About
Why Kindred exists.
Not for every owner. But for an owner who cares, we aspire to be the best answer there is.
Permanent ownership is not a new idea. It is an old and obvious one that has quietly stopped being offered to most Australian business owners, who are left choosing between a competitor and a fund with a clock running.
Kindred Partners exists to keep the third option available. It is not a perfect option and it is not for everyone. But for an owner who has poured decades of blood and sweat into a business and thinks of it as part of the family, it is a better answer than a trade sale or a private equity auction.
Chris Wheldon, in his own words
After a few decades in leadership roles and investing alongside clients at one of Australia’s leading public equity managers, I founded Kindred Partners to apply the same approach to private businesses: back strong businesses run by good people, and go on a long journey together.
I have always loved business — specifically, a team’s shared pursuit of creating something valuable for the people it deals with. As the fourth generation in a family of entrepreneurs, perhaps Kindred Partners was inevitable.
I have been fortunate enough to study and invest in businesses across every industry and most corners of the world, to sit in the boardrooms of some of the largest companies on the planet, and to learn from people who are very good at this. The grainy photo is March 2009: a starry-eyed kid meeting his idol, after lunch with the great man.
Culture
Six values. Our glue and our guardrails.
Kindness
In life, the kindest person wins.
Trust
Fast, reliable handshakes trump lengthy contracts.
Win-Win
Be helpful and create value for all stakeholders.
Alignment
Ownership and accountability.
Compounding
Focused, continuous, incremental improvement.
Quality
Excellence is our standard.