Introduction
October saw continued senior-level movement across the professional services and alternative investment sectors, with firms making a range of leadership appointments, partner hires, internal promotions, and strategic additions. Activity was particularly notable across consulting, transaction advisory, private equity performance improvement, and turnaround and restructuring, with firms strengthening capabilities in areas including commercial due diligence, financial services, human capital, technology risk, and finance transformation. Global consulting leadership and specialist practice expansion also featured prominently, alongside a number of senior appointments across the US, UK and European markets.
Key People Moves
Kai Balder has joined Oliver Wyman as Partner in its Amsterdam office, within the Transportation and Advanced Industrials and Private Capital practices. Balder joins from Roland Berger, where he spent 17 years, progressing from Intern to Senior Partner and serving as a leader in the firm’s Industrials practice. He advises corporate leaders and private equity investors on strategy, growth, transformation, M&A and commercial due diligence, with a focus on the aerospace and defence sectors.
Mac Sumner has joined Alvarez & Marsal as Senior Director, returning to the firm’s Private Equity Performance Improvement practice. Sumner previously served as a Director at A&M from November 2018 to December 2019, having earlier held the role of Manager. Most recently, Sumner was a Director and Operating Partner at Hudson Advisors, where he was responsible for asset management and value creation strategies for corporate private equity-related investments.
Apratim Sarkar has joined Portage Point Partners as Managing Director in its Performance Improvement practice in Boston. Sarkar joins from Roland Berger, where he served as Senior Partner and Head of the North American Operations practice. He brings more than 30 years of experience across operations and commercial transformation, having previously held senior roles at AlixPartners and McKinsey & Company. His expertise includes procurement, supply chain optimisation, pricing strategy and AI-enabled transformation.
Catriona Campbell MBE has joined Ankura as Senior Managing Director and Practice Leader, leading its newly launched AI by Design practice in the UK. Campbell joins from EY, where she previously served as Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO), having spent more than 20 years in digital transformation, technology and service design. She also founded an international technology design agency that was acquired by EY in 2015.
Greg Pope has joined Alvarez & Marsal as Managing Director within its Commercial Due Diligence practice, part of the Private Equity Performance Improvement group. Pope joins from EY-Parthenon, where he was a Partner/Principal in the Technology, Media & Telecom and Private Equity practices, bringing more than 20 years of consulting experience.
Tony Bevacqua has joined CFGI as Managing Partner, leading its Finance Effectiveness and ERP practice in Philadelphia. Bevacqua joins from KPMG US, where he spent more than 14 years as a Partner and most recently served as Philadelphia Hub Advisory Markets Leader, overseeing a portfolio of more than 60 priority accounts. He previously led the firm’s Healthcare & Life Sciences Finance Transformation practice and has nearly three decades of experience in finance transformation, ERP and business advisory.
Ankura has appointed Richard Masters as Senior Managing Director and AI Strategy Lead within its AI by Design practice in London. Masters joins from Virgin Atlantic, where he served as Vice President of Data & AI, having previously held senior data science roles at the airline and EY.
Kathleen White (O’Brien) has taken on the role of Managing Director and Head of Human Capital Management (HCM) at Portage Point Partners. White joins from Vialto Partners, having previously held roles at Deloitte, Johnson & Johnson, PwC and Pfizer. She brings more than 20 years of professional experience across HR, M&A and human capital transformation.
Gonzalo Arana Santos has joined Alvarez & Marsal as Senior Director within its Commercial Due Diligence practice. He joins from Boston Consulting Group, where he was a Partner across its Spain and New York offices, bringing 12 years of commercial strategy and due diligence experience.
Lina O’Connor has joined Portage Point Partners as Managing Director in its Office of the CFO practice in Los Angeles. O’Connor joins from Percheron Capital, where she served as an Operating Executive, having previously held senior finance and leadership roles at Tender Greens and One Table Restaurant Brands, including as President. She brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate finance, operations and private equity value creation.
Portage Point Partners has welcomed Niels Blom as Managing Director of Special Projects in New York. Blom joins from Accordion, where he most recently served as Managing Director in its Value Creation practice. He previously held senior roles at PwC in the US and Netherlands, bringing experience in transaction strategy, operational transformation and value creation for private equity-backed businesses.
John Leto has joined CohnReznick as Director in its Transaction Advisory Services practice in New York. Leto joins from RSM US LLP, where he spent more than five years in Transaction Advisory Services, most recently serving as Director. He previously held roles as Manager and Supervisor within the practice, following earlier transaction diligence experience at EY and assurance roles at BDO.
Dan Oldham has joined DC Advisory as Director in its M&A Advisory team in London. Oldham joins from Investec, where he spent more than eight years as Director in M&A Advisory. He previously worked in EY’s Operational Transaction Services team for four years.
Mitch Weber has joined CohnReznick as Managing Director in Atlanta. Weber joins from RSM US LLP, where he spent more than seven years in Transaction Advisory Services, most recently serving as Director. He previously held Manager and Senior Associate roles within the practice.
Steven Leest has joined EY-Parthenon Strategy as Director in Amsterdam. Leest joins from SparkOptimus, where he most recently served as Associate Partner, having progressed through several roles over eight years, including Senior Manager and Manager.
Jordan Kear-Nash has joined EY-Parthenon as Assistant Director, bringing experience in procurement strategy and execution. Kear-Nash joins from Proxima, where he most recently served as Principal Consultant, having previously held procurement roles at air up®, SHS Group and Halo Foods. He has more than 12 years of experience across procurement and supply chain roles.
Rob Di Santo has been appointed Head of Technology Risk Assurance at BDO UK, where he has been a Partner since January 2021. Di Santo has spent more than 21 years with the firm, previously serving as Financial Services Technology Risk Principal and holding roles across its Technology Risk practice, including Senior Consultant, Manager, Senior Manager and Director. His expertise includes technology and business controls, data governance, cybersecurity and regulatory assurance.
People Promotions
Svilena Tzekova has been appointed Global Head of Consulting at KPMG. Tzekova has spent 20 years with the firm, most recently serving as Global Head of Corporate Services. She brings consulting experience across consumer goods, retail, oil and gas, and government, with international experience spanning Europe, Asia and the US.
Blaine Woodcock has been appointed CEO-elect of Deloitte Canada and Chile, with his term due to begin on 30 May 2027. Woodcock currently serves as the firm’s Strategy and Transformation Officer and previously held the roles of National Strategy, Analytics & M&A Portfolio Leader and Managing Partner, Strategy. He has been with Deloitte for more than 13 years.
Christine Chan has been promoted to Partner at KPMG US, based in Los Angeles. Chan previously served as Managing Director for five years and Director in the firm’s Financial Services Management Consulting practice for almost six years. She has more than 20 years of professional experience, including earlier roles at KPMG Australia, BT and PwC in Australia and Hong Kong.
Björn Trouerbach has joined EY MENA as Director in its Financial Services practice in Dubai, specialising in risk and regulatory transformation for banks and financial institutions across the GCC. Trouerbach joins from EY’s Risk & Regulation team, where he served as Senior Manager for almost four years. He previously held roles at ABN AMRO and PwC, and has more than 12 years’ experience across banking and advisory.
Adam Acker has been promoted to Partner at KPMG US, joining the firm’s Partnership in October 2026. Acker previously served as Managing Director in the Private Equity Group, where he was Head of Business Development for Private Equity, Deal Advisory & Strategy. Acker has more than 11 years of experience at KPMG, having joined the firm in 2015.
Steven Shenker has been named Co-Head of Turnaround & Restructuring Services at Portage Point Partners, alongside Tom Studebaker. Shenker joined the firm in 2020 and has progressed through several leadership roles, most recently serving as Managing Director. He has led more than 50 turnarounds and restructurings, including serving as Chief Restructuring Officer and Chief Transformation Officer for middle-market businesses.
Givarn Ramsundar has been promoted from Director to Partner at KPMG UK in London. Ramsundar has been with the firm for almost ten years, having previously held roles as Director, Senior Manager, Manager and Assistant Manager. Ramsundar specialises in financial services, advising CFOs on financial planning, reporting and analytics transformation across banking, insurance and wealth and asset management.
William Robinson has been promoted to Advisory Managing Director at KPMG US, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Robinson previously served as a Director at the firm for almost four years, having joined KPMG in 2014 as an Advisory Associate. He specialises in procurement and digital transformation, advising State, Local and Higher Education clients on modernising procurement processes and delivering digital and operational transformation.
Ross Muir has been promoted to Senior Manager at KPMG UK within its Tax practice. Muir previously served as Tax Manager at the firm for five years, having joined KPMG in 2014. He has more than 12 years of experience at KPMG, including roles in Global Mobility Services.
Samantha Young has been promoted to Senior Manager within the Global Mobility Services (GMS) practice at KPMG UK. Young previously served as Manager in the practice, having joined KPMG UK in 2014. She has more than 25 years of professional experience, including 12 years as Assistant Tax Manager at Grant Thornton, specialising in private client tax.
Matt Scriven Baker has been promoted to Director within the Deal Advisory practice at KPMG UK. Baker previously served as Associate Director, having joined the firm in 2016 as an Advisory Associate. He has also held roles in KPMG’s M&A Integration & Separation team, specialising in pre-signing synergies and integration.
Jacob Nye has been promoted to Director within the Transaction Services practice at KPMG US. Nye previously served as Manager in Financial Due Diligence, having joined the firm in January 2021 as an Associate in Deal Advisory & Strategy. He has advised private equity and corporate clients on buy-side and sell-side transactions, providing financial due diligence and M&A strategy services across sectors including consumer services, manufacturing and SaaS.
Ricardo Carrera Ortega has been promoted to Director within the Deal Advisory & Strategy practice at KPMG US in Miami. Carrera Ortega previously served as Manager in the firm’s Financial Due Diligence team, having joined KPMG US in December 2021 as a Senior Associate. He previously held M&A roles at Deloitte in Mexico City and spent more than three years with KPMG México, specialising in financial due diligence.
Julie Kim has been promoted to Director within the Deal Advisory practice at KPMG US in Los Angeles. Kim previously served as Manager in the practice, having joined KPMG in January 2019 as an Audit Associate. She has progressed through the firm’s Audit and Deal Advisory teams, including roles as Senior Associate.
Brian Kenny has been promoted to Director within the Financial Due Diligence team of KPMG’s Deal Advisory practice. Kenny previously served as Manager in the team for two years, having joined KPMG in 2021 as an Associate. He has progressed through the firm’s Deal Advisory practice over nearly six years.