What does it take for a new company to make an impact in a field as complex as healthcare? How can a small team of entrepreneurs turn an idea into a national brand that’s changing how work gets done? That’s exactly what the Clive Henry Group has managed to do. Their story isn’t about overnight success; it’s about focus, values, and smart growth. Let’s break down how this company evolved, what drives its success, and why it matters in modern business.
What Is the Clive Henry Group?
The Clive Henry Group is a group of UK-based businesses that specialise in technology, consulting, and healthcare hiring. The Birmingham-based business serves both NHS and private clients by combining knowledge from various industries. It combines multiple services, staffing, process improvement, tech development, and digital design under one roof rather than providing just one.
Although the business was formally incorporated in February 2022, its origins go back much further. Before deciding to combine everything into a single, more powerful group, its founders had already been working in healthcare staffing and consulting. The Clive Henry Group has quickly become one of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses, and the Sunday Times 100 has acknowledged its remarkable rate of growth.
The Founders and the Name
Names have meaning, and the name of Clive Henry Group is a personal one. The company was named after its grandfathers, Clive Loxham and John Henry Molesworth, by its founders, Liam Molesworth and Sam Alsop-Hall. That was not merely a sentimental decision. It demonstrated their conviction that accountability, trust, and legacy should be the cornerstones of any successful business. They made a statement by integrating family into the brand: creating something lasting is more important than making money.
Before starting the company, both founders had years of experience working as healthcare consultants and in recruitment. They were aware that no single service provider could address all of the problems facing the NHS and the care industry. They thus established a company that could assist those systems in a number of ways, including recruiting personnel, enhancing operations, and implementing new technology.
Building the Framework
What makes Clive Henry Group stand out is its structure. It’s not one company, it’s several, each designed to serve a specific need while working together as a whole.
Core Divisions of the Group
- Woodrow Mercer Healthcare: This arm focuses on recruiting healthcare professionals, bridging the gap between demand and available talent.
- Mprove: A consultancy that helps hospitals and care systems streamline processes, reduce waste, and improve outcomes.
- Tech Canal: The technology branch, building software and digital tools for healthcare systems.
- Cre8: A creative agency handling design, branding, and communication for clients within the sector.
By bringing all of these under one roof, Clive Henry Group gives its clients something rare—an integrated service that can cover every step of an organisation’s transformation, from hiring the right people to modernising their systems.
Strategy and Growth
How did Clive Henry Group grow so fast in such a competitive space? Their success comes down to a few strategic choices.
1. Focus on Healthcare
Many startups try to expand across industries too quickly. Clive Henry Group stayed focused on healthcare, social care, and the public sector. This focus gave them a deep understanding of their clients’ needs and helped them build trust within a community where relationships matter more than flashy marketing.
2. End-to-End Service Model
Instead of offering a single product or service, they built a model that combines recruitment, consultancy, and technology. A hospital or care provider can work with Clive Henry Group to find talent, analyse processes, and implement tech, all in one place. This makes them more efficient than traditional consultants or staffing firms.
3. Investing in Innovation
One of the group’s smartest moves was investing in emerging healthcare technology. A good example is their partnership with ilarna, a digital home care platform that uses AI to match carers with patients. This partnership shows that Clive Henry Group isn’t content to just consult or recruit; it wants to shape the future of care delivery.
4. Rapid Yet Controlled Growth
Between 2020 and 2024, the company saw an average annual growth rate of more than 260 per cent. That’s huge, but what’s more impressive is that they managed it while keeping their culture intact. They didn’t just hire fast; they hired smart.
What Makes Them Different
Clive Henry Group’s success isn’t luck. It’s built on a few principles that separate it from the crowd.
Mission Before Money
Their story and name keep them grounded. They operate with a sense of purpose—serving the healthcare sector with empathy and responsibility. In a market often driven by numbers, that human-first approach stands out.
Blending Human and Digital
They’re not just recruiters, and they’re not just technologists. They operate where people and digital systems intersect. That’s a sweet spot in healthcare, where technology can help professionals do more without losing the personal touch patients need.
Collaborative DNA
The founders and their teams work collaboratively across divisions. This means ideas move fast, and clients get solutions that actually work in real-world settings.
Risk and Reward
Backing ventures like Ilarna shows they’re not afraid of taking smart risks. That willingness to innovate, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed, is a hallmark of modern business leadership.
Real-World Impact
Let’s look at what this impact looks like in practice.
The Ilarna Partnership
Ilarra’s digital platform connects trained care professionals with people who need support at home, elderly individuals, people with chronic illnesses, and others who prefer receiving care in familiar surroundings. By partnering with ilarna, Clive Henry Group has helped expand digital home care access while easing the pressure on hospitals and care homes. This approach aligns perfectly with NHS goals for community-based care.
Recognition and Awards
In 2024, the Clive Henry Group was listed as one of the UK’s fastest-growing private companies. That recognition didn’t just boost their reputation; it proved that there’s a growing demand for companies that can combine technology with human service.
Their achievements have also made them a model for other ambitious firms trying to bridge gaps in traditional industries. If you’re looking for insights into how rising businesses reshape entire markets, check out Jorbina, a resource hub for modern organisations exploring growth and innovation.
The Challenges Ahead
Every growing company faces hurdles, and Clive Henry Group is no exception.
Maintaining Quality
When scaling quickly, the hardest part is keeping standards high. Healthcare leaves no room for shortcuts, and maintaining consistent quality across multiple subsidiaries is an ongoing challenge.
Recruiting the Right Talent
Finding people who align with the group’s mission isn’t easy. They need professionals who not only understand their roles but also share the company’s belief in improving care through collaboration.
Staying Competitive
The healthcare sector is crowded. Many players are chasing the same clients. Clive Henry Group will need to keep evolving its services and technology to stay ahead.
Managing Regulation
Working in healthcare means dealing with strict compliance, privacy rules, and government oversight. Navigating that landscape without slowing down innovation is a constant balancing act.
Sustaining Momentum
Growth can create pressure on systems, people, and leadership. The challenge will be scaling responsibly while staying true to the founding values that made the company trusted in the first place.
Lessons for Modern Businesses
Beyond healthcare, the Clive Henry Group offers lessons any business can apply.
Narrow Focus Builds Authority
Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, they picked one industry and mastered it. That’s why they’re credible and respected.
Integration Beats Fragmentation
When companies connect multiple capabilities, people, tech, and operations, they deliver results that competitors can’t match. Clive Henry Group’s integrated structure is a perfect example.
Culture Is a Strategic Advantage
You can copy a business model, but not a culture. Their commitment to legacy, mission, and authenticity creates a bond inside and outside the organisation.
Innovation Comes From Partnership
Their collaboration with Ilarna proves that innovation doesn’t always mean inventing something new; it can mean investing in the right partner at the right time.
If you’re curious about how other UK organisations are driving similar change through collaboration, you might enjoy reading Are You Missing Out on What IN4 Group Offers?, a look at another group taking a forward-thinking approach to growth.
Step-by-Step Journey
Let’s trace their evolution from a small idea to a major player:
- Inspiration and Vision: Two entrepreneurs inspired by family values decide to build something meaningful for healthcare.
- Foundation: In 2022, they officially incorporated the Clive Henry Group in Birmingham.
- Expansion of Divisions: They establish subsidiaries that each address a different problem within the healthcare ecosystem.
- Early Projects: Initial contracts with the NHS and care organisations give them traction.
- Strategic Partnerships: They invest in and collaborate with digital health startups like ilarna.
- Recognition and Awards: The company’s rapid rise earns media attention and growth rankings.
- Operational Scaling: They strengthen systems, hire leaders, and build compliance frameworks.
- Future Growth: With a solid foundation, they now look toward global opportunities in health tech and workforce solutions.
This sequence shows deliberate, steady progress, an example of how patient, structured scaling beats the chaos of unchecked expansion.
FAQs
Who owns John Henry Group?
The John Henry Group, a UK infrastructure and telecoms services firm, remains family-owned. Though it received investment in recent years, the Henry family continues to oversee the company’s operations and governance.
Who is the CEO of Henry Crown and Company?
Henry Crown and Company, a Chicago-based investment firm, was founded by Henry Crown. Leadership has since passed through generations, with William “Bill” Crown serving as CEO following Jim Crown’s tenure.
Who is John Henry, CEO?
John W. Henry is the American businessman behind John W. Henry & Company. He is best known as the principal owner of the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool Football Club, and part-owner of RFK Racing through Fenway Sports Group.
Who is the CEO of Henry Resources?
Henry Resources, a private oil and gas company based in Texas, lists R. Danny Campbell as its CEO and Estate Advisor.
What companies does John Henry own?
John W. Henry’s ownership includes the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, The Boston Globe, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and RFK Racing through Fenway Sports Group.
Final Thoughts
The story of the Clive Henry Group isn’t just about growth; it’s about how modern businesses can make a real difference by combining vision with purpose. They’ve shown that when you align technology, people, and values, progress follows.
Healthcare will always be a challenging space, but it’s also where innovation has the most human impact. By staying focused on mission and quality, Clive Henry Group has become a model for how smaller firms can shape entire industries.
Their journey reminds us that legacy and progress aren’t opposites; they’re partners. When you build with purpose, you don’t just grow fast; you grow right.
