New Partners for Quantuma in London: Paul Zalkin and Michael Kiely
Business advisory firm Quantuma has continued its recent spree of appointments with two new Partners. The promotion of corporate recovery specialist Paul Zalkin to Partner is accompanied by Michael Kiely’s arrival at the same rank in Quantuma’s London office.
Corporate recovery and business advisory firm Quantuma recently celebrated its fifth anniversary with the reporting of the firm’s strong financial performance. Turnover for the year to 31 March 2018 rose to £10.4 million, an increase of 10% on 2017 levels. As the firm works to accommodate its growing client demands, Quantuma has welcomed aboard a multitude of new professionals.
Quantuma added five professionals to its offices in London, Bristol and Southampton over the summer. Later, the firm would add to that number with the arrival of new Corporate Finance Director Adrian Howells. Now, the firm has added a further two Partners to its London outfit.
Paul Zalkin
Paul Zalkin arrived at Quantuma two years ago, having joined the firm’s insolvency and restructuring practice as a Director in 2016. He has almost 20 years’ experience in mid-market corporate recovery, working across a wide range of industry sectors, including care homes, property and hospitality and leisure. Before joining Quantuma, Zalkin enjoyed spells with Moorfields, where he was a Director and Head of Property; Baker Tilly, where he was an Associate Director; and Deloitte, where he was an Insolvency and Restructuring Manager. In addition, Zalkin holds accreditations from the Joint Insolvency Examination Board and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
During his time at Quantuma, Zalkin has spearheaded the firm’s focus on the fintech and alternative finance markets, building several key relationships. He was part of the team responsible for establishing Quantuma’s relationship with a range of alternative finance platforms as well as championing Quantuma’s associate membership to the Peer-to-Peer Finance Association, the UK’s self-regulatory body for peer-to-peer lending. As a result, Quantuma became the first restructuring business advisor to be admitted to the organisation. Following his promotion, Zalkin will continue to focus on developing existing relationships in key markets, as well as building on his practice as an appointment-taking insolvency practitioner.
Commenting on the promotion, Carl Jackson, Managing Partner at Quantuma, said, “In the two years that Paul has been with us, he has demonstrated his ability to generate the best returns for our clients, as well as building meaningful relationships and driving new business. The promotion is just reward for his accomplishments, not only in developing his personal practice, but the progress and initiative he has shown in promoting the wider firm in the alternative finance and fintech spaces.”
Paul Zalkin added, “For a mid-market restructuring and insolvency adviser there can be no better place to build a practice than at Quantuma - a uniquely dynamic and energetic firm with a fantastic range of complimentary services and a collaborative culture which adds real value to clients. The firm’s services, values and people are a pleasure to work with and I’m proud to be a partner contributing to a great success story.”
Michael Kiely
Michael Kiely brings over 25 years’ experience to Quantuma, having specialised in insolvency and restructuring, focusing on the retail, construction and financial services sectors. As a new Partner in Quantuma’s corporate insolvency and recovery team, Kiely will work alongside the firm’s partners to support distressed businesses. He will also look to build on existing relationships across a wide range of industry sectors to support the firm’s growth.
He arrives from auditing firm UHY Hacker Young, where he was an integral part of the leadership team, advising on high-profile transactions including the special administration of Hartmann Capital Limited. Before his 15-year term with UHY Hacker Young, Kiely also spent time with Baker Tilly, where he spent 13 years and was latterly a Manager. He holds an accreditation from the Joint Insolvency Examination Board and is a member of the Insolvency Practitioners Association and The Association of Business Recovery Professionals.
Speaking on his new challenge, Kiely said, “The team at Quantuma is extremely dynamic, working on some of the most high profile and interesting cases. My new role will enable me to build on my current experience across both the construction and retail sectors, as well as build my network in new and emerging growth areas for the firm. I look forward to working alongside the team as it continues to become one of the UK’s leading business advisors.”
Carl Jackson added, “Michael will be a valuable addition to the restructuring team at Quantuma, having demonstrated his ability to handle sensitive appointments and generate the best returns for creditors and clients. This appointment comes amidst a period of rapid growth for Quantuma, particularly in London. This is driven by our continuing ability to attract large, complex and cross border assignments, and I’m confident that Michael will help us to build upon this in the coming months.”
