Rickitt Mitchell promotes Kaine Smith and Charlotte Greenhalgh

Manchester-based corporate finance firm Rickitt Mitchell has promoted Kaine Smith and Charlotte Greenhalgh.

Kaine Smith has been with the mid-market M&A advisory – which mainly focuses on transactions between £10 million and £250 million in value – for nearly a decade, having joined the firm in 2013 from Big Four giant EY where qualified as a Chartered Accountant within the assurance department.

Over the past years, Smith gained extensive experience across a variety of transaction types, including public company flotations, private company disposals, fundraises, acquisitions and private equity investments. His sector experience focuses on technology, healthcare, distribution, engineering and retail. 

Some of his notable recent deals include the investment in Vein Centre by Palatine Private Equity for £26 million, the sale of Vision Support Services to US-based WestPoint Home for £30 million, the sale of Antler Luggage to Australia-based Strandbags, the £80 million flotation of Van Elle Holdings and the disposal of Better Capital owned Calyx Managed Services to MXC Capital. 

Smith now joins the board of the consulting firm, working alongside managing partner Stuart Moss and partner Neil Mitchell on growing the firm’s footprint. Established in 1976, Rickitt Mitchell has over 300 successful transactions with a combined value of more than £4 billion under its belt. 

Meanwhile, Charlotte Greenhalgh has been promoted to Manager. She joined Rickitt Mitchell in 2019 as a Corporate Finance Executive from PwC, and has “progressed quickly” according to partner Neil Mitchell. “Charlotte brings a level of confidence and technical ability in the corporate finance field beyond her years. She is a highly motivated and hardworking member of the team and we have all been impressed by the quality of work she delivers.” 

Among the transactions she worked on are: the sale of Antler Luggage to Australia-based Strandbags and APS Group’s £25 million re-finance with Shawbrook Bank.

The appointments come at a busy time for UK’s merger & acquisitions specialists. Following a slump in deal activity in 2020 amid the Covid-19-induced downturn, M&A activity is according to KPMG seeing a steady rebound, driven by corporates aiming to beef up their digital capabilities and private equity groups seeking to put their dry powder to work.