James Lloyd, Deputy CEO at gbpartnerships
Career progression rarely follows a straight line, but James’s journey with gbpartnerships Group is a great example of what can happen when talent, opportunity and determination align.
Lord introduced James to gbpartnerships as a fresh accountancy graduate in 2013, taking his first professional steps as an Accounts Assistant and what followed was a period of rapid development. Alongside his day-to-day role, James progressed through his CIMA qualifications, becoming fully qualified in 2015 and steadily expanding both his responsibilities and his impact across the organisation. His progression through the business reflected not only technical capability, but a growing commercial awareness and leadership presence.
In 2019, James was appointed Finance Director, playing a pivotal role in supporting the company’s strategic direction and continued growth. In 2023, a new chapter began when James stepped into the role of Deputy CEO, a move that recognised his deep understanding of the business, his people-first leadership style, and his ability to navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.
In this interview, James reflects on his fourteen-year journey with gbpartnerships, sharing the challenges, milestones and defining moments that shaped his progression from graduate hire to senior leadership, and offering insight into what it takes to grow a career from the ground up.
What sparked the move from Finance Director to CEO for you? Was it something you’d always had in mind, or did the opportunity just feel right at the time?
At gbpartnerships, my progression has been very organic. The Group has a strong culture of internal promotion, so the transition to Deputy CEO felt like a natural evolution at the right moment.
While I valued my time as Finance Director, I realised I didn’t want to remain in a purely financial silo indefinitely. I derive immense professional satisfaction from driving growth across the entire breadth of the business. As FD, there is a significant strategic element, but it is fundamentally different from my current role. Now, as part of the Senior Executive Team, I have the remit to oversee every facet of the Group’s operations, which allows me to engage with the “moving parts” of our business beyond the balance sheet.
Stepping into the Deputy CEO role is a big change — what was the biggest shift for you in terms of mindset or approach?
The biggest adjustment was learning to relinquish the granular detail. You quickly realise you cannot be the subject matter expert in everything. My focus had to shift; I now aim to know just enough to provide high-level support or make rapid, informed decisions while juggling multiple workstreams.
Our Group consists of three horizontally integrated businesses, each with its own unique model and Managing Director. My role is to be agile—deploying myself wherever the need is greatest at any given time. Transitioning from FD meant moving from specialised financial oversight to a much broader spectrum of operational and strategic challenges.
Which parts of your finance background have helped you most as a CEO? And were there any skills you suddenly realised you needed to build up?
I believe I was a very capable accountant and a strong FD, but I feel I am even better suited for this leadership role. It aligns more closely with my natural tendencies. My cognitive style allows me to track ten different directions simultaneously, which is a distinct advantage in a multidisciplinary executive role.
Since transitioning, we’ve appointed FDs for each individual business, which has provided the Group with sharper focus. Interestingly, I always prioritised relationship-building during my tenure as FD. Because I made client engagement a cornerstone of my previous role, the transition into the Deputy CEO position—where partnership is everything—felt seamless.
As an FD, the focus is often on detail and managing risk. How did you adjust to leading the whole business and making bigger, growth-driven decisions?
It comes down to how you define the FD role. While it certainly involves managing risk and detail, the “second half” of a modern FD’s responsibility is strategy and relationship management. It is that second half that bridges the gap to the C-suite. As accountants, we are often most comfortable with data, but stepping out of that comfort zone to focus on external engagement and influence is what truly enables the transition to CEO.
How did the dynamic with your senior team and the board change once you became Deputy CEO? Was that an easy transition?
I am fortunate to work alongside an exceptionally talented Executive Team. Because of the mutual respect we’ve built over the years, the dynamic didn’t shift dramatically. The transition was met with great support, and we’ve maintained a forward-looking momentum ever since.
What’s surprised you most about being Deputy CEO — anything you didn’t expect before you took the role on?
There was definitely a realisation that if the business is to continue to grow and succeed, I needed to be a driving force behind it. Opportunities for growth do not just land in your lap, you have to go and find them and there is a big difference between the theory of that challenge and actually making it happen. Lots of that challenge is mental. As FD so many of my meetings I attended were about things that we were already doing. Now the challenge is seeking new opportunities and that takes an awful lot of speculative conversations and keeping in touch with what is going on in our market.
How do you find the balance between staying financially disciplined and pushing for growth, innovation, and sometimes, a bit of risk-taking?
We are an SME, and like in most business’ our cashflow position is extremely important therefore monitoring this is still a key part of my role and always will be. However, ultimately I think you can be risk taking without jeopardising your cash position and that is something I try and balance. We absolutely want to grow and push ourselves but you can be financially disciplined and still take risks.
Every step up comes with challenges — what’s been the toughest part of the learning curve for you, and how did you handle it?
The mental adjustment is always the steepest curve. I think many accountants find the initial jump into people management difficult because it’s a soft skill that isn’t always part of technical training.
In hindsight, I actually found the step up to FD more taxing than the move to Deputy CEO. I was younger then and placed immense pressure on myself. It was the moment my career shifted from a “9-to-5” job to a “24/7” mental commitment. Having already navigated that psychological transition once, I felt much better equipped for this current role. It took about a year as FD to truly gain the self-belief I needed; that experience provided the foundation I rely on today.
For other Finance Directors who’d like to take that next step, what advice would you give?
Be honest with yourself about your natural strengths. I realised early on that I gravitated toward the people and relationship side of the business. If your passion lies in core technical finance, a CFO track might be more fulfilling. But if you enjoy the broader responsibility of finding new business and managing complex partnerships, the CEO route is a rewarding path. Don’t fight your natural tendencies—lean into them.
And finally, looking ahead — what are you most excited about right now, both for yourself and the business?
I am incredibly proud of how far we’ve come. The business I joined in 2013 is unrecognisable compared to the Group today. As we approach our 25th anniversary next year, I’m excited to celebrate our legacy and the people who built it.
However, my real focus is the next 25 years. I want to look back decades from now and see a business that has evolved just as radically again. We have an incredible team, and as we head into a pivotal year of transition and growth, I am energised by the challenge of seeing just how far we can take this journey together.