We’re really pleased to share that Millie Counsell has been promoted to Manager, marking the latest step in a journey that’s been pretty special to watch from the moment she joined, way back in 2020.
From the start, Millie’s progression hasn’t followed a typical path. She hit the ground running as the firm’s first employee, throwing herself in at the deep end to work with Simon and Hamish on the very first deals through the door. Since then, she’s grown with the business, benefitting from immediate exposure to both senior dealmakers and influential client relationships, and soon taking on more responsibility.
Millie’s curiosity, commitment and creativity meant she quickly became a central part of how we deliver for clients, and what’s really stood out is the way she approaches deals. Described as precise, calm under pressure, and always willing to find a way through, even when things don’t quite go to plan; Millie has been instrumental in coming up with interesting angles or novel approaches for many of our landmark deals.
As she’s risen through the ranks, she’s taken on leadership of the analyst pool, mentoring our incoming talent in the LAVA way of doing things, embracing LAVA’s feedback-forward culture and speaking up with ideas, challenges, and praise, and helping shape the function from the ground up.
She’s also been building a strong voice in her own right, particularly around specialist themes like employee ownership, education, and built environment, where she’s developed an impressive level of expertise. It’s a good reflection of how we think about development, giving people the space to form views, contribute to conversations, and shape their own path rather than following a fixed track.
Millie’s journey very much encapsulates what we’re trying to build here at LAVA: a place where people are trusted early, encouraged to fail fast and learn from it, and where growth isn’t one-size-fits-all. We’re delighted to see our strategy pay off in her impressive progress and we’re really proud of everything she’s achieved to date. The sky’s the limit!
Hamish Martin LAVA Partner
As Manager, Millie will continue delivering top-notch work for clients, expanding her expertise into new and exciting technical disciplines, and stepping away from leading the analyst pool to focus on delivering for clients as a core part of the engine room.
One of the things I value most at LAVA is the mix of skillsets and perspectives everyone brings. You’re constantly learning from people who approach problems in different ways, which makes it a really unique environment to develop in. It’s not a generic path, but one where you’re encouraged to figure things out, contribute ideas, and grow in a way that actually suits you.
Millie Counsell Manager
We always love a good promotion, and this one’s both unsurprising, based on her incredible progression to date, and very well deserved. We’re incredibly proud of how far she’s come, and very excited to see what comes next, so stay tuned for more of mighty Millie!
