Paul Reading

Go-getter
DISC Type : d

Senior Managing Director, Head of European Solutions at Accordion

Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Overview

Paul is the Senior Managing Director and Head of European Solutions at Accordion, with over two decades of experience as a private equity operating partner, CFO, and advisor. He specializes in finance transformation, value creation, and delivering successful exits for PE-backed companies. He holds an MSc from The London School of Economics.

Outside of his professional life, Paul is the proud owner of a much-loved Labrador named Pippi. This interest in dogs is a notable part of his personal life, showing a side beyond his finance and private equity career.

Unique fact: Paul was once a contestant on the television show "University Gladiators. "

Personality Overview

Fast-Paced

Direct & Candid

Challenger

They focus on objectivity in a pitch and pay little attention to bells and whistles.  They care equally about the product and its potential impact. They don’t always try to control the conversation but neither do they like yielding it fully.

Topics They Care About

PE Value Creation
His entire career, from EY to Mayfair and now Accordion, has centered on identifying and executing value creation plans for portfolio companies. He is a frequent speaker on the topic.
Finance Transformation
He has led portfolio-wide finance transformation initiatives and served as an interim Group CFO, focusing on maturing the finance function to support growth and exit readiness.
M&A Integration
At Mayfair Equity Partners, he had a particular focus on post-merger integration and carve-outs to unlock performance improvement opportunities in portfolio companies.

Media Appearances

Accordion appoints senior leaders to drive European expansion. Featured in CFOTech (UK)

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Accordion strengthens European leadership with senior appointments. Featured in Accordion – Our Insights

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Accordion expands leadership team. Featured in Accordion – Our Insights

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Work History

9-2025
Senior Managing Director, Head of European Solutions at Accordion
5-2023 - 8-2025
Partner, Chief Strategy Officer at Mayfair Equity Partners LLP
4-2019 - 8-2025
Partner at Mayfair Equity Partners LLP
6-2021 - 9-2023
Non Executive Board Member at The Snowfox Group
7-2022 - 11-2022
Interim Group Chief Financial Officer at The Snowfox Group

Education

2004 - 2005
MSc from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
2003 - 2004
Diploma from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

More Information

Social Presence :

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Exp : 7 Location : Greater London, England, United Kingdom Job Level : Senior Designation : Senior Managing Director, Head of European Solutions at Accordion
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Insights For Selling To Paul

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Make sure that they have the necessary authority, they could present false stature sometimes
  • Stress on the business value that your product offers
  • Be crisp while making the pitch

DONT's

  • Refrain from asking too many questions
  • Avoid long winding pitches, stay objective
  • Don't try too hard to get friendly, let it happen with time

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Paul is

  • Conviction in the product matters to them, followed by proof points and strong testimonials.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Paul

  • They may not be very forthcoming, but they will say no if needed.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Paul move?

  • They are neither the fastest decision makers nor the slowest.
  • Can Paul take some risk or not?

  • They can take risks but after weighing up the pros and cons.

You And Paul

Personality Compatibility


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