Moore Kingston Smith adds three partners to growing firm
Mike Orton has joined Moore Kingston Smith’s corporate finance team, while Jonathan Ford and Jonathan Russell join the firm’s corporate client services wing. The appointments come as the consultancy looks to add capacity across the UK and Ireland.
The London wing of Moore in the UK, Moore Kingston Smith boasts over 70 partners and more than 700 people based in and around the capital city. Moore Kingston Smith is currently celebrating a milestone 100 years in business, but as it looks ahead to its second century, the firm has committed to a major expansion to grow its capabilities. Earlier in the year, the firm took on private equity funding from Waterland, to fund new expansions across its operations.
Putting the investment to work already, the firm acquired leading Irish accountancy firm Moore in July 2023, strengthening its ability to provide comprehensive support to its growing client base with international interests. At the same time, a sustained hiring campaign in the UK has added a number of senior experts to the firm’s team.
Moore Kingston Smith’s Managing Partner Maureen Penfold commented, “The expertise our latest appointments bring will be integral in shaping the quality solutions we continue to develop, supporting our clients’ evolving needs in a rapidly changing and challenging landscape.”
Mike Orton is one of the three latest partner arrivals at Moore Kingston Smith. Joining in London, he is a corporate finance expert specialising in the delivery of due diligence services for private company acquisitions and disposals, management buyouts, initial public offerings, debt raises, and investments from private equity and venture capitalists. He previously spent 15 years with Grant Thornton’s transaction advisory services wing, where he was an associate director – before most recently working for Mercer & Hole as a director in corporate finance.
Orton noted, “With an excellent reputation in the market and the depth of specialism here, I'm delighted to join Moore Kingston Smith’s Corporate Finance team. I look forward to bringing my own entrepreneurial experience of growing a business to serve our clients beyond their expectations, as well as drawing on the high level of collaboration among the vastly experienced people across the firm and the Moore network.”
Jonathan Ford is a corporate client services partner, specialising in auditing fast-growing private and PE-backed businesses. With expertise particularly honed within the fields of media and technology and over 25 years of Big Four experience with PwC – where he was latterly a director – his clients have ranged from local start-ups to the UK operations of international businesses.
Ford remarked, “I am thrilled to join Moore Kingston Smith at this time when it’s investing further in technology, people and its quality solutions for clients. There is a world of opportunity at our fingertips. Coming from a larger firm, I look forward to bringing this experience and channelling my focus into the dynamic businesses and sectors I have such enthusiasm for, particularly technology and media.”
Jonathan Russell, finally, becomes a corporate client services partner with Moore Kingston Smith, after delivering external audits with 22 years of Big Four experience to start ups, mid-market, corporates and listed businesses. Having worked for his whole career at KPMG, latterly as an audit director, his international, multi-sector knowledge spans consumer goods, hospitality and travel, automotive, logistics, and sports, as well as cross-border experience with clients in the US, Germany and Japan.
Russell said, “It’s fantastic to be part of this growing firm – clearly everyone is very excited by the prospect of what’s ahead. I highly value the client-centric approach the firm champions, and I’m looking forward to pairing my experience from a larger practice with Moore Kingston Smith’s commitment to providing a personal and authentic experience for our clients.”
