Kaizen Group profile
Darren Trice
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Helping business owners make confident decisions and turn ambitions into practical plans.
About Me
I’m Darren, founder of Kaizen, a Chartered Management Accountant and someone who enjoys getting to know businesses and the people who run them.
My career started in accountancy practice before taking me into finance and operational leadership roles across retail, marine electronics and advertising. I spent 20 years working in owner-managed businesses, including as CFO and COO, before setting up my own. So I understand the responsibility of making decisions, looking after a team and keeping things moving when life doesn’t quite follow the business plan.
I started Kaizen in May 2009 because I wanted to build the kind of advisory business I would have valued during those years: people you could talk openly with, who understood your business and could bring financial insight, commercial judgement and practical support to the table.
That’s still what matters to me today. I like understanding what makes someone tick, what they want from their business and how we can help them get there. I’m positive, focused and have a wicked sense of humour. We spend a lot of our lives working, so I think we should enjoy the people we work with.
What I Do at Kaizen
I lead Kaizen and work with our team, while staying closely involved with clients as a finance director and strategic business adviser. Keeping that connection is important to me.
A lot of my work starts with a conversation. An owner might have an opportunity they want to explore, a problem that’s keeping them awake or an important decision they need to talk through. My job is to listen, ask useful questions and bring clarity to the options.
From there, I help turn ambitions into workable plans. That can involve developing a growth strategy, improving profitability, forecasting cash flow and funding requirements, or assessing an investment or potential business sale. I help owners understand the financial implications, weigh up the risks and decide on their next steps.
Having worked in both finance and operations, I’m interested in how the whole business fits together. A forecast needs to reflect what’s happening on the ground, and a strategy needs to be something the team can deliver. I bring financial challenge and an operational perspective, alongside a willingness to roll up my sleeves and help.
Sometimes my most useful contribution is being a sounding board: someone an owner can speak honestly with, test an idea against and trust to give a straight answer.
I also enjoy seeing our own people develop. Building Kaizen has taught me how much a business depends on its team, and I’m proud of the experience and personalities we bring together.
Experience
I’ve been fortunate to work with some interesting businesses and people over nearly four decades, and there have been plenty of lessons along the way.
My earlier CFO and COO roles gave me experience of financial management, strategic planning and operational delivery, as well as the everyday realities of running owner-managed businesses. One particularly memorable experience was helping launch the German and French offices of a UK marine electronics business. Establishing operations in new markets taught me a great deal about turning expansion plans into reality.
A real highlight of my advisory work was supporting the sale of a longstanding client’s business and helping them achieve twice the value they had expected. Having worked with them over the years made that outcome especially rewarding. It’s a good example of why I value long-term relationships and understanding what an owner ultimately wants to achieve.
While getting Kaizen off the ground, I also taught Business and Finance at Hull University for six years. It was a busy time, but I enjoyed bringing real business experience into the classroom and helping students make sense of the subject.
I’m a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a Chartered Global Management Accountant. Alongside those qualifications, I bring the experience of managing teams, making difficult decisions and building a business of my own.
Kaizen will be 18 in May 2027. That feels like something worth celebrating - and we will!
Quick Fire
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Seeing someone move from worrying about a problem to feeling confident about what to do next. It’s even better when you’ve worked together for years and can look back at how far they’ve come.
Outside Kaizen?
I’m still playing hockey, now for Yorkshire and North East Masters Over 60s. The age group might have changed, but the competitive streak hasn’t!
Something not many know?
I taught Business and Finance at Hull University for six years while setting up Kaizen. There wasn’t much spare time in those days.
Something colleagues quickly learn about you?
I’m positive, focused and have a wicked sense of humour. I like to get things done, and I enjoy a laugh along the way.
Start a conversation
Ready to start a conversation?
Talk through the opportunity, challenge or next step.
Kaizen Group
Accreditations & partnerships
