisions against investment goals to meet the unique needs and aesthetics of the market and client.
• Spearheaded the development of proprietary AI and workflow automation systems, reducing administrative burden by 30% and cutting client status queries by 65% through real-time financial and project reporting.
• Engineered an acquisition-ready enterprise with fully systematised operations, a vetted partner network, and a contracted future pipeline, maximising equity value.

Resilience & Legacy Building:

• Proven ability to maintain operational continuity and protect profitability while navigating simultaneous geopolitical, operational and market disruptions.
• Cultivated a self-reinforcing talent ecosystem, transforming subcontractors into long-term strategic partners and fostering a culture of excellence, execution, and innovation within the core team.

Trusted strategic advisor to UHNW institutional investors and bespoke lenders, guiding capital allocation and underwriting prime residential assets. Expertise in forensic investment appraisal, whole-lifecycle cost analysis, and de-risking high-value transactions.

Investment Strategy & Risk Mitigation:

• Directed capital allocation for £120M+ in assets through forensic investment appraisals, including lifecycle costing, CapEx forecasting, and feasibility studies. Identified value-creation opportunities and high-risk exposures, achieving a zero-incident record in legal/financial exposures.

Portfolio Performance & Growth:

• Drove 14% ROI on advised capital, exceeding market benchmarks. Retained 100% of advisory clients year-over-year, growing aggregate portfolio values by 28%.

Operational & Process Engineering:

• Designed and implemented a custom workflow automation platform for asset performance intelligence, integrating market analysis and client profiling. Centralising data into a single source, enabling stakeholders across different locations to access shared data and collaborate in real-time. Reduced document processing by 45% and accelerated client decision cycles through dynamic data organisation and secure e-signing.

Contractual & Regulatory Governance:

• Authored and enforced 100% compliant contractual frameworks (procurement, insurance, jurisdictional), eliminating legal and financial risk. Streamlined cross-border regulatory adherence, reducing approval timelines by 40% while guaranteeing institutional underwriting compliance.

Strategic Procurement & Negotiation:

• Provided expert counsel on contractor selection and negotiation, establishing robust governance protocols to de-risk project execution, protect asset value, and enabling 14-16% reductions in procurement costs.

Financial Structuring & Optimisation:

• Architected a VAT optimisation framework across asset classes, securing pre-approvals and creating audit-proof compliance trails. Achieved a 100% successful HMRC inspection rate.

• Retained on an advisory basis to deliver specialised expertise and high-level strategic guidance for a complex multinational real estate and yachting portfolio. Provided actionable insights and oversight to the principal and family office governance, finance, and legal teams.
• Advised on end-to-end acquisition and divestment strategies for ultra-prime UK and European assets, leveraging an exclusive off-market network and advising on negotiation frameworks and bespoke payment structures.
• Provided expert guidance on due diligence processes, offering oversight and risk assessment for legal, structural, and financial evaluations to support informed decision-making by internal teams.
• Recommended and reinforced governance protocols for privacy, security, and discretion across operations, contractor engagements, and stakeholder communications.
• Consulted on technology integration, advising on the selection and implementation of fintech solutions to enhance secure, efficient portfolio management and stakeholder reporting.
• Delivered specialised project and lifestyle advisory services, providing expert counsel on bespoke renovations, yacht maintenance, concierge integration, and security assessments.

Visionary founder who architected and scaled a hybrid revenue model, merging bespoke technical solutions for high-end commercial/residential clients with one of the UK's first made-to-measure window dressing e-commerce platforms.

The company delivered high-quality, and custom-made window treatment solutions, including motorised and smart home integration systems, supported by expert technical & design advice, installation, and comprehensive support services for commercial and high-end residential projects.

Strategy & Value Creation:

• Identified and captured a niche luxury market, aligning with prime London developments (Holland Park, Knightsbridge, Mayfair) and prestigious estates (Cadogan, The Crown).
• Cultivated exclusive partnerships with elite design firms (Groupwork + Amin Taha, Tyler Mandic, Lawson Robb, Finchatton) and luxury brands (Feadship, Claridge's Hotel).
• Delivered seven consecutive profitable years with high six-figure annual revenue and robust six-figure margins.

Digital Disruption & Exit:

• With first mover advantage engineered a self-sustaining organic traffic system that drove unprecedented unpaid traffic, leveraging a geo-targeted domain network and algorithm-aware keyword clustering.
• Pioneered a market shift, and hyper efficient growth engine culminating in the acquisition of the proprietary backend framework engine by a major rival (Velux).

Commercial Growth:

• Launched and scaled a 700+ SKU e-commerce platform from concept to market, leading cross-functional teams in design, UX, and fulfilment. Leveraged data-driven optimisation to increase customer lifetime value (LTV) by 35% and secure 95% retention of enterprise-level accounts, contributing to £600,000 in annual recurring revenue.

Operational Leadership:

• Directed end-to-end P&L and operations for a five-person technical team, delivering complex projects for elite clients across the UK and internationally focussed on operational excellence, architecting processes, granular execution and agile decision making.

A transformative senior leadership role driving strategic growth, cross-platform brand integration, and operational excellence across EMAP's market-dominant portfolio. Managed 18 major metropolitan commercial radio stations, alongside integrated TV, magazine, and digital channels.

Brand Portfolio: Radio | Kiss FM, Magic, Greatest Hits Radio. TV | The Hits, Kiss TV, The Box, Smash Hits. Magazines | Heat, FHM, Mix Mag, Kerrang.

Growth & Turnaround Leadership:

• Deployed a tiered, annual £16M investment model to optimize mature stations, elevate growth assets, and turn around underperformers.
• Streamlined disparate stations into a cohesive network by imposing a central two-brand identity (Magic AM & Greatest Hits Radio). This introduced cost-efficient networked programming while strategically retaining local content to protect audience loyalty.
• Consistently exceeded KPIs of 500,000+ weekly listeners and 25%+ audience share per station, outperforming BBC rivals.

Revenue Transformation & Commercial Innovation:

• Transitioned revenue streams from linear sponsorships and music-based promotions by pioneering flagship sports programming (UEFA Champions League & Premier League).Transformed £500,000 in media rights into £4.5M in annual revenue across four flagship stations via exclusive commercial partnerships.
• Architected a 360 sponsorship model for the Party in the Park concert series (250,000 attendees), securing a landmark £5M title sponsorship with Pepsi. Negotiated a capital orchestration model utilising the government's community infrastructure levy to fund the multi-event infrastructure.

Strategic Brand & Content Integration:

• Championed a revenue transformation by pioneering a fully integrated, cross-platform model for youth brands (Kiss FM, Heat, FHM, The Box, Smash Hits). Embedded brands into every consumer touchpoint with content designed for simultaneous deployment, creating a premium one-stop-shop for advertisers. Delivered £13M in new annual revenue and £3.7M in operating profit by establishing market dominance and unparalleled demographic reach.

Operational Excellence & Digital Transformation:

• Directed a £3.5M analog-to-digital broadcasting studio transition across 18 stations, accelerating production workflows and boosting operational resilience.The upgrades significantly improved employee morale, became a key tool for attracting top-tier talent, and reduced future capital expenditure by 19% through shared engineering functions.

People Leadership & Organizational Culture:

• Spearheaded an organizational transformation by merging siloed creative and commercial teams into a unified, platform-agnostic force. Implemented a formal quarterly leadership rotation program to cross-pollinate senior talent, breaking down barriers and future-proofing the business. This culture of collaboration and internal mobility reduced staff churn by 40% and enabled 65% of leadership roles to be filled from within.

EMAP PLC was a FTSE 100 media company that owned youth brands across television, magazines, radio, and digital platforms

• Completed a structured C-suite development path, rotating through core business units: Commercial, Programming, Editorial, Finance, and Operations.