Published: August 11, 2026 at 7:57 am
Ruth Percival had seen the highs and lows of a corporate career before becoming a first-time founder in her 50s – and hasn’t looked back.
Just two years after launching built environment consultancy Contollo Group, she’s made five acquisitions and grown the business to £37m turnover and 230 staff – and has ambitious plans to double in size.
In the latest episode of The Naked Founder podcast, Percival has spoken about how she’s found her favourite job and her regrets at not asking her investors for more money at the beginning.
“It’s my favourite (job) so far,” she said of being a founder. “I’ve absolutely loved this role. I feel like I’m thriving in it. I’m a deeply curious person and I’m stretched all the time but in a good way. It’s forced me to stretch myself.”
Percival had enjoyed a stellar 20-year career in M&A and made her name as a partner at BDO, where she regularly advised clients on exits and buy-and-build strategies.
She became the firm’s first female M&A partner and told The Naked Founder podcast about the misogyny she encountered in the wider industry while forging a career in the male-dominated world of corporate finance.