Danny Mills

Danny Mills is a former Premier League and England footballer turned private equity investor. Best known for his time at Leeds United and Manchester City, Danny was an uncompromising defender who played in both the Champions’ League and in the World Cup. Injury forced him into retirement, but he remains a regular commentator on TV and radio for the BBC, and also for BT Sport.

Unusually for a footballer, Danny has always maintained an interest in business, building a substantial residential and commercial property portfolio whilst still playing. On retirement, he focused on business and joined a former HSBC banker, a senior partner at Deloitte, and the founder of the Republic fashion chain to form a new private equity company.

One of the company’s first and most high-profile investments was the West Cornwall Pasty Co, a business hit hard by the recession and changing high street habits. Danny and his team imposed a new strategy on the organisation, cutting struggling outlets and reviewing their target market. The investors received over 500 applications in their first year from a vast range of businesses from aviation to window frame manufacturers.

Danny employs his straight-talking style to speak about his dramatic change of direction from football to business; how he went about it, his dedication to learn, and the parallels between his career change, and the change businesses often need to embrace to succeed.

As well as business, Danny sat on the recent FA Chairman’s Commission into the England team set up. He has rowed the Channel for charity, is an active supporter of the Shine charity, and was a close runner-up in Celebrity MasterChef.