Team
Dr Chai Patel CBE FRCP
Founder and Chairman
With over 30 years’ experience in the health and social care sector, Chai has been linked with some of the sector’s biggest names. He was formerly Chief Executive and architect of the modern Priory Group, and created Care First through the merger of the original Court Cavendish and Takare.
In 2011, Chai founded HC-One, which under his leadership went on to become the UK’s largest residential care provider. He stepped back as Executive Chairman in 2017 and retired as Chairman of the HC-One Board in 2019.
Alongside his work with HC-One and Court Cavendish, Chai is also the Founder and Chairman of Elysian Capital and sits on the Board of Elevation Advisors. He retains significant philanthropic and charitable interests via his family foundation, Bright Future Trust, as well as serving as a Patron of BBC Media Action (formerly known as the BBC World Service Trust) and is a Board Member of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation.
Catherine Valenti ACA
Director
Catherine qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1986 and worked for KPMG for 16 years, latterly as a Director responsible for a portfolio of clients in the Entertainment and Charitable sectors. She has extensive experience in Group reporting, statutory and management accounts, financial modelling, re-structuring, re-financing, budgeting and forecasting.
After leaving KPMG, she was the Group Financial Controller at Westminster Healthcare and, linking up with Chai and Court Cavendish again, at the Priory Group. In both roles she was responsible for overseeing and managing all major financial functions.
In 2011, she joined Court Cavendish Limited to be a part of the team which worked to create HC-One from the rump of the bankrupt Southern Cross care home group, a feat that was achieved in just 92 days. She has since continued to serve as a Director at Court Cavendish, supporting the organisation’s move into investment management.
Outside of work, Catherine has acted as a Governor in a school for children with Severe Learning Disabilities and is honorary treasurer for a number of local sports clubs.
John Willmott LLB
Director of Tax and Investment Structuring
Over a 50-year career, John has accumulated extensive experience advising UK and overseas groups on a wide range of both UK and international taxation issues. His career started with the then Price Waterhouse, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant. From there he joined the group taxation department of British Leyland as a corporate tax specialist, before co-founding Chiltern Financial Services, a boutique corporate and personal tax consultancy.
Chiltern Financial Services was later sold to BDO LLP, with John moving to become an equity tax partner, before later joining Kingston Smith LLP as a tax partner. John joined Court Cavendish as Director of Tax and Investment Structuring in 2018.