Your Trusted Partner in Entrepreneurial Growth
At thexton armstrong, our mission is to support SME business owners in becoming confident, capable, and professional entrepreneurs.
We help you build stronger, more resilient businesses—ones that are not only more profitable, but also more enjoyable to own and lead. With the right support, business ownership becomes less stressful, more strategic, and ultimately more rewarding.
Our partners are experienced entrepreneurs in their own right. They take real pride in helping others succeed—offering not just insight, but ongoing mentorship that makes a measurable difference.
Whether as mentors or business owners themselves, they’re driven by one goal: helping you thrive.
Donald Stuart – Master Franchise Partner UK
Donald Stuart is a transformative business leader with a global track record of scaling companies, driving innovation, and delivering measurable results across technology, consulting, private equity, and strategic advisory. As the force behind Thexton Armstrong’s UK launch, he brings deep expertise in helping business owners unlock value, navigate complex change, and scale sustainably.
Donald’s executive journey spans four continents and includes leadership of high-growth firms, multi-million-pound deals, and high-impact transformations. He has built and led consulting and SaaS businesses to hundreds of millions in turnover, executed one of the largest global AV contracts in history , and achieved a 12x private equity exit—all while cultivating cultures of accountability, performance, and resilience.
A serial CEO, founder, and transformation strategist, Donald blends analytical rigour with entrepreneurial agility and people-first leadership. He has turned around underperforming businesses, built innovation ventures from the ground up, and led major M&A, SaaS pivots, and international growth strategies. His ability to spot inflexion points, engage teams, and deliver results is underpinned by core strengths in strategic thinking, influencing, innovation, and execution.
Now, as thexton armstrong enters the UK market, Donald brings his candid insight and extensive experience combined with the proven methodology of thexton armstrong to empower SME owners to think bigger, act strategically, and take control of their futures—driving not just growth, but legacy-level impact.
Peter Poulsen – Master Franchise Partner South DACH
Peter Poulsen is the Master Franchisor for South DACH, which includes Southern Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Peter has a strong foundation as an entrepreneur and leader. He has built his career through both entrepreneurial ventures and senior positions within multinational corporations. His professional journey has taken him across Europe, Australia, and the United States, where he has had the privilege of leading and supporting teams on a global scale.
Before stepping into previous current role as an independent management consultant, he gained extensive experience in strategic business development, operational management, and change management. His consultancy projects have included areas such as restructuring, international business expansion, ERP implementation, and leadership development, where he has been able to drive efficiency and productivity improvements for his clients.
Peter holds a Bachelor of Economics with majors in Marketing, Controlling, and Economics, and he has completed advanced management and leadership training, including the SMP Management Programme at the University of St. Gallen. Additionally, he is certified in Kaizen, 5S, and transformational leadership, all of which contribute to his passion for helping businesses grow and succeed.
Christian von Volkmann – Master Franchise Partner North- & East Germany
Christian von Volkmann leads thexton armstrong in North and East Germany, bringing more than 25 years of senior leadership and advisory experience supporting owner-managed and growth-oriented businesses.
A former CFO and Executive Board Member of publicly listed life science and technology companies, Christian has spent 17 years at board level, guiding organisations through scale-up phases, restructurings, international expansion, and capital market transactions. Over the course of his career, he has overseen approximately €500 million in fundraising, managed businesses with up to 160 employees, and worked closely with founders, management teams, and investors to create sustainable long-term value.
Christian is the founder of VOVOi GmbH, a Berlin-based advisory practice providing strategic, financial, and operational support to SMEs. In this role, he acts as a trusted sparring partner to business owners—helping them improve performance, strengthen governance, and navigate periods of change with clarity and confidence.
His career includes senior roles at MagForce AG and Jerini AG (acquired by Shire Pharmaceuticals), as well as early professional experience with Ernst & Young. Christian has worked extensively across Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the United States, and operates fluently in both German and English.
As Master Franchise Partner, Christian is responsible for building and supporting a high-quality network of thexton armstrong franchise partners across the region. His focus is on delivering practical, results-driven business mentoring to SME owners—while providing franchise partners with strong leadership, proven systems, and the backing of an established international network
Benny Schulte – Master Franchise Partner Benelux
Benny likes to share his knowledge and experience with others, as he has held management and board positions across various business units within large companies for 27 years. With SME entrepreneurs, various roles come together company-wide — that’s why he started to focus on this particular group.
Everyone has activities that they like doing more than others. If you enjoy something, it’s often easier for you to do it. So why wouldn’t you let someone else take on the activities that are less enjoyable for you? After all, you can’t be equally good at everything. As an entrepreneur, you fulfil different roles and wear different hats. But that doesn’t mean you have to do every task yourself. You can delegate them, too.
Tip from Benny
“To bring about change in a particular situation, you’ll really need to approach it differently. After all, if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.”
What’s become clear to him over and over is that the challenges entrepreneurs face are really generic. No two businesses are the same, of course, but many entrepreneurs essentially struggle with the same questions and are reluctant to ask for help.
The personal side
In developing his own practice/business, he wants to set an example for his 3 children who are finalising their studies at the moment. He also make sure he keeps a decent work-life balance by cycling and mountain biking in his spare time — and also enjoying Italian sports cars.
Tijnis Verhoeff – Master Franchise Partner Benelux
Being part of thexton armstrong enables Tijnis to be of greater value to business owners and their employees. It’s the result of thexton armstrong’s proven approach, combined with his own knowledge and experience. In addition, he has over 25 colleagues who can help him and his clients when we can’t see the way ahead ourselves.
Entrepreneurship is all about seeing and seizing opportunities. To score, you have to be in the right place — as well as shooting the ball in. You can’t win the whole game on your own. Just like in football, you need teammates in your company who’ll pass you the perfect cross.
Tip from Tijnis
“Make time for the things that really matter.”
Being the director of a small business is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. After all, you have to be able to do everything. I certainly can’t do that — and very few can. But time and time again, it turns out that there are solutions that mean being an entrepreneur can be a great experience. One that works well for both your company and your employees. Finding and implementing these solutions together is what I find truly fulfilling.
The personal side
Tijnis is married and has three sons. The five of them share a passion for skating, and Tijnis loves it when all of them head out for a skate on natural ice.
Coen Vleesenbeek – Franchisor
For over 20 years, Coen has dedicated his career to improving business performance and driving value creation — working with SMEs and large corporations alike, both locally and internationally. With a foundation in accountancy and consultancy for small businesses, he’s also held senior roles in finance, marketing, and e-commerce across the Netherlands, Australia, and the United States.
In 2007, Coen made the decision to focus his efforts exclusively on supporting SMEs. Seeing the positive impact of his approach — and recognising a wider appetite for doing the same — he launched thexton armstrong in the Netherlands in 2011. After nearly a decade of growth, he handed over the leadership to trusted partners in 2020, and has since turned his attention to expanding the franchise internationally.
Today, Coen’s mission is to empower experienced professionals to build successful consultancies under the thexton armstrong brand — helping SME owners thrive, while creating personally fulfilling and financially rewarding careers for franchisees.
We’re here to support you at every step—whether you’re looking to grow, recover, or prepare for exit. Let’s talk about how our methodology can work for you.
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