A business builder with a long-term philosophy.

Engineering lasting impact for people and planet.

A permanent home for outstanding SME businesses.

About us

Founded in 2024, Group Soteria is a UK headquartered engineering group with a long-term philosophy. We are dedicated to creating meaningful impact through our businesses and collective ecosystem and provide a permanent home for outstanding, mission-critical engineering businesses around the world.

Group Soteria operates a decentralised model offering acquired companies autonomy and entrepreneurial independence, and SME business owners a partner that preserves and builds on their brands and legacies while having the support of the Group and its family of businesses.

The business benefits from the capital allocation and international operating management experience of its senior team (FTSE 100/Fortune 500/private-markets backgrounds).

Most importantly, our founder and senior team are driven to build a business that is focused on responsible stewardship, strong integrity and an open-minded high-performance culture that places people first and attracts the best businesses and talent. It’s not just what we do, but how we do it that deeply matters to us.

Contact us to learn more

Leadership team and advisory board

  • Hersh Shah

    Founder & CEO

    20+ years’ experience in building and managing acquisitive businesses, strategic development, M&A and capital allocation and value creation strategies in industrial, technology & healthcare markets.

    Previously, senior leader at Portman Dental Group, Halma plc, and Gleacher Shacklock. Current trustee and Non-Executive Director at ESBF (a Gatsby charity giving £1m+ p.a. awards to UK engineers and scientists).

    ICAEW corporate financier (CF), and holds an MBA from IMD (Switzerland) and MEng from the University of Oxford; a Sainsbury Management Fellow.

  • Mike Dakin

    Chief Operating Officer

    25+ years’ experience in general management (global P&L responsibility), operations and sales across US, UK, EU industrial multinationals.

    Previously, senior leader at Storskogen Group AB (Head of UK Industry), SPX Technologies Inc (MD, Radiodetection), Halma plc (Divisional VP) and Illinois Tool Works Inc.

    MIT Sloan School of Management - Executive Program in Business Management and B.Eng from Swansea University.

  • Gavin van der Pant

    Chief Financial Officer

    25+ years’ experience in finance leadership, financial and operational management and control, business acquisitions and subsequent integration, and banking and treasury.

    Previously, senior leader at Halma plc (as CFO of two of its three global divisions and Group Financial Controller), Abacus Group plc, Orbis plc, BOC Group plc and Ernst & Young.

    Qualified chartered accountant (ACA) and B.Eng from Bristol University.

  • TBA

    Chief BD & M&A Officer

    15+ years’ experience in M&A and industrials / engineering acquisitions and private markets investments.

    Previously, Investment Director with a reputed private equity firm with global reach.

    Undergraduate degree from leading UK university.

  • Dr. Chris Martin

    Senior Adviser

    Considerable experience successfully scaling multiple engineering and science led businesses.

    Currently Chairman at Tokamak Energy (nuclear fusion), Tagworks, Myricx and Newron and a Board Member at Osivax. Previously, Chris co-founded ADC Therapeutics (NYSE IPO) and was co-founder and CEO of Spirogen Ltd (sold to AstraZeneca).

    DPhil from Oxford and an MBA from IMD; Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a Sainsbury Management Fellow.

Join Group Soteria

Why join Group Soteria?

Group Soteria seeks to acquire majority control of world-class engineering businesses as a strong strategic partner and a long-term home, while enabling successful ownership transition. We believe the Group offers a compelling proposition for businesses where our strategy, philosophy and culture will resonate:

  • Tremendous passion for and deep sector specialism in engineering and industrial-technology SMEs

  • Permanent owner with long-term horizons and a mindset of responsible ‘through-cycle’ stewardship for each Group Soteria business

  • Retention of your brand identity and business legacy

  • A growth philosophy and culture that nurtures all employees

  • Flexibility on variety of deal structures to meet seller/founder/family needs and also allowing for continuity of management

  • Strong incentives alongside management autonomy

  • Collaborative Group culture and sharing across businesses

  • Access to capital to support growth and investment

  • Access to Group support and experienced functional leaders who have managed global portfolios of engineering businesses ranging from £5-£100m+ revenues each and £500-£750m revenues in aggregate across the UK, Europe and North America

What we look for in a Group Soteria acquisition:

  • Product, light engineering and industrial technology businesses involved in mission critical applications. We particularly like businesses with:

    • Niche market leading products and/or brands and/or history of innovation and IP development

    • Critical safety or environment use cases and/or businesses that are underpinned by standards and regulations, and/or with high certification requirements

  • HQ/based in any of our key markets of UK, US or across Western Europe

  • Businesses with EBITDA of GBP/USD/EUR 1 million to 10 million

  • Businesses that are profitable with strong margins and long-term secular growth tailwinds that fit our long-term permanent ownership model

  • Most importantly, businesses and business owners who resonate with our culture, philosophy and people

Contact us to learn more