Shalom DeSouza joins BDO in London as transaction services partner

Audit and advisory firm BDO has appointed a new partner in its London office. Shalom DeSouza joins the transactions services team, bringing two decades of experience to the role.

Specialising in real estate deals, DeSouza has been operating in the mergers and acquisitions space for more than 20 years. Arriving from Deloitte, he led the Big Four firm’s real estate transaction services, forging a deep understanding of the function across asset classes and transaction sizes.

In his career to date, DeSouza has led on cross border transactions on behalf of private equity, strategic corporate buyers, sovereign wealth funds and high net worth individuals. At BDO, he will put this knowhow to use, continuing his focus on private equity clients, and operating real estate transactions across various asset classes, including hospitality and leisure, healthcare and datacentres. 

Shalom DeSouza said: “I’m excited by the opportunity to add an additional market dimension to BDO’s excellent real estate practice. I look forward to building upon the collegiate culture at BDO and using my experience to bring out the best in our people to support our clients when they need us most.”  

Deals advisory has been one of the fastest growing lines of demand for consulting firms in the last year, as M&A activity gradually continues to bounce back from its 2023 crash. A huge leap in value and volume for large M&A deals in the first quarter suggest this will continue deeper into 2026.

BDO’s deals team advised on 257 deals in 2025 with a combined value of £10.9 billion, demonstrating the resilience of its client base as well as the firm’s sector and regional strengths. Meanwhile, BDO has also been named the top financial due diligence provider in UK and Ireland, by the Mergermarket UK Accountant League tables for 2025, by deal volume, for the fifth consecutive year – highlighting the importance of growing its capacity.   

Derek Neil, partner and head of transaction services at BDO, added, “It’s already shaping up to be a fantastic year for our team, and we’re pleased to welcome Shalom to join us on this journey. His experience and credentials clearly show the impact we know he is set to make in his new role, both for the benefit of our clients and our people too.”