Cohort was founded on the principle that SME-size businesses can prosper by being part of a larger group, where they can benefit from financial oversight, management support and the exchange of information and practices. Cohort aims to achieve this while preserving the high growth potential of innovative independent businesses.
Our Strategic objectives
Three key strategic objectives form a strong base on which the Group seeks to improve profitability year on year whilst maintaining good shareholder relations:
Consistently grow profits and cash generation organically through our subsidiaries. Delivered through:
- A focus on developing long-term customer partnerships.
- Encouraging innovation and responsiveness.
- Identifying and pursuing growth opportunities in new and existing markets.
- Developing high-quality leadership teams and a high-performance culture.
Increase the profitability of the Group and access new markets through selective acquisitions. Delivered through:
- Proactive engagement with businesses that can add value to the Group.
- Maintaining a strong acquisition team.
- Demonstrating a structure and culture that are attractive to potential sellers.
- Creativity and flexibility in structuring transactions to bridge value gaps.
Ensure good corporate governance, sound management of subsidiaries and effective communications to shareholders. Delivered through:
- Management of subsidiaries through a framework of financial control, strategy review, performance management and leadership development.
- An effective operational strategy providing support and guidance when circumstances change.
- Providing clear and consistent investor communications through all channels.
Our Business model
Significant competitive advantages
Being part of the Cohort Group brings significant advantages to our businesses compared with operating independently.
Here we explain our business model:
Cohort’s management approach is to allow its subsidiary businesses a significant degree of operational autonomy in order to develop their potential fully, while providing light-touch but rigorous financial and strategic controls at Group level.
Our experience is that our customers prefer to work with businesses where decision making is streamlined and focused on solving their immediate problems.
The Group’s Directors have long experience of operating in the defence sector and have contacts and working relationships with senior customers in the UK and internationally which would be hard for independent smaller businesses to establish.
The Group’s strong balance sheet gives customers the confidence to award large or long-term contracts that we are technically well able to execute but which might otherwise be perceived as risky. Our operating businesses, while remaining operationally independent, have close working relationships and are able to benefit from each other’s technical capabilities, customer relationships and market knowledge.
A clear acquisition approach
We believe that there are good businesses in the UK and overseas that would thrive under Cohort ownership, whether as standalone members of the Group or as bolt-in acquisitions to our existing subsidiaries.
Relate to businesses that have reached a stage of development where there will be mutual benefit in joining Cohort as a subsidiary
Businesses with capabilities and/or customer relationships that are closely aligned with and can be integrated into one of our existing subsidiaries.
How we create value
We are committed to delivering value to our shareholders and ensuring that they benefit from our success. We are focused on delivering high standards of corporate governance and providing clear, consistent communication.
Our global customers depend on us to be their trusted partner of choice to deliver reliability and with agility. We use innovation to stay at the forefront of defence and security technology solutions for our customers. Our culture of openness and support makes us easy to do business with.
Our capabilities and customer relationships all ultimately derive from our people. Guided by Our Values, all employees across the Cohort Group, our people can fulfil their potential, develop their careers, make a difference, and feel rewarded for what they do.
Our suppliers and partners are critical to the success of our business. We work closely with them to ensure we maintain long-term and proactive relationships, and that they are paid promptly for the goods and services received.
We recognise the importance of engaging with the communities and supporting the environment in our local areas. We support our communities through education, work experience, fundraising and sponsorship initiatives, and engage with many military and veterans charities. Across the Group we employ armed forces reservists and are proud to be a signatory of the UK Armed Forces Corporate Covenant.