Justin moved from South Africa to the UK in 2016 to establish Universal Partners Limited’s (UPL) presence in the UK. He has been involved in the origination, execution, and ongoing management of all UPL investments. Justin represents UPL on the boards of Workwell, Xcede and Dentex (now Portman Dentex). He has developed a trusted relationship with the management teams of portfolio companies and assists with capital raising, bolt-on acquisitions and strategy development.

Before joining UPL, he worked at Investec Bank for seven years, specialising in private equity and leverage finance transactions. During this time, he worked closely with Mickey Ord, establishing a strong working relationship and friendship. Justin holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting from Rhodes University (South Africa), and is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa).

Mickey joined the team in 2024 and helped establish UC Partners LLP in the UK. Prior to this, he was a Managing Director at Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) in the Private Markets Group. He spent seven years at UBP as the Portfolio Manager of the UBP Private Debt Funds, focussed on the origination, structuring and execution of private investment opportunities across Western Europe and North America. Prior to UBP, he spent over five years at Investec Bank alongside Justin, specialising in private equity and leverage finance opportunities across Southern Africa.

Mickey holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting from the University of Cape Town (South Africa). He is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa) and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW).

Pierre has significant experience as an operator and investor in private businesses. In 2016, he co-founded Universal Partners Limited to back ambitious companies in the UK. Pierre understands the challenges of running a business, having held various executive positions at Connection Group Holdings Ltd, including that of CEO of Connection Group, for four years, leading the successful turnaround of the company, which culminated in the group being bought by JD Group Ltd. He then spent 13 years at Rand Merchant Bank, a leading South African Investment bank, fulfilling various roles, including senior transactor in the Corporate Finance division, head of the Equities and co-head of the Global Markets divisions.

Pierre has considerable experience as a non-executive director on various listed company boards and as an investment committee member of private equity businesses. UPL’s portfolio companies benefit from Pierre’s considerable experience across various sectors. He has a strong track record of successful investing and holds a trusted relationship with several of our investors. He is on the board of Workwell and Xcede. Pierre holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Cape Town and is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa).

David has over a 20 year track record of successful private equity investing. He joined Global Capital in 2004, became CEO of the Global Capital Group in 2013 and helped establish it as one of the leading private equity houses in South Africa. In 2016, he co-founded Universal Partners Limited (UPL) with the intention of applying Global Capital’s successful investment approach to international investment opportunities, focusing in the UK. David has delivered exceptional returns for various institutional and high-net-worth investors in multiple sectors and countries. This track record contributed to UPL’s successful capital raising and credibility.

David has sat on the board and played a strategic role on all the investments that he has lead over the years. He currently is an observer on the Portman Dentex board. David holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) and is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa). He completed his articles at PwC.

Doron is the financial manager of Universal Partners and has been with the company since its inception in 2016. His responsibilities include all aspects of statutory and regulatory reporting, as well as providing portfolio company updates to investors. Doron completed his articles at PKF (South Africa) and, prior to joining Universal Partners, worked for eight years in the finance teams of both listed and private companies in the telecommunications and finance industries.

Doron holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa).