Introduction
The consulting and advisory sector continues to see dynamic growth and talent movement, with firms strengthening leadership teams, expanding service offerings, and forging strategic partnerships. This month, key appointments span private equity, cybersecurity, restructuring, M&A, transaction services, and AI-driven transformation. From senior hires driving private equity and performance improvement practices to strategic alliances with AI and energy technology providers, these moves underscore the sector’s focus on innovation, operational excellence, and client impact across global markets.
Key People Moves
PMP Strategy have appointed Ben Bugg as Associate Partner in their London office. Bugg brings more than 15 years of experience in investment and strategy consulting, with a background in deal origination, client development and private equity advisory.
Most recently, he led EMEA financial sponsors coverage at Stax and previously held investment management roles at Nomura Asset Management and HSBC Global Asset Management. Bugg will head PMP Strategy’s private equity business in the UK and Ireland, supporting clients on deal advisory, growth strategy and transformation. Read, a partner at the firm, noted that Bugg adds significant experience to the London team and will expand the firm’s private equity coverage.
Andre Maccarone has joined Wiz as an Incident Response Expert, moving from Stroz Friedberg, a Level Blue company. Maccarone brings more than eight years of experience in incident response, having worked on complex and high-profile cases during his time at Stroz Friedberg.
At Wiz, he will contribute to the development of the firm’s Cloud IR service line, supporting organisations in securing their cloud environments.
Portage Point Partners have appointed Venkat Sreenivasan as Managing Director in their Performance Improvement practice in Chicago. Sreenivasan brings more than 25 years of experience in value creation, specialising in EBITDA improvement, commercial and operational due diligence, carve-outs, integrations and sales effectiveness transformations, with a focus on the technology and information services sectors. Prior to joining Portage Point, Sreenivasan was Managing Director at KPMG and Partner at AlixPartners, leading large-scale transformation and performance improvement initiatives for private equity clients and Fortune 500 companies.
Peter Smith has joined Berkeley Research Group (BRG) as Managing Director and Head of Artificial Intelligence, based in New York. Smith brings more than 15 years of experience in management and digital consulting, with expertise in digital transformation, data, analytics and AI.
He joins from Accenture Song, where he was Global Head of AI and Data and AI Go-to-Market, and previously held senior roles at R/GA, Centric Digital, Capgemini and Navint Partners. At BRG, Smith will embed AI-first approaches across practices, develop enterprise AI roadmaps, and support professionals in leveraging AI tools.
Alvarez & Marsal have appointed Lewis Tse as Managing Director and Head of the US Asset-Backed Finance (ABF) offering within their Global Valuation Services practice, based in New York. Tse brings more than 15 years of experience in financial advisory and valuation, with expertise in structured credit and fund finance products.
He joins from Lincoln International, where he co-led the ABF group, having previously been a director at Houlihan Lokey. At Alvarez & Marsal, Tse will deliver technology-enabled, data-driven solutions to support alternative investment professionals in the US.
S-RM have appointed Yannine Robledo as Director in their Disputes and Investigations practice, based in New York. Robledo brings more than 15 years of experience in forensic accounting and investigations, with expertise in fraud prevention, dispute resolution and regulatory compliance.
She joins from Grant Thornton, having previously held roles at Alvarez & Marsal and EY. Robledo will support S-RM’s investigations and compliance offerings across the Americas, including advisory services related to financial crime and cross-border compliance risks.
Argon & Co have appointed Derek Cesarz and Dan Luttner as Managing Partners to lead their Systems Integration business, Neos by Argon & Co, in the US. Cesarz is based in Lancaster, PA, and Luttner in Pittsburgh, PA, and together they bring decades of combined experience in supply chain transformation, enterprise planning systems, and implementation.
– Cesarz previously spent six years with supply chain consultancy Plantensive as a Senior Managing Partner and 10 years with MEB Consulting as a Principal, where he led large-scale supply chain transformation and systems integration projects. He holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from York College of Pennsylvania.
– Luttner also spent six years at Plantensive as a Senior Managing Partner and four years at Vaco (now Highspring), where he was a partner focused on enterprise software and consulting services. He has additionally worked in business development at Spinnaker Supply Chain. Luttner holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in Business from Penn State University.
Lucinda Matkin has joined PKF Smith Cooper, bringing over 25 years of experience in insolvency and restructuring. Matkin has held roles at PwC, Kroll (then Duff & Phelps) and RSM, and since 2012 ran her own specialist recovery and turnaround firm, LM Insolvency. At PKF Smith Cooper, Matkin will continue to support businesses and individuals through complex financial situations, combining her personal approach with the firm’s broader resources and expertise. Dean Nelson, Partner in the Business Recovery and Restructuring practice, said her experience will be a valuable asset to the team.
BDO have appointed Ben Coggin as Transaction Services Partner in their Yorkshire deals team, based in Leeds. Coggin joins from EY, where he was a partner in the Transaction Diligence team, and brings sector expertise across technology, media, business services and industrial markets. At BDO, he will focus on growing the firm’s Transaction Services practice across Yorkshire and the North East, supporting mid-market businesses with strategic transactions. Jason Whitworth, partner for Yorkshire and the North East, said Coggin’s appointment strengthens the team’s regional presence and expertise.
Stephen Mason has joined HaysMac as Partner, Transaction Services, bringing over 30 years of experience in financial due diligence. He advises corporates, banks, private equity, and venture capital investors on vendor due diligence, sale and purchase agreements, completion mechanics, completion accounts, and locked box arrangements, with sector expertise across leisure & hospitality, retail, consumer goods, media and technology, and business services. Mason moves from RSM UK, where he was a Partner for more than 17 years.
Liz Ross-Jones has joined Cooper Parry as Audit Partner in their Leeds office, following 20 years at PwC. Ross-Jones brings experience working with listed companies, privately owned and equity-backed firms, and foreign-owned subsidiaries across sectors including food & drink, manufacturing and energy. Her expertise spans GAAP conversions, acquisitions, business sales and finance system transformations.
Altirium have appointed Andrea Rigoni as Founder & CEO. Rigoni previously served as Global Healthcare and Public Services Leader at Accenture Security and as Senior Partner at Deloitte, where he established a major European cybersecurity practice. He brings over 30 years of experience in cybersecurity and information security across public and private sectors, including governments, NATO, the EU, and critical infrastructure operators. Rigoni has also advised the Italian Prime Minister on digital security, co-authoring Italy’s first National Cybersecurity Strategy, and will contribute his expertise in cyber resilience, AI, and digital security to Altirium’s initiatives.
William Beer has joined Gartner as Executive Partner, based in New York. He joins from Accenture, where he was Financial Services Security Lead for more than four years, developing and delivering cybersecurity offerings across threat intelligence, incident response, crisis management, cloud security, identity management, and data protection.
Beer brings over 30 years of experience in cybersecurity, having held senior roles at Mitiga, EY, and Alvarez & Marsal, supporting large organisations across multiple regions.
Interpath have expanded their Irish team with the appointments of Megan Smythe as Managing Director in M&A and Yvonne Diamond as Director in Tax.
– Smythe joins from KPMG and will provide corporate finance and M&A advisory services on buy- and sell-side transactions to clients across Ireland, including domestic and cross-border mandates.
– Diamond joins from BDO, where she worked in Financial Services Tax, and will focus on tax structuring, transaction support, and compliance, drawing on her experience as an Irish Tax Institute CPD tutor.
Alvarez & Marsal have appointed Eren Güra and Altan Dinç as Managing Directors in their Restructuring practice in Istanbul.
– Güra brings more than 30 years of finance experience, specialising in restructuring and turnaround, corporate financial management, operational and financial performance improvement, and risk management. His background includes executive finance roles across banking, telecoms, infrastructure, energy, and agribusiness, with prior positions at Citibank, Avea, STFA Group, and IFC-led consortium projects.
– Dinç brings over 23 years of experience in finance and executive management, with expertise in operational and financial restructuring, corporate finance, and strategic management. Both appointments strengthen A&M’s Restructuring capabilities in Turkey.
Market Intel
Capco have announced strategic partnerships with OpenAI and Enerex to expand their capabilities in financial services and energy sectors.
The OpenAI partnership provides early access to technology, technical support, solution architects, and training resources, enabling Capco to develop AI-driven solutions for product design, operational change, regulatory compliance, customer experience, and employee productivity. Existing OpenAI-powered tools include Compliance Assist, which helps banks monitor and implement regulatory changes.
Under the Enerex partnership, Capco will act as recommended system integrator for Enerex’s suite of software, including Sparkplug, Exchange, and Propeller, supporting retail energy clients in sales, operations, and data management. These collaborations strengthen Capco’s capacity to deliver AI-led transformation and technology-enabled solutions in energy and financial services. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in London, Capco employs over 6,500 consultants globally, offering services in strategy and transformation, risk and compliance, digital engineering, data and analytics, systems integration, and cybersecurity.