The PE industry prides itself on rigour. Investment theses are stress-tested, models challenged, DD, portfolio management and value creation managed with discipline. Yet many firms still develop their own people through a light-touch annual review, loosely set objectives and a year-end conversation that is really about the bonus. For a business built on talent, that…

September 25, 2026 Read more >

The 2026 MM&K PE/VC Compensation Report for the UK and Europe is now nearing publication. The report will only be available to participating firms, making this the final opportunity to participate and access the findings. Why participate in the 2026 survey now? The PE and VC market continues to evolve, making access to current compensation…

August 25, 2026 Read more >

In our experience, the biggest barriers to scale are usually internal. External conditions can constrain growth, but over time businesses more often lose momentum because the organisation has not evolved quickly enough to support the next stage of development. Priorities become less clear, decision-making slows and complexity increases faster than capability. These barriers typically emerge…

August 14, 2026 Read more >

Recent commentary has pointed to a broadening of long-term incentive (LTI) practice in Denmark, including greater interest in restricted shares and relative Total Shareholder Return (TSR). We think this overstates the reality somewhat. There is no fundamental shift at play. And that is a good thing. Most C25 companies continue to use a single, performance-based…

August 13, 2026 Read more >

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is proposing wide-ranging changes to the AIM rules designed to lighten the burden of regulation for AIM companies AIM Notice 62. This is a clear attempt by the LSE to reduce the burden of compliance for AIM companies and to make AIM a more attractive market for IPO and capital…

July 27, 2026 Read more >

UK biotechs are staying private for longer as investors demand clinically de-risked assets, differentiated science, capital discipline and credible funding pathways. Equity remains essential for attracting scarce talent, but it creates most value when supported by strong leadership, culture, organisation design and people practices. Why equity plans need to evolve Biotech value is often created…

July 24, 2026 Read more >

MM&K’s annual PE/VC Compensation Survey continues to provide one of the industry’s most established benchmarks for compensation, incentives and workforce trends across private capital. The market is shifting rapidly. Compensation structures, talent strategies and organisational models are changing in ways firms can no longer ignore. The 2026 survey will capture those changes and provide firms…

July 6, 2026 Read more >

“Boards as custodians of culture” is now a familiar governance line. The problem is that it is widely repeated and poorly operationalised. The QCA Corporate Governance Code 2023, FCA expectations on conduct and non-financial misconduct, PRA focus on accountability, and broader investor scrutiny are all moving in the same direction: boards are no longer judged…

July 2, 2026 Read more >

Smokescreen FTSE 100 remuneration committees are striving to find acceptable remuneration structures to compete with their US counterparts. Articles abound of increased FTSE 100 CEO pay and new, hybrid executive incentives. But for the vast majority of UK listed companies, this is a smokescreen. That said, all companies must be competitive and this applies also…

April 29, 2026 Read more >

The 2026 MMK Pulse Survey has now concluded. Thank you to all participating firms. Participants will receive a complimentary Pulse Report. The report will provide a concise view of emerging compensation trends. Early findings suggest remuneration momentum remains strong. Salaries continue to rise across private capital markets. Bonus outcomes also appear resilient. Firms continue to…

April 28, 2026 Read more >

We see  different problems festering in portfolio companies (PortCos) such as a lack of a leadership pipeline, high executive turnover, reluctance or failure to address cultural issues until they become chronic. Reactive approaches are then employed: Leadership is assessed after the deal closes. The CEO is replaced in year one with little pre-planning. Culture is…

April 27, 2026 Read more >

MM&K supported the ESOP Centre’s 9th Share Plan Symposium, contributing to a panel on the evolving executive remuneration landscape, where Tamsin Howells and Stuart James explored a deceptively simple question: what comes first – culture or reward? There is a familiar pattern in organisations undergoing transformation. Significant investment is made in engagement, communication, and capability-building to shift behaviour.…

April 22, 2026 Read more >