John Gaughan

Background

About John Gaughan

Partner @ gutxi - South West. Design led, design-and-build practice. We focus on experience-rich venue design and rebrands, interior and architectural design, project management, and fit-out. Focus on mid to premium+ guest experiences. Working on behalf of holiday park, restaurant, pub, bar, and hotel operators in the South-West. I’m fortunate enough to have a very talented team of hospitality and leisure designers, and fit out project management specialists around me - folks who have been in this field for 25+ years. My own background is business development - ideation and startup through to plan execution and then steering a business towards growth. When I look at a scheme, I’m thinking about the customer journey and how design can optimise the commercial opportunity. Having a regional focus allows us to draw on local knowledge and resources, and support regenerative local economic growth. As a result, our customers strengthen their ties with local communities and direct more investment towards the people who frequent their establishments. My business-development experience spans 24+ years and includes starting and growing two successful professional service practices - including: • Thrown in at the deep end in 1995, tasked with building an enterprise software consultancy from the ground up. Monumental time in tech and was lucky enough to experience the internet start-up boom, the beginning of ERP, Y2K, and the dotcom crash first-hand. Built decent customer base and achieved solid profitable growth over a 5 year stretch. • Went out on my own in and started an enterprise software-services business. Started with a very small investment, the company grew fairly quickly from 2 to 60+ staff and a £4.5M t/o in a little over five years. Acquired by a PLC tech-services provider. Similar financial results to my first venture but culturally very different. Investors were repaid within 12 months and received a multiple of 200x the investment. Great investment in hindsight, although risky enough at the time. • Since then I have pursued a few other start-up ventures in different fields, with varying degrees of success - many lessons along the way…