Grant Thornton appoints next generation of North West dealmakers

17 June 2021 Consultancy.uk

Grant Thornton has announced a flurry of new hew hires and promotions in its North West corporate finance team. The move sees three young dealmakers recruited, alongside three promotions celebrating the rapid development of the existing team.

Speaking on the news, Pete Terry, Head of Corporate Finance for Grant Thornton in the North West, said, “As we head into the summer months, activity in the North West deals market is undoubtedly hotting up, particularly in the mid-market. There is a wall of private equity capital looking for a home, and a raft of businesses ready to kick on to the next phase of their growth trajectory, as we enter what we all hope are the final months of Covid-19 restrictions.”

The new hires take the team’s headcount to 10, as Grant Thornton’s deals services look to meet keen demand. Corporate finance work sees the firm’s professionals advise clients on financial activities and capital investment decisions. Such decisions include whether to pursue a proposed investment and whether to pay for the investment with equity, debt, or both.

Grant Thornton appoints next generation of North West dealmakers

Alex Parry joins the team as an Assistant Manager, arriving from a Big Four firm. She spent more than five years with PwC, after graduating from the University of Nottingham with a first-class honours degree in accountancy.

Humza Khan meanwhile is an experienced mid-market deal originator with particular expertise in private equity and M&A activity, joining Grant Thornton as a Manager. He previously spent two years with RSM, where he was also Manager in Corproate Finance M&A. He has an MBA in Corporate Finance, Venture Capital & Private Equity from Alliance Manchester Business School.

Rachael Taplin joins Grant Thornton’s corporate finance wing following a shift in her focus within the firm. Unlike the other new arrivals in the team, the new Manager started at Grant Thornton in 2018 and has been working in audit, where she has risen quickly through the ranks with two promotions in successive years.  

Promotions

Cariad Mudford has been promoted to Associate Director, as a reward for her hard work within the team. Working between the firm’s Manchester and Leeds office over the last eight years since joining from university, she has played a key role in several high-profile deals, including the sale of Apple Aviation to US private equity backed STS Aviation Group, and the acquisition of independent vehicle reconditioning and storage specialists, Smart Fleet Solutions, by rapidly-growing tech unicorn Cazoo.

Alex Hirst was also elevated to Manager. Having joined as a graduate in 2015, Hirst worked in audit for the firm in the Midlands until 2018, when he moved into the North West CF advisory team.

Amy Huddleston has been promoted to Manager too. She has been with the firm since graduating from the University of Nottingham with first-class honours in economics and philosophy in 2016. She has worked in Grant Thornton’s Manchester office since then, completing placements in transactional services, restructuring, and M&A; before joining the deals team permanently in September 2020.

As well as strengthening the team for the period ahead, and rewarding hard work among existing members, Grant Thornton’s corporate finance appointments in the North West see it become one of the most gender-diverse M&A advisory line-ups in the region’s market. It is now staffed by 40% female experts.

Terry added, “It’s particularly gratifying that we’ve been able to recognise and recruit dynamic, ambitious female corporate finance professionals, who I have no doubt can be our team’s leaders in the future. Despite positive strides to effect change, M&A still has too few women in senior roles. That needs to change, as both our anecdotal experience, and peer-reviewed empirical evidence, prove beyond doubt the marked benefits of diversity in dealmaking.”

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