M&A consultancy BTD launches Hong Kong office, 5th globally

UK consultancy BTD has on the back of heightened demand for M&A services in Asia opened a new office in Hong Kong, its second on the continent following its already operational base in Sydney.

Originally established as Beyond the Deal in 2001, international M&A consultancy BTD provides continuity of thinking, advice and support across the M&A life cycle. The firm has been working to expand its global presence following a strong increase in global demand for the company’s services. With offices in London, Frankfurt, Boston and Sydney, BTD has worked with more than 100 clients since inception including Alliance Boots, Amadeus, Coca-Cola Enterprises, E.On, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, and Unilever.

Now, growing M&A demand in China has seen BTD open a new office in Hong Kong to help meet demand in the region. Carlos Keener, Founder and Managing Partner of BTD, commented, “We are pleased with the increasing recognition of the importance of, and demand for, our services in Asia as the M&A market matures in the region; we’re clearly seeing that the early rush of outbound deals ‘of any kind, at any price’ is giving way to a more considered, strategic perspective and mature approach to issues such as post-close integration, cultural and other cross-border considerations, and long-term value creation. This is certainly an exciting time for us and we look forward to working with our clients in future.”

In the UK: Denise Emmanuel

While the organisation looks to grow overseas, meanwhile, the firm has also confirmed new measures to strengthen itself in the domestic market. Former Deloitte employee Denise Emmanuel has been appointed as Director in BTD’s UK practice, in order to strengthen the engagement leadership team in London, and support business development and client delivery within the corporates and the private equity community across the capital city and Britain.

Only 25% of senior management roles held by women in the global financial services industry, while the sector also has the worst of any gender pay gaps according to recent research. BTD, by contrast, has long bucked this trend, and Emmanuel joins a global management team which is already more than 43% female. Recent polls have shown executives want to see teams which have more of a gender balance because it can help deliver better quality results and boost the UK economy substantially – and BTD noted that they are happy to be ahead of the curve on the matter.

Denise Emmanuel arrives at BTD with more than 15 years’ investment and M&A experience at her disposal, including a 10 year stay in private equity. After an early engagement as Corporate Finance Transaction Services Manager at Big Four firm Deloitte, she moved to Spirit Capital, a private equity fund, as Associate Director. Denise then worked as Investment Director at Livingbridge for 4 years. Since 2014, Emmanuel has led the M&A activities of AIM listed company, Plastics Capital plc, from origination to post-deal integration and ongoing advice on strategic initiatives.

Carlos Keener said of the appointment, “On a strategic level, this appointment will enhance our insights into how M&A and integration can be improved for our clients, and our ability to deliver value for them. On a personal level, Denise makes a great addition to the team, and I’m truly looking forward to the opportunity to work together in the future.”