About

Home / About Us

About Us

Paul Webster: Principal of International Expansion Partners

Paul Webster brings a wealth of global experience to his role as Principal of International Expansion Partners, with a career that spans across continents and sectors. His professional journey includes significant roles in financial services and management consulting in Australia, followed by a transition to international investment facilitation, where he has supported thousands of businesses—from nimble scale-ups to expansive multinational corporations—on their paths to global growth.

Paul’s tenure in the public sector includes serving as the Director of Australia and New Zealand, Inward Investment for the Foreign Office in Sydney. He later moved to London to address the needs of the UK’s diverse global client base. Most recently, Paul held the prestigious role of NSW Trade and Investment Commissioner in London, where he was instrumental in promoting bilateral trade and investment between the UK, Europe, and Sydney, Australia.

Before joining International Expansion Partners, Paul founded and led the International Investment Service, eventually exiting to Gateley Plc. During his time there, he created and spearheaded the Growth Works program for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and served on the boards of several high-growth companies.

Paul has also contributed significantly to the field of economic development as a former Director of the Institute for Economic Development and as an author of research for entities like the City of London, NZTE, and the Advanced Manufacturing Council.

Academically, Paul has fortified his practical expertise with an MBA and Chartered Accountancy qualifications from Australia, augmented by focused management studies at WHU in Germany, Oxford in the UK, and Harvard in the USA. His multifaceted experience and education enable him to lead International Expansion Partners with a deep understanding of the dynamics of international business expansion and investment.

International Expansion Partners – Associates

Gareth Preece

Gareth Preece is a distinguished specialist in strategic workforce planning, skills development, and organizational growth. With a deep-rooted belief in the power of aligning individual career progression with broader business objectives, Gareth has earned a stellar reputation for his effective delivery in skills enhancement, educational reform, and business growth initiatives. His approach uniquely integrates a ‘people strategy’ perspective, fostering transformative changes across both public and private sectors, and enhancing local skills brokerage and economic growth services.

His career trajectory includes nearly a decade of providing expert advice to inward investors in the UK through the Department for International Trade. Building on this rich experience, Gareth founded International Expansion Partners, a consultancy dedicated to assisting small but growing companies. His focus is on overcoming the challenges of accessing talent by crafting people strategies that are directly linked to sustainable and high-quality growth.

Gareth holds the title of Chartered Member at the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, and is an active Member of the Institute of Directors and the Institute for Export and International Trade, where he also contributes as a Member of the Academic Board. Through his leadership at International Expansion Partners, Gareth continues to drive strategic innovation and development, ensuring that workforce planning and skills development are central to organizational success and expansion in the global marketplace.

Chris Staerck

Chris Staerck brings a wealth of expertise to his role as an Associate at International Expansion Partners. As a Director at Weight Lifted, Chris specialises in strategy formulation, planning, and ensuring the successful delivery of client outcomes. He excels in strategy and business consulting, driven by his sharp insight and robust commercial acumen.

Chris is recognised for his implementation skills and proactive attitude, coupled with a strong passion for solving complex problems efficiently. His approach often involves leveraging and interpreting data to facilitate informed decision-making. With a notable background in the Big-4, Chris has amassed extensive experience across various sectors, including financial services, professional services, media, public sector, and not-for-profit organizations.

Since 2009, his career has been particularly focused on international trade, positioning him as a key resource for clients at International Expansion Partners seeking to navigate the complexities of global markets.

Peter's Jelfs

Peter is Professor of Accounting at Brunel University London. His research focusses on direct taxation, both domestic and international, and bridges the gap between private and public sectors. Before entering academia he worked as a direct tax adviser at large accountancy and law firms including Mazars and Gateley, and was latterly five years as Head of Tax at the UK Department for Business and Trade, focussing on inward investment.

Peter can support our customers on assessing their fit for Patent Box, R&D Tax Relief, Property Tax Relief and key tax incentives.

Julian Christmas

For the last 15 years, Julian has been advising technology companies on all aspects of their international expansion – structure, tax considerations, and the mechanics of setting up and supporting operations in a wide variety of countries. Julian has worked closely with global brands such as Airbnb and Tesla to advise on and coordinate international expansion projects.

In 2014 Julian co-founded a boutique international business services outsourcing company, and his focus was on the technical advice and support that companies needed for decision-making and execution around international expansion. In 2019 the company took private equity investment, and the co-founders exited in early 2024. Julian now provides consulting services to companies looking to expand and build teams and operations outside of their home country.