LDC Top 50 2026
Paul Scott and Zein Al-Bader
Co-CEOs
Square 4 Partners
Paul Scott and Zein Al-Bader founded Square 4 Partners to help financial services firms tackle complex regulatory and operational challenges. The combined consultancy, technology and interim expertise model clearly works – Square 4 has a Net Promoter Score of +90.
The remote-first company will hit £24 million in turnover this year, with 64 staff – many lured from senior roles by Square 4’s hybrid working and unlimited holiday. Zein says “We haven’t paid out any dividends since we started; everything has been reinvested into the business.” The business also donates four per cent of profits to charity.
We haven’t paid out any dividends since we started; everything has been reinvested into the business, creating new service lines, developing tech solutions, and recruiting great people.”
Q&A
How have you grown so quickly?
Paul: The FCA’s introduction of the Consumer Duty created significant demand for specialist support. We responded by investing in the right expertise and developing new services, including an AI-powered outcomes-testing tool that helps clients assess whether they are delivering compliant outcomes for customers. Our growth has come from anticipating what firms need, delivering consistently and reinvesting in our people and technology.
What’s the biggest challenge you face?
Zein: We generated £385,000 in our first year and expect to end this year with turnover of £23.8 million. Managing growth at that pace inevitably brings challenges.
Paul: The biggest is ensuring the business has the right capacity at the right time. We need to recruit ahead of demand without building a team that is underutilised. Striking the right balance between our pipeline and investment in talented people is a constant challenge.
What is the dynamic between you
Paul: Being a CEO can be lonely, so having a partner who shares the same ambition but brings a different perspective is invaluable. We don’t always agree, but we’re honest with each other, listen and find the right way forward.
Zein: We each lead two of the company’s four service lines, playing to our different strengths. Paul was my boss before we founded Square 4, which made for an interesting dynamic at first. But we have enormous respect for each other and value our different approaches. We’re also great mates, which helps.
