James Hill
Partner
Digital Media
Digital Services
Software/SaaS
Consumer & Retail Tech
James Hill is a Partner at Drake Star, focused on M&A and corporate finance transactions across Digital Media, Digital Services, Consumer & Retail Tech, and Software/SaaS.
Before joining Drake Star, James led the media and technology practice at Highstead Partners, following several years at Houlihan Lokey, where he was part of the Technology team. Earlier in his career, James was a Managing Director at Stella EOC, a media and technology-focused advisory boutique, and a Director at Jefferies, having joined via its acquisition of LongAcre Partners. Throughout his career, James has focused on companies across Digital Media, Digital Marketing Services, Adtech, Martech, Data and Information Services, the Entertainment Industry (and related technology), and Retail Tech.
James has advised on more than 50 transactions over two decades in the lower mid-market, spanning a wide range of media and technology-related sectors and geographies. Notable transactions include: the majority sale of MSQ (digital marketing and transformation) to One Equity Partners, the sale of Indicia (the brand activation subsidiary of Konica Minolta) to adm (global marketing execution), having previously advised adm on its investment from Equistone; the majority acquisition of i-media (digital out-of-home) by Mayfair Equity Partners; the sale of Go Instore (commerce software) to Emplifi; the sale of Plimsoll Productions (premium TV content creator) to ITV (~£130m); the sale of the dual-listed LBi (leading digital marketing agency) to Publicis (~€500m) and the restructuring of Technicolor (visual effects and creative technology services).
James is a qualified chartered accountant (ACA), having trained at PwC, and holds a degree in Economics from University of Warwick.
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