Grant Thornton promotes Colin Diss and Paul Wilson to partner

Grant Thornton has confirmed the promotion of two partners in its UK arm. Grant Thornton has appointed Colin Diss as a Partner in the firm’s national insolvency and asset recovery offering wing, while also naming Paul Wilson as a Partner in its North West tax team.

With the UK economy having been pummeled by Covid-19, many businesses enter 2021 in an acute position of distress. As Grant Thornton anticipates a spike in demand in its insolvency and asset recovery wing resulting from this, the firm has appointed Colin Diss as a Partner there.

Commenting on the news, Diss said, “I am truly excited to be joining the Grant Thornton partnership as I continue to expand the firm’s fantastic and well-established Insolvency and asset recovery team. With ongoing global economic and political uncertainty, our clients are frequently encountering asset-tracing and recovery challenges which need the local-market insight and multi-disciplinary expertise that our team of leading specialists can provide.”

Diss has been with Grant Thornton for over 15 years, having arrived via the firm’s graduate scheme in 2005. He is a licensed Insolvency Practitioner and has played a leading role in building the firm’s Insolvency and asset recovery team since then. He has experience in breaking structures and recovering assets from a range of global jurisdictions including the Middle East, the Caribbean, US, India, Hong Kong, Cyprus and Switzerland, and as Partner, he will further focus on expanding the firm’s offering, focusing geographically on the UK, Middle East and the Caribbean offshore financial centres.

Kevin Hellard, Head of Insolvency and Asset Recovery at Grant Thornton UK, remarked, “Colin's promotion demonstrates the firm’s continued investment and commitment to growing our Insolvency and asset recovery practice. A practice that brings together a talented group of partners who work closely with our clients and act as specialists across the major onshore and offshore financial centres. We continue to invest in the practice and know that Colin’s expertise will only help to strengthen the firm’s client offering.”

As a result of Brexit negotiations, and the start of life in earnest outside of the EU, businesses in the North West of England face a host of new tax challenges, which they will likely turn to Grant Thornton for help addressing. As Grant Thornton continues to extend its offering across the region, the firm has announced the appointment of Paul Wilson to Partner in its tax division.

Commenting on his promotion to partner, Paul Wilson said, “I am hugely excited to be taking the next step in my career with Grant Thornton. The strength of the tax team in the region was a major draw when I joined the firm in 2017, so I’m incredibly pleased to step up to partner within it.”

Wilson has been based in the region for 13 years of his two-decade career – which has been focussed entirely in VAT – and before that worked in London and New Zealand. Most recently, he worked as a VAT Director in the firm’s tax team for the last four years. He has has particular expertise in manufacturing, technology, real estate and private healthcare, and is a recognised expert in international supply chain advisory, something which has led to him leading several of the firm’s Brexit readiness projects for its client base.

Carl Williams, North West Managing Partner for Grant Thornton, stated, “Paul’s promotion to partner comes at a time of significant potential disruption to international supply chains, when our region’s globally trading businesses need assured counsel. I’m pleased to see him make the step up to partner and to continue to offer real insight and guidance to our client base.

The news follows closely from Grant Thornton’s decision to further boost its North West leadership with Louise Gannon and Paul Bamber both being promoted to Director. Gannon now leads the not-for-profit corporate tax team and has over 13 years’ experience advising both charitable and corporate organisations, while Bamber joins the leadership group within audit, and is targeting further expansion for the offering in 2021.

Williams added, “As a firm, we’re committed to attracting, retaining and developing the best and brightest talent. All of our promoted colleagues have supported both clients and each other with resilience, dynamism and compassion amid unprecedented circumstances last year and I’m delighted to recognise that.”