Confidence in the Deals Market Grows, Alongside Continuing Demand for Operational Change.
This month’s Key People Moves continues to highlight the demand for senior level consultants with expertise in Restructuring and broader Operational Transformation topics. Firms such as Eight Advisory and Interpath are showing their confidence in the M&A markets through bolstering their Transaction Services capabilities. The large system integrators, including Atos and Infosys, also continue to broaden their leadership teams, with these individuals coming from competitors. Finally consulting firms in the Middle East maintain their push for growth, as rapid economic expansion increases the demand for high-quality consulting services.
People Moves
Esther Liesenberg has joined AlixPartners as a Managing Director after spending 4 years at Strategy&. She will be bringing her experience and know-how of strategic and operational transformation topics within the Consumer Goods space.
After 9 years with Oliver Wyman, Dominik Käfer has joined Strategy&’s Frankfurt office, where he will be a core member of the Financial Services practice. He will continue to serve clients on matters such as anti-money laundering, combating fraud and corruption, sanctions, cyber and digital compliance, as well as non-financial risks.
Yves Bernaert has been appointed as the CEO of Atos to further bolster their turnaround initiatives, based out of Paris. His extensive experience in tech and digital combined with his visionary leadership style make him a valuable asset in steering Atos towards continued success and innovation.
Paolo Rinaldi joins AlixPartners as a Partner & Managing Director, where he will join their Turnaround & Restructuring practice, serving clients on a range of restructuring and insolvency topics.
Arthur D. Little has strengthened their Partner group in Southern Europe with the hire of Francisco Velasco from EY Spain, focusing on the Financial Services sector, and Alessandro Barmettler from Italian boutique consulting firm, Value Partners, where he will focus on serving the Automotive & Manufacturing Goods sectors.
Teneo have strengthened their capability in German through the hire of Philipp Grontzki, a Strategic Communications professional, who will focus on serving clients on various topics such as investor relations, C-level positioning, corporate branding, and special campaigns.
Andrew Drennan and Kathie Haunton have been welcomed into Alvarez & Marsal‘s UK team. Andrew Drennan joins as a Managing Director in the Disputes and Investigation practice. Meanwhile, Kathie Haunton’s impressive journey from a material scientist to a partner at Deloitte, coupled with her pioneering role in establishing Deloitte’s R&D team, positions her as an invaluable addition to A&M Tax.
Eight Advisory have strengthened their Partner group in Amsterdam with the hire of Niels Lummen from Deloitte. Niels is now a leader within their Transaction Services practice, specifically serving clients within the Energy sector.
Germana Veneziano Niemeier has made the move away from consulting (PwC) after 10 years to join Private Equity firm Greenpeak Partners, where she will be focused on Investor Relations and Capital Formation.
The boutique pricing strategy firm Pearson Ham has hired Alexander Desyatnik from McKinsey as a Director (Equity Partner), where he will be offering clients a range of services in the world of pricing.
After 11+ years at Cognizant, Ian Storr has joined Infosys to lead their Healthcare and Life Sciences R&D capability across EMEA. He will be based out of their London office.
Mazars have hired Xavier Baron to join their Partnership in France. Xavier joins from Deloitte and will support small- and mid-cap companies and PE funds in the various stages of their acquisition, sale and restructuring.
Hans-Peter Fischer and Frank Damm have joined the ranks of FTI Consulting in Germany. This addition brings extensive expertise to the firm’s cybersecurity advisory services, reinforcing their position in the market.
Lucy Hunt steps into the role of CEO at Thomson Environmental Consultants. Her extensive background in environmental consulting equips her to lead the firm forward, emphasizing sustainability and environmental stewardship.
With a wealth of experience in restructuring and corporate finance, Tom McGinness takes on the role of Special Advisor at Interpath. His deep industry knowledge is expected to provide invaluable insights to the firm and its clients.
HKA, a global consultancy specialised in risk and disputes, welcomes Nick Panes as an Investigations Partner. Nick’s extensive experience in complex investigations strengthens HKA’s position in delivering high-value solutions to their clients.
Interpath has made a strategic addition to its leadership team in the UK with Louise Smith. She joins Interpath’s Transaction Services practice from EY, and will help scale the business’s deal advisory functions.
In a significant homecoming in the Middle East region, Lutfi Zakhour returns to Strategy& as a Financial Services Partner in their UAE office. He brings extensive experience in transforming digital payments and operating models for banks and public finance entities.
Kearney welcomes Samay Mishra as a Partner in their Public Sector practice in the UAE. Samay’s wealth of experience in the public sector domain is expected to bolster Kearney’s offerings and drive impactful solutions for their clients in the Middle East.
Chris Murphy brings his expertise to the cybersecurity arm of FTI Consulting in Dubai. With a proven track record in cybersecurity, Chris is poised to enhance the firm’s capabilities in this critical and rapidly evolving field.
People Promotions
Stephan Grueber, a long-term member of KPMG’s Deal Advisory business, has been promoted to Partner in Switzerland.
KPMG UK has promoted Natalie Mueller to Partner, where she continues to lead within the Valuations practice, serving clients on complex commercial valuations. Similarly Olga Bersadschi has also been promoted to Partner in Deals, where she will continue to serve Retail & Consumer clients.
Dr. Andrej Levin, Managing Director & Partner at BCG, has been given the new responsibility of leading BCG X in Central Europe, where he will be able to implement his passion for tech and innovation to the broader BCG team.
In a noteworthy development, Dirk Intrup has been promoted to the role of Vice President at Capgemini Invent. With this, they are set to take the reins in propelling the digital transformation of public administration alongside their team.
Elixirr has announced the promotions of Dan Coral and Rory Farquharson to the position of Partner. Dan and Rory have both been instrumental in the firm’s expansion in the US.
Rema Serafi is set to assume the role of Vice Chair of Tax at KPMG US. With an impressive 27-year tenure at KPMG, Serafi steps into this pivotal position succeeding Greg Engel. Serafi’s appointment marks a significant milestone as she becomes the first woman to hold the position of Vice Chair of Tax at KPMG US.
Interpath has made two other additions to its UK leadership team with the promotion of Stuart Reid (Value Creation) and Matthew Townsend (Transaction Services ) to Managing Directors.
Market Intelligence
KPMG has received the largest fine ever imposed by the Financial Reporting Council. The regulatory body has imposed a £21 million penalty on the firm for its involvement with the collapsed outsourcer Carillion.
Kroll has recently launched a cutting-edge digital platform tailored for the management of illiquid assets. This platform is designed to offer enhanced efficiency and transparency throughout the entire management process. The launch of this platform furthers Kroll’s digital and tech-enabled offering.
BCG has formed a strategic partnership with Swedish environmental solutions provider Doconomy. The collaboration aims to empower consumers with financial tools for sustainable decision-making, including the ‘Aland Index’ which calculates the carbon footprint of digital financial transactions. BCG sees this partnership as pivotal in assisting financial institutions to translate their net-zero commitments into tangible actions for societal and environmental progress.
abrdn‘s US subsidiary has successfully sold its private equity and venture capital capabilities to US-based HighVista Strategies, involving around $4 billion in assets and 30 employees. This move, initiated after a comprehensive review, aligns with abrdn’s strategy to exit non-core businesses. The sale is anticipated to yield an IFRS profit of approximately £17 million, according to abrdn’s H1 2023 results.
Accenture has acquired ON Service Group, strengthening its business process services in the insurance sector. ON Service Group, with over 20 years of experience, will integrate into Accenture’s Operations business unit, further enhancing their managed services for business processes and technology.