Alvarez & Marsal adds trio of senior advisors to A&M Taxand in London
Alvarez & Marsal has strengthened its continental tax team with the appointment of a trio of former FTI Consulting consultants. The appointments see Marvin Rust become the new Head of Taxand Europe, while Louise Jenkins and Andrew Ponting join as Senior Directors.
Alvarez & Marsal Taxand is an independent tax group affiliated to global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal. The A&M network member consists of experienced tax professionals dedicated to providing customised tax advice to clients and investors across a broad range of industries. Taxand’s professionals extend A&M’s commitment to offering clients a choice in advisors who are free from audit-based conflicts of interest, and bring an unyielding commitment to delivering responsive client service, providing services from offices in major metropolitan markets throughout the US, as well as the UK from its base in London.
Taxand has strengthened its tax advisory practice with three senior appointments. According to A&M Taxand, the hires demonstrate the firm’s commitment to growing its UK presence and expanding its range of services to clients amidst an industry landscape that is shifting in response to regulatory changes.
Marvin Rust has joined the firm as Managing Director and Head of Taxand Europe, while Louise Jenkins and Andrew Ponting both arrive as Senior Directors. Marvin Rust will lead the team – he bringing over 30 years in consulting and 20 years’ experience in the hospitality transaction sector to his position. A former employee of Deloitte, Rust spent 27 years with the Big Four firm, becoming Global Managing Partner Hospitality before exiting the firm in 2013.
Rust spent a further four years with FTI Consulting, where he became Head of European Tax Advisory. In his new role with Taxand, Rust’s primary areas of focus involve working with clients on complex tax matters from transactions and refinancing, through the BEPS agenda with a focus on transfer pricing.
Antonio Alvarez III, Managing Director and A&M’s European Practice lead, said, “Marvin brings the right experience at the right time to A&M as we rapidly up-weight our service lines to help clients meet new audit regulation and rotation change challenges. His track record advising corporates, private equity firms, and individuals on complex matters will enable us to provide clients with more rounded solutions, often at key moments in their business and investment plans.”
Louise Jenkins, now a Senior Director at A&M Taxand, will look after compensation and benefits. She arrives in her role via a similar root to Rust, having worked for Big Four firms EY and KPMG as a Senior Manager in Financial Services and People Services respectively, before a year-long stint with FTI as a Managing Director.
Andrew Ponting specialises in global mergers and acquisitions, as well as private equity tax matters. The new A&M Taxand Senior Director has also spent time with a succession of Big Four firms. A previous Manager in International Tax at Deloitte, following a spell as a Manager with NatWest Bank, Ponting joined PwC for a 14 year tenure, including 11 years in PwC's London M&A and Private Equity tax team, six of which were as Director, and 2 years with PwC Tokyo. Before joining A&M, Ponting spent three years with FTI, where he was Senior Director in Private Equity and M&A Tax.
Commenting on the succession of hirings, Ernesto Perez, Managing Director and Global Practice Leader for A&M Taxand, said, “Marvin is one of the most experienced and well-regarded tax advisors in the European marketplace; he is an ideal leader for our growing tax practice in the region. The addition of Marvin is complemented by Louise, who is recognised as a leading advisor on compensation matters and Andrew, who is noted for his global merger and acquisitions expertise.”
