Barnaby Robson

Publications

A list of papers I’ve authored or co-authored and published, in reverse chronological order — KPMG reports on strategy and value creation, plus longer reading lists on crypto and financial services.

Publications

Papers I’ve authored

A list of papers I’ve authored or co-authored and published, in reverse chronological order — KPMG reports on strategy and value creation, plus longer reading lists on crypto and financial services.

The four parts

Part 1 cover: Selection and preparation Part 1 · Portfolio strategy

Selection & Preparation

Building carve-out readiness into year-round portfolio management, long before a divestment decision lands.

Part 2 cover: Setting the race plan Part 2 · Carve-out strategy

Setting the Race Plan

Shaping the deal perimeter, separation strategy and target operating model for the exit.

Part 3 cover: Building the value case Part 3 · Value case

Building the Value Case

Framing the equity story and upside that move buyers and price.

Part 4 cover: Separation in practice Part 4 · Execution

Separation in Practice

Running a clean separation through to Day 1 and a stable standalone business.

More reports

KPMG · 2025

Decoding Value

A practical look at how companies actually create value — factoring lifecycle stage, sector dynamics and capital costs. Building on Mauboussin’s framing of value creation as returns over cost of capital, and how to operationalise it.

KPMG

The M&A Dance

Why so many public-company M&A deals fail to deliver sustainable shareholder value — and how the best acquirers beat the odds.

KPMG

The Electricity Economy

The rising strategic importance of cheap, secure and reliable electricity as a driver of global competitiveness, amid surging demand from emerging markets, data centres and transport electrification.

Reading list

On Crypto

I started investing in crypto assets in 2018 and have been fascinated by the possibilities ever since.

“A purely peer-to-peer version of electronic cash would allow online payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution.”

Satoshi Nakamoto · The Bitcoin White Paper

Reading list

On Financial Services

I’ve been advising on financial-services M&A and strategy since 2004. These papers set out my views across asset management, banking and credit, insurance, and payments and fintech.

“The ascent of money has been essential to the ascent of man.”

Niall Ferguson · The Ascent of Money