Doug Harmer

Partner

Doug leads corporate finance and strategic consulting projects across Oakwell’s business. Over the last 22 years, he has worked on corporate finance mandates, financial restructurings, and fundraisings across football, rugby, esports, and sports marketing as well as general industry sectors.

Doug qualified as a Chartered Accountant at KPMG and is an experienced corporate finance expert to the High Court of London.

When he’s not supporting his daughters’ latest sporting pursuits, Doug enjoys a round of golf or game of tennis at his local club.

Andrew Croker

Advisory Board Chairman

Andrew chairs Oakwell’s Advisory Board. His experience as a serial entrepreneur and working for some of the biggest names in the sports industry provides the team with invaluable guidance and support.

His career in the sports industry spans nearly five decades. In 1986, he became the first head of sport at BSB, the forerunner to Sky Sports, creating and running the UK’s first dedicated sports channel, and later went on to work for IMG and Sportfive.

He is perhaps best known for co-founding digital sports rights agency Perform in 2007. He went on to chair Play Sports Group, and consult for Hawk-Eye, the world leader in ball-tracking technology.

He is an active investor in various sports-related businesses, including pioneering digital video production company Grabyo. He remains a consultant to Stats Perform.

David Armstrong

Senior Advisor

David sits on Oakwell’s advisory board,  providing the team with strategic guidance, supported by his wealth of experience in the sports industry.

David has served as Chief Executive of the Racecourse Association (RCA) since March 2019 after working with Wasps Holdings as Group Chief Executive. Prior to his time with Wasps, David undertook senior positions with PepsiCo, Compass Group, Diageo, and Lonrho. He is also the Chair of the England Netball Board, Director of the Horseracing Betting Levy Board, and a nominated Director at the British Horseracing Authority, as well as the former Chairman of GB Modern Pentathlon.

David is a keen golfer and tennis player but his greatest passion is participation in road rallies. He competes every year in the famous Mille Miglia in the Ferrari Tributo class.

Alex Coral

Vice President

Alex works across corporate finance advisory and sportstech fundraising, advising both private equity and corporate clients on M&A transactions and fundraising.

Prior to working at Oakwell, Alex spent four years as part of the technology, consumer, and leisure M&A teams at Houlihan Lokey. Alex advised both public and private companies on a number of M&A transactions. He started his career at LSEG where he spent three years.

Alex graduated from the University of Birmingham with BSc in Economics and has completed Level II of the CFA.

Alex spends the weekends hacking around Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club or in a West London pub watching Spurs. Tiger’s Masters win in 2019 goes down as his all-time favourite sporting moment.

Tom MccGwire

Senior Associate

Tom works across corporate finance advisory, strategic consulting, and sportstech fundraising, helping sports rightsholders, global media companies, institutional investors, and agencies on key investment decisions.

Tom joined Oakwell four years ago and has worked on three successful private equity transactions in rugby union as well as leading consulting projects and fundraising for exciting early-stage sports tech companies. Prior to Oakwell, Tom spent his university placement year working at YPF in Argentina building on prior experience at IBM & Silverpeak.

Tom graduated from the University of Bath with a BSc in Economics and Politics and is in the process of completing the CISI/ICAEW Diploma in Corporate Finance.

Outside of work, you’ll find Tom either at Stamford Bridge supporting the blues, training for an Ironman 70.3, or leaking a few goals down at Vauxhall Powerleague. Chelsea winning the Champions League in 2012 against all odds is his favourite sporting moment.

Mat Tait

Associate

Mat joined Oakwell in early 2020 following a 15-year career in professional rugby union. Alongside representing Newcastle Falcons, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers, and England he completed a Sports Directorship Masters at Salford University in 2019 and is currently studying for his CISI Corporate Finance Diploma. He is currently responsible for supporting and leading projects with Oakwell clients across corporate finance advisory, strategic consulting, and sportstech fundraising.

His favourite sporting moments include representing England Rugby in the 2007 RWC final and a 6-week trip to the Southern Hemisphere with England 7’s resulting in a Commonwealth Games Silver Medal and victory at the Hong Kong 7’s. Current sporting interests include cycling, touch rugby, and supporting his two young sons as they set out on their sporting journey.

Nic Hamer

Senior Analyst

Nic works across corporate finance advisory, strategic consulting, and sportstech fundraising, supporting the team with financial analysis and sector research. He is also responsible for writing and distributing our investment in sport newsletter.

Prior to working at Oakwell, Nic spent 3 months as a Consulting Intern at The Sports Consultancy. He graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a Master’s degree in Economics, following a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Bristol. He is currently completing the CISI Corporate Finance Diploma.

Football is Nic’s passion. He follows Liverpool religiously and you can find him playing 5-a-side around southwest London during the week. Liverpool’s comeback in Istanbul in 2005 goes down as his favourite sporting moment (as well as one of his first).

Charlie Umbers

Senior Analyst

Charlie works across corporate finance advisory, strategic consulting, and sportstech fundraising, supporting the team with financial analysis and sector research.

Prior to working at Oakwell, Charlie studied at the University of Edinburgh where he graduated with a First-Class Master’s degree in Business with Strategic Economics. Charlie was also placed on the President’s and Dean’s Honours lists for academic achievement during his year abroad at the University of South Carolina.

Charlie enjoys variety of sports such as tennis, golf and skiing but his passion is cricket. Unsurprisingly, one of his favourite sporting moments was Ben Stokes’ heroic century at Headingly against Australia in 2019.

Anu Garimella

Placement Analyst

Anu joins Oakwell in 2022 on a year-long placement after completing his 2^nd year at the University of Bath where he is studying Accounting and Finance. He has previously interned at Bloomberg, LCH, and The London Stock Exchange Group.

Anu will be working on a broad range of projects across cricket, tennis, football, and other sports. Whilst at Oakwell, he will also be completing his CISI Corporate Finance Certificate.

Anu is cricket-obsessed and spends his spare time either playing for Sidcup Cricket Club, coaching junior teams, or (controversially) supporting India.