The $13M Deal That Unlocked Scale with Christopher Burke

In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Ben Suttles sit down with Christopher Burke — Australian entrepreneur, founder of Brickendon Consulting and HybridHero, and Managing Partner of Aduvo — to talk about what 25 years of building companies from the inside actually teaches you. Christopher shares how he scaled Brickendon to 300+ professionals across four countries before executing a management buyout, how he launched HybridHero before COVID validated the workplace management software thesis, and why he now works alongside founders at Aduvo to help them avoid the structural traps that stop growth in its tracks. This conversation covers the people problems that stall every growing company, the mechanics of a UK Employee Ownership Trust, the $13M deal that tripled Brickendon’s revenue overnight, and why founders who are central to every decision don’t actually have a sellable business. 

In this episode, we discuss: 

• Why the systems, processes, and people architecture — not the market — are what stop businesses from scaling 

• The two revenue thresholds (~$10M and ~$30M) where founders most often become the bottleneck 

• How to hire only A players and build a culture that self-selects for top talent 

• The org chart exercise every founder should do: put your name in every box, then figure out which ones to hand off 

• Why being irreplaceable in your business makes it unsellable — and what to do about it 

• How Brickendon’s management buyout worked, including the data room, warranties, and share purchase agreement 

• The UK Employee Ownership Trust (EOT): selling your company tax-free to your staff and why it beat private equity 

• What Aduvo does for founders looking to scale, acquire, or exit — and why outside perspective changes what you can see 

Guest Contact Information 

Christopher Burke 

Managing Partner, Aduvo 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-burke-uk/ 

Website: https://theaduvo.com/ 

Additional Resources 

Thinking about buying a business? Connect with the Equity Launchpad team to learn more about acquisition entrepreneurship and upcoming opportunities. 

Contact Feras Moussa and Ben Suttles: [email protected] 

Explore more: https://www.equity-launchpad.com 

 

About The M&A Launchpad: The M&A Launchpad provides insights into acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions. The M&A Launchpad presents a series of weekly podcast episodes and hosts an annual M&A Launchpad Conference tailored to the M&A community. Connect with M&A Launchpad: 🎧 Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mW6i4ooujqC7eOPWmguU7 🎧 Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m-a-launchpad/id1740382586 🎟️ Attend Upcoming M&A Launchpad Conference: http://malaunchpad.com/