Over the previous two decades, Dean had transitioned from a junior sales executive in a call centre to becoming one of Britain’s top-50 business leaders according to Lloyds Bank and The Daily Telegraph. He has enjoyed an extensive and successful career in executive and senior leadership roles for a number of international software companies. Prior to Forterro, he led the growth and expansion of CoreHR in Europe – with the organisation later acquired by The Access Group.
Earlier, Dean had been CEO of Paris-headquartered SaaS company KDS, where he steered growth and international expansion before an acquisition by American Express. He's also held senior leadership roles at Philadelphia-based technology firm Primavera Systems, where he ran the company’s operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Forbes grew the business until it was sold to Oracle, where he was asked to lead worldwide sales and marketing for a related division, making him the youngest vice president at Oracle for nearly 30 years.
In 2020, Dean founded the Forbes Family Group (FFG), where he serves as Chairman – actively coaching and mentoring leaders within the firm’s investment portfolio. He is an unwavering champion of social mobility initiatives, both as part of uncovering new investment opportunities for FFG, and through initiatives sponsored within the local communities.
