KPMG UK bolsters Deal Advisory practice with a raft of partner promotions

KPMG UK today confirms the appointment of nine new partners across its Deal Advisory practice, rounding off a year which saw record levels of deal activity and landmark transactions.

The newly promoted partners span the breadth of the firm’s Deal Advisory offering and bring with them their respective areas of expertise: 

• Emily Watkins, Deal Analytics (strategic profitability insights)
• Anthony Ball, Corporate Finance (healthcare M&A)
• Gwyn Llewelyn, Corporate Finance (infrastructure advisory)
• Ashish Sarkar, Strategy Group (financial services, strategy and performance transformation)
• Francesca Scott, Strategy Group (synergies and public company)
• Guan Yeo, Transaction Advisory Services (consumer)
• Mark Harper, Strategy group (consumer sector deal execution)
• Simon Wormald, Transaction Advisory Services (private and public sector healthcare)
• Wafa Jafri, Transaction Advisory Services (energy transition strategy)

Two other partner appointments were made earlier this year, with Chris Croft and Tim Nicholson from Corporate Finance also joining the partnership. A further 24 colleagues across the practice have been promoted to director, while 151 have been promoted to a range of roles from assistant manager to associate director.

Liz Claydon, Head of KPMG UK’s Deal Advisory practice, said:

“These promotions reflect the growth, dedication and hard work of my colleagues, in what has been a year like no other. These also demonstrate our commitment to invest in our people, sectors and insights. I’m immensely proud of the nine newly appointed partners and the many other colleagues who have progressed within the Deal Advisory & Strategy practice. I look forward to supporting them in their continued success.

“Investing in our people lies at the very heart of our Deal Advisory strategy, and each of my colleagues bolsters the extensive expertise we offer our clients. From investing in infrastructure, synergies and data analytics, to expertise in specific sectors including energy, financial services, healthcare or consumer markets, these promotions will help support our clients add value across the entire deal-cycle. With four of our newly promoted partners being female, I’m also thrilled that our focus on championing greater diversity within the sector has continued.”

Commenting on the broader Deal Advisory landscape, Liz Claydon added:

“The deals market has demonstrated incredible resilience throughout the pandemic. Activity reached record levels as investors sought out quality assets. That’s a trend that looks set to continue. A number of sectors continue to perform very strongly, including technology and business services, and many are seeking acquisitions as a means of growth, while others are looking to simplify and focus on their core business by divesting.

“In terms of capital markets, both IPOs and public-to-private transactions continue at a steady pace, and there is ample private equity dry powder at the ready. Whilst there’s a shadow of uncertainty around the short-term economic outlook with the new variant, we know that the focus for all will ultimately be on recovery and growth. Our Deal Advisory & Strategy practice has an incredibly important role to play in this, as businesses and investors look to navigate challenges and explore value creation opportunities. As these latest promotions demonstrate, we’re in a great place to help our clients do just that.”

 

ENDS

 

For media enquiries, please contact:

Simon Wilson, Corporate Communications Manager, KPMG in the UK

Simon.wilson@kpmg.co.uk / 07785 373 397

Jo Chileshe, Corporate Communications Senior Manager, KPMG in the UK

Jo.chileshe@kpmg.co.uk / 07919 211 803

KPMG UK’s Media Team: 0207 694 8773

 

About KPMG UK

KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, operates from 21 offices across the UK with approximately 16,000 partners and staff.  The UK firm recorded a revenue of £2.3 billion in the year ended 30 September 2020.

KPMG is a global organization of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Legal, Tax and Advisory services. It operates in 147 countries and territories and has more than 219,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.