Howard Sharp in

Howard Sharp

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Owner at Gainsborough Capital Limited
📍 London, England, United Kingdom

Howard Sharp is a highly experienced private capital advisor with a 35-year career in leveraged finance and private credit. He has held senior leadership roles, including Chairman and Co-Head of Private Credit at Alcentra and Partner at Park Square Capital, creating and managing direct lending strategies. He is a graduate of the University of Exeter and is fluent in English and French.

Beyond his professional focus, Howard shows an interest in philanthropy and supporting charitable causes. He also maintains a connection with his alma mater, the University of Exeter, where he is listed as a supporter.

He was recognized as Specialist Lender of the Year for two consecutive years (2014 and 2015) for pioneering the use of unitranche financing in European buyouts.

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Experience
37 Years
Current Role
Owner
Location
London, England, United Kingdom
Personality Overview

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Communication Style
Decision Approach
Work Preference

Behavioral traits and communication patterns that shape how this person evaluates opportunities, builds trust, and makes decisions in professional settings.

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Priorities

Topics Howard cares about

Private Credit
He has extensive experience leading private credit activities in Europe and often speaks on its market dynamics, including partnerships between banks and private credit managers.
Direct Lending
He has a track record of successfully creating and managing direct lending strategies and funds for prominent firms like Alcentra and Park Square Capital.
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Career

Work history

10-2025
Owner
Gainsborough Capital Limited
11-2022 - 10-2025
Chairman and Co-Head of Private Credit
Alcentra
7-2020 - 11-2022
Head of Origination
Alcentra
1-2016 - 5-2020
Partner and Head of Mid-Market Direct Lending
Park Square Capital
5-2013 - 9-2015
Head of Origination and Sponsor Coverage
GE Capital
In the press

Media appearances

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Education
1983 - 1987
BA Hons
University of Exeter
1976 - 1982
High School
Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe
Social presence
in
Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

DISC behavioral profile

Dominance, influence, steadiness, and calculativeness scores with guidance on how this person prefers to communicate and decide.

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