People of Arx Nova.
Senior experience. No compromises.
Crisis is no place for theory, guesswork, or delegation. At Arx Nova, you work directly with the people who built the firm.
We are a senior-only crisis leadership team with deep expertise in governance, legal strategy, communications, and operational control. Every client engagement is led by our founding directors, ensuring you get the clarity, focus, and leadership that crisis situations demand.
This is a team built for pressure. We do not observe from the sidelines. We operate inside the boardroom, taking control when it counts.
We are not just advisors. We are decision makers, stabilisers, and problem solvers. Calm, commercial, and committed to delivering results when your business needs them most.
Chris Johnson
Director & Co-Founder
Chris is a qualified solicitor and senior executive with over 17 years of experience across the legal, asset management, and professional services sectors. As a Director and Co-Founder of Arx Nova, Chris leads on legal risk, governance, structural oversight, and organisational turnaround during periods of business distress.
Having progressed from legal assistant to equity partner and board director, Chris has operated at every level of leadership. For the past eight years, he has held Director and Head of Operations roles, overseeing legal, financial, and strategic functions across complex portfolios in both the UK and international markets.
At Arx Nova, Chris is the legal and structural anchor in crisis scenarios. He advises boards on governance integrity, regulatory engagement, capital restructuring, and strategic recovery plans. His calm, analytical approach ensures that legal frameworks align with operational realities, enabling businesses to stabilise quickly and move forward with clarity.
Chris brings deep experience in mergers and acquisitions, refinancing, litigation funding, and stakeholder negotiation. He has led corporate restructures, chaired board and investor meetings, and managed the rationalisation of distressed business units under pressure.
Known for building high-performing teams, coordinating cross-functional delivery, and engaging with regulators, legal counsel, and investors, Chris brings discipline and control to some of the most complex challenges organisations face.
Simon Larkin
Director & Co-Founder
Simon is a Chartered Marketer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, with over 20 years of senior leadership experience across brand, digital, and stakeholder strategy. As a Director and Co-Founder of Arx Nova, he leads on crisis communications, reputational recovery, and executive messaging for organisations navigating complex and high-risk situations.
Simon has advised boards through critical events including regulatory investigations, leadership failures, financial distress, and public scrutiny. His calm, commercial approach helps organisations stabilise quickly and take control of the narrative under pressure. Whether managing media escalation, preparing public statements, or guiding regulatory disclosures, he ensures every communication serves both strategic intent and legal position.
He has operated at board level across the financial, real estate, and technology sectors and brings a strong understanding of regulated environments. His work bridges strategic messaging and digital infrastructure, ensuring integrated response across legal, operational, and reputational functions.
Simon also works proactively with leadership teams on crisis readiness, building message playbooks, stakeholder maps, and scenario planning tools to improve board preparedness and reduce response times when crises emerge.
His international experience spans the UK, US, Middle East, Asia, and Africa, equipping him to manage culturally sensitive issues and multi-jurisdictional risk with clarity and precision.
Joseph Mawdsley
Director & Co-Founder
Joseph is a senior executive with deep expertise in operational delivery, financial control, and governance across sectors including real estate, mining, logistics, and public services. As a Director and Co-Founder of Arx Nova, he leads on operational triage, financial clarity, and governance design during crisis and recovery phases.
Joseph has delivered large-scale transformation and stabilisation programmes in the UK, West Africa, and Canada. His experience spans project portfolio management, cross-jurisdictional operations, and crisis response leadership. He is known for implementing clear structures and reporting systems that allow boards to make fast, informed decisions under pressure.
At Arx Nova, Joseph works directly with boards and executive teams to restore operational stability and embed governance frameworks that drive performance and accountability. His ability to simplify complexity, re-establish financial control, and align teams behind clear deliverables makes him a critical presence in high-pressure situations.
He has led the financial and operational turnaround of overseas units, overseen international mining operations, and managed portfolios exceeding £200 million. His approach combines strategic oversight with hands-on delivery, ensuring both high-level governance and day-to-day execution are tightly aligned.
Whether building reporting frameworks, leading stakeholder engagement, or directing crisis recovery teams, Joseph brings the structure, pace, and board-level discipline that organisations rely on when stability is at stake.