Bharat Patel
Entrepreneur
An accountant by training, Bharat began his working life in professional practice before
moving into commerce, eventually becoming Finance Director of Tesco’s UK retail business
and latterly Woolworths plc. In 1997 he left corporate life to lead his first management
buy-out, building up private optical chain The Health Clinic, which he floated. He later built
up ADP Holdings, the UK’s second-largest chain of dental practices, again with private
equity backing, exiting by merger with the market leader, itself backed by PE house
Carlyle. In total Bharat has been involved in six private equity transactions, and is now
building a portfolio career as a proactive chairman and a private equity investor/coinvestor in his own right.