Why a CEO turned his company employee-owned
After a run of double-digit growth, many founders look to bank the momentum and exit. Increasingly, however, others are turning to Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs). For these leaders, the priority is building a company that can sustain growth and stay true to its values. In today’s volatile market, independence matters, and so does a culture that helps teams adapt without compromising standards. An EOT provides both: it secures that independence while keeping long-term goals at the centre of decision-making.
Culture may sound like a soft topic, but in practice, it underpins operations. In accountancy software, trust is earned through consistent delivery: reliable product releases, accurate fixes, and responsive support. Those outcomes depend on everyday habits, such as how teams design features, how issues are escalated, and how colleagues collaborate when deadlines are tight. When culture is healthy, those habits reinforce one another and create lasting results.
The challenge
For any growing business, the challenge is to scale without eroding the culture that enabled success in the first place. Short-term choices, from investor expectations, market consolidation, or the hype surrounding AI, can easily pull leaders off course. Employee ownership offers a different path. By making employees shareholders in the future of the business, the focus shifts from hitting quarterly targets to building durable value.
What solves it
That perspective changes how technology is used. AI delivers real benefits when it reduces waste and risk, allowing finance teams to focus on higher-value judgment calls. In practice, this means using AI for faster reconciliations, detecting anomalies, and making workflows more efficient, rather than chasing features that add unnecessary complexity. When employees have a stake in the outcome, they are more disciplined in how technology is applied, asking sharper questions and prioritising improvements that matter most to customers.
The commercial gains are equally clear. A stakeholder lifts commitment and retention, while recruitment benefits from a culture where candidates can see that people own the results of their work. Productivity rises when small improvements become part of everyone’s responsibility. Margins strengthen as churn and rework fall, and customers value the stability that follows. In markets where credibility is earned over time, that consistency often deepens partnerships and creates a genuine competitive edge.
Employee ownership is not about removing structure; it is about creating more engaged structures. The most effective models are simple: an elected employee council to surface ideas and flag risks early, trustee oversight to protect the mission, clear accountability for delivery, and, where appropriate, open financial reporting so employees can see the impact of decisions. When people are informed and responsible, the quality of decision-making improves.
What CEOs should do next?
For leaders exploring an EOT route, the process starts with intent. Set out why employee ownership is right for your business and how it will strengthen both customer outcomes and company culture. Build a simple financial model that stands up to scrutiny, stress-test it against different trading scenarios, and involve employees from the outset. Co-design governance that is lean but effective, and speak to companies that have already transitioned to an EOT to learn from their experience. Finally, define long-term measures for culture, service, and profit and communicate them early.
EOTs are not an abstract idea; they are a practical route to sustainable growth. For leaders ready to take this step, the way forward is straightforward: set a decision date, publish your intent, engage employees, and move with confidence.
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