The Northstar
Partnership Team

Invaluable business advice from real-world experts

Meet our business advisor team, which has decades of real world-experience doing what you’re doing. Between us, we’ve overcome pretty much every business challenge imaginable, and we’re ready to share our wisdom, experience and techniques.

Max Crosby-Browne

Managing Partner

Max Crosby-Browne

Managing Partner

Northstar is led by Managing Partner Max Crosby-Browne, a hands-on CEO/Managing Director turned strategic advisor with over 25- years’ experience growing and transforming consumer-facing businesses in the UK and internationally.

Max has led multiple acquisitions, turnarounds, and scale-ups — often in complex, fast-moving environments. Today, he brings that insight to SME owners, offering a rare blend of board-level experience, commercial know-how, and pragmatic mentoring.

Max is passionate about growth that lasts and exits that reward the hard work it took to get there.

07771547703

max@northstarpartnership.co.uk

Jimi Ball

Partner & Business Advisor

Jimi Ball

Partner & Business Advisor

Jimi specialises in strategic planning, implementation and change leadership coaching. He led companies through major changes for 20 years before starting his consultancy business in 2018. He’s worked with everything from £2m+ charities to global manufacturers.

Jimi rolls up his sleeves to help leaders like you break through barriers. He offers practical solutions that actually work, bringing theory to life through considered and real-world application.

07714878820

jimi@northstarpartnership.co.uk

Phil Dobson

Partner & Business Advisor

Phil Dobson

Partner & Business Advisor

Phil offers you 30 years of senior management and shareholder experience in sales, leadership and business management. As a director of a local business, he’s directly benefited from the peer support, mentoring and coaching he now delivers through Northstar. Support which is vital during the rollercoaster of business leadership.

Phil brings a calm and strategic approach to help you grow your business. Giving you the clarity, confidence and control, to make the tough calls and tackle things that keep you awake at night.

07837699838

phil@northstarpartnership.co.uk

Julian Smith

Partner & Business Advisor

Julian Smith

Partner & Business Advisor

Julian will help you grasp opportunities to achieve your vision.

He’s run teams from 10 to 3000 people in companies with turnovers up to £100m. After 35 years of success, Julian knows people are key, so he focuses on improving them professionally and personally. His engaging style and multi-disciplinary experience (sales, marketing, brand, strategy, transformation, exit planning and attainment) provide you with an incredibly insightful perspective.

07860310553

julian@northstarpartnership.co.uk

Connect with your expert...

meet the team

Enter your details and we’ll be in touch.

The Northstar Partnership Team

Invaluable business advice from real-world experts

Max Crosby-Browne

Managing Partner

Jimi Ball

Partner & Business Advisor

Phil Dobson

Partner & Business Advisor

Julian Smith

Partner & Business Advisor

Connect with your expert...

The Northstar
Partnership Team