Meet The Partners
Dragoni Partners was founded by Dr Paul Grafton-Holt and Claudio Bacci, whose professional relationship spans more than three decades.
Having first worked together at American Express in London, their careers subsequently took them through senior roles at Alexander Forbes and later into partnership within a leading UK accountancy practice before establishing Dragoni Partners in 2013.
Their respective approaches are deliberately complementary: Paul tends to begin with possibilities and the wider strategic question; Claudio brings analytical scrutiny to the consequences, practicalities and implementation.
Together, they bring commercial experience, professional judgement and an enduring curiosity about how businesses, ownership and wealth might be structured more intelligently.
Dr Paul Grafton-Holt, BA, MA, DA
Managing PartnerPaul is Managing Partner of Dragoni Partners and leads much of the firm's strategic and client-facing work.
His career has encompassed financial services, taxation, trusts, business advisory and international structuring. He began his professional career with American Express in London, where he first worked alongside Claudio Bacci, before moving to Alexander Forbes, where both subsequently held senior positions within its tax and trust division.
Paul later became a partner within a UK top-20 accountancy practice, now Moore Kingston Smith, before he and Claudio established Dragoni Partners in 2013.
His approach to advisory work is deliberately inquisitive. Rather than beginning with a particular product, jurisdiction or structure, Paul is interested in understanding what sits behind the immediate question: the business being built, the capital being created, the people involved and what they ultimately want that success to accomplish.
That perspective frequently leads conversations beyond the client's existing structure to questions of ownership, protection, investment, succession and international opportunity.
Paul holds a BA (Hons) from the University of Wales – Trinity Saint David, an MA from the University of Chester and a Doctor of Arts from Whitefield Theological Seminary. He is also a published author whose wider interests include theology, philosophy and the exploration of unconventional ideas.
“For Paul, the most interesting advisory question is often not simply ‘What are you doing now?’ but ‘What are you ultimately trying to achieve?’”
Claudio Bacci, MBA
Senior PartnerClaudio is Senior Partner of Dragoni Partners and brings more than three decades of experience across financial services, taxation, trusts and business advisory work.
Born in Tuscany and based in the United Kingdom since the early 1990s, Claudio's career began with American Express in London, where he first worked alongside Paul Grafton-Holt.
He subsequently joined Alexander Forbes, holding senior responsibilities within its tax and trust activities, before later becoming a partner within a leading UK accountancy practice.
In 2013, Claudio and Paul established Dragoni Partners, bringing together their experience within a smaller, more personal advisory environment.
Claudio's approach combines technical analysis with commercial practicality. He has particular regard for the consequences of a proposal: how it might operate in practice, the professional disciplines required around it and whether its complexity is justified by what the client is seeking to achieve.
Claudio holds an MBA and an Italian accountancy diploma, together with professional qualifications and affiliations including CertPFS, Cert CII (MP), MIoD and STEP Affiliate. Fluent in both English and Italian, Claudio also brings an international perspective to the firm's work with business owners, families and professional advisers.
“For Claudio, good advice begins not with a product or a structure, but with understanding what the client is trying to accomplish.”