Former CEO of KPMG Sweden joins A&M in the Nordics
As the playing field continues to level due to new, tighter audit rotation rules, Alvarez & Marsal have confirmed another capture of senior talent from a Big Four consulting firm. Helene Willberg, formerly KPMG's CEO for Sweden, has joined A&M as a co-leader of the firm’s new Stockholm practice.
In the latest in a succession of appointments sourced from Big Four outfits, Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) have drafted in Helene Willberg as a Managing Director for the firm’s new Stockholm office. A&M is hoping to hit the ground running in the region, and the hire of the former KPMG Sweden CEO has all the hallmarks of a statement of intent, as well as a move geared toward the straight-forward strengthening of the firm’s capabilities in the region. The Nordics are seeing increasing economic growth, with the region’s banking sector presently rivalling that of Switzerland, and the consulting market is continuing to expand in the region correspondingly.
The addition of Willberg sees A&M seek to build on the firm’s Nordic expansion strategy, and addresses market demand for independent professional services offerings amidst changing pan-European regulatory requirements. Willberg is recognised as a leading transaction advisory professional, and in her new role she will advise clients on complex initial public offering (IPO) and merger and acquisition (M&A) situations, counsel multinational corporations on corporate governance and value creation issues, and work with private equity firms on transaction due diligence. She and fellow Stockholm-based A&M Managing Director will also serve as co-leaders of A&M’s Nordic practice.
A Master in Business Administration, having obtained a post-graduate degree from the Stockholm School of Economics, Helene Willberg held numerous senior roles at KPMG prior to joining A&M. These included twin four year stints as CEO of Sweden and Head of KPMG Financial Advisory Services. Willberg has worked extensively creating transformation for companies across multiple sectors including consumer goods, manufacturing, logistics, real estate, and the process industry. In addition to this, she has served as partner in charge of audit for publicly-traded companies.
Antonio Alvarez III, Managing Director and A&M’s European Practice leader, said of the firm’s new hire, “As we’ve seen in the U.K. and Europe, and increasingly the Nordics, A&M’s platform provides an independent and attractive alternative to both companies and professionals. Our European practices have grown more than 30 percent over the past two years. Helene’s appointment solidifies A&M’s position to add value to clients seeking non-audit services and the provision of conflict-free solutions.”
Privately held since 1983, A&M now has more than 300 professionals serving major private equity and multinational corporates across Europe, having grown exponentially over the past five years from a total of roughly 30 people. The arrival of Willberg follows a continued period of expansion, which has seen a number of senior consultants join the firm from Big Four consultancies. Earlier in the year, the arrival of Paul Kirkbright and Ben Cairns, formerly of KPMG and EY respectively, came on the back of a host of senior partners joining from Big Four firm KPMG, in response to rapidly growing regulatory requirements which have given the dominant firms’ competitors a new lease of life.
