Episode overview:

In this data-rich and candid conversation, Philip Nothard, one of the UK’s most respected automotive analysts, joins Mike Allen to unpack the major shifts shaping the sector in 2025. Fresh from Autopalooza and the FT Future of the Car Summit, Philip shares insights from the latest Cox Automotive Insight Quarterly report and explains what they mean for founders, operators, and investors.

Topics covered include:

• Philip’s journey from shopfloor to boardroom insight
• Why new car registrations are rebounding—and how long it might last
• The EV paradox: record growth but still behind policy targets
• Why used EVs aged 3–5 years are outperforming newer ones
• How China’s manufacturing dominance is reshaping the UK market
• Takeaways from the FT Future of the Car Summit 2025

Key link:

🔗 Insight Quarterly (May 2025) – Read it here

🔥 Episode Overview:

In this high-impact episode, Mike sits down with Ashley Tott—entrepreneur, investor, and one of Sweden’s most sought-after scale-up advisors. With a background in corporate finance, private equity, and board leadership, Ashley brings sharp insight into how founder-led businesses can break through the €10m turnover ceiling and achieve repeatable, structured growth.

From recruiting his first Chair at just 27 to helping dozens of businesses install world-class board frameworks, Ashley shares why governance done right isn’t boring—it’s a growth weapon.

🧠 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why so many founder-led businesses stall at the 100M SEK (~£7.5m) revenue mark
• The three core elements of a high-performance board
• What Ashley learned from private equity (3i) and global brands (Specsavers, Andersen)
• How to balance founder freedom with structure—and avoid burnout
• Why founders should treat the board as an accelerator, not a blocker
• How to spot (and fix) the biggest governance blind spots in your business
• Practical advice for CEOs: how to choose the right Chair, and when to bring one in

🔑 Key Takeaways:

“You can’t fix everything. Focus on what matters—and work relentlessly on it.” – Ashley Tott

• Scaling isn’t just about sales—it’s about structure.
• Founders don’t need to be ‘controlled’ by boards—they need to be supported by them.
• A great Chair is your growth co-pilot, not a corporate cop.

👤 About Ashley Tott:

Ashley is Co-Founder at Scalex Growth Partners, where he helps Swedish small businesses scale past 100M SEK through structured board development and founder enablement. A qualified chartered accountant and former private equity investor, Ashley brings 20+ years of cross-sector experience to his advisory and Chair roles. He’s known for his fun, entrepreneurial energy—and for making governance both accessible and impactful.

🔗 Learn more: www.scalexgp.se

🔗 Connect & Subscribe:

Follow Ignite & Scale for more conversations with founders, operators, and growth leaders who’ve built and backed great companies.
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms
🌐 Learn more at: www.cambriaprivatecapital.com

© Copyright Cambria Private Capital. All Rights Reserved.

In this powerful kickoff to Series 3 of Ignite & Scale, Mike Allen sits down with Angela Montacute, the CEO of Digital INNK, to explore what it takes to scale a SaaS business in one of the most challenging sectors: automotive.

Angela shares the origin story behind Digital INNK, the moments that proved real product-market fit, and the hard-won lessons of building a lean, effective team while serving some of the industry’s biggest names.

If you’re a founder, operator, or investor in the auto-tech ecosystem, this is one not to miss.

🎧 In this episode, we cover:

• Why solving real operational pain matters more than tech hype
• How Digital INNK approached product-market fit in a resistant sector
• The smart decisions that shaped scale without burn
• What other SaaS founders can learn from Angela’s journey
• What’s next for automotive software in the UK and beyond

👤 About Angela:

Angela Montacute is one of the founders and CEO of Digital INNK, a fast-scaling SaaS platform transforming the way automotive operators manage cost, compliance, and communication. Her background in automotive and technology gives her a unique edge in solving real problems with pragmatic, elegant solutions.

📌 Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Digital INNK
• Connect with Angela on LinkedIn
• Visit www.cambriaprivatecapital.com

© Copyright Cambria Private Capital. All Rights Reserved.