In this captivating episode of Off The Agenda, Sir Charles Bowman sits down with Dean Forbes, the CEO of Forterro, to explore his remarkable journey from facing homelessness as a teenager to becoming a CEO of billionpound businesses. Dean's story is a true testament to resilience, determination, and the power of embracing opportunities.

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Sir Charles Bowman is a British accountant who served as the 690th Lord Mayor of London. Sir Charles specialises in delivering audit, assurance and capital market transaction services to larger listed and multinational companies and is considered one of the leading global minds on financial services. He has chaired the Assurance Panel and the Audit and Assurance Faculty of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW). Sir Charles has been a member of its governing body and a Trustee and Chairman of the Lord Mayor's Appeal.

Sir Charles was elected as the Alderman of the Ward of Lime Street in the City of London and served as one of the two Sheriffs of the City of London. Sir Charles Bowman is described as one of the most forward thinkers in learning, development and engagement initiatives; he is passionate about social mobility, inclusion and ethics.

Today, he helps and encourages the early unlocking of the city's future talent to help businesses understand how these shifts impact society and marketplace behaviour. He was knighted in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to trust in business, international trade and the City of London.

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Dean has been named one of the UK’s 50 most ambitious business leaders by Lloyds Banking Group and The Daily Telegraph. He was also named in the J.P.Morgan sponsored Powerlist 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of the 100 most influential Black people in the UK.

At Forterro, Dean is currently leading huge potential for expansion. This is being achieved through a programme of both acquisitions and organic growth. The Europeanfocused software company serves more than 11,000 small and midsized industrial companies and employs 1,600 people. Additionally, Dean is a partner at Corten Capital where he advises the firm on European technology acquisitions. He is also a member of their deal review committee. Part of Dean’s agreement with Corten Capital is that it will increase its support for founders and entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities.

Dean is highly passionate about issues around social mobility and philanthropy and actively supports those with similar backgrounds to his own. Twice homeless and a primary carer in his teens for his disabled mother, Dean now campaigns and invests to level the playing field for the UK’s underserved communities through his notforprofit foundation – The Forbes Family Group (FFG).