Introduction
September brought a steady flow of senior talent moves across the professional services and alternative investment sectors, with firms making a mix of leadership appointments, partner hires, promotions, and strategic additions. Private equity and asset management were particularly active, strengthening teams across private markets, capital formation, secondaries, value creation, and investor relations. Professional services firms also continued to expand their transaction advisory, tax, debt advisory, audit, and specialist practices, alongside growing investment in areas such as AI, technology, and organisational transformation.
Key People Moves
Beth Phillips has joined KPMG as Partner in the Advisory practice, based in Charlotte. Previously, Phillips was Managing Director at PwC, where she spent four years, following 15 years at EY. She brings nearly 20 years of experience across financial accounting, regulatory compliance, internal controls, process improvement and risk management, with a focus on technology-driven compliance and Oracle solutions.
Neil Gray has returned to Deloitte as Partner Disputes & Claims Forensic in London. Previously, Gray was Partner and National Forensic & Financial Crime Leader at Deloitte Australia, where he led the Forensic & Financial Crime practice. Gray brings more than 20 years of experience in forensic accounting, commercial disputes, investigations and expert witness matters, having previously worked at Deloitte in the UK before relocating to Australia.
Ben Silcox has joined Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as Partner & Associate Director in London. Previously, Silcox was Managing Partner at Stick + Twist, having also spent almost five years at Publicis Groupe in senior product, data and change roles. He brings experience across strategy, design, product development, change management and business growth, and previously held several roles at BCG between 2018 and 2020.
Andrew Hede has joined Hilco Global as Vice Chairman, Professional Services, bringing more than 30 years of experience across restructuring, business transformation, and advisory. Previously President, Business Transformation & Transactions at Accordion, Hede has also held senior roles at McKinsey & Company, EY, Alvarez & Marsal, and FTI Consulting, with expertise in restructuring, turnaround, performance improvement, and value creation.
Raj Dave has joined RSM as Partner in the M&A Deal Services practice. Previously, Dave spent 12 years at Deloitte, most recently as Partner – M&A Advisory. Dave brings more than a decade of experience in M&A advisory and transaction services, including financial due diligence and analysis, and previously worked in M&A Diligence at KPMG.
Lina O’Connor has joined Portage Point Partners as Managing Director in the Office of the CFO Practice in Los Angeles. Previously, O’Connor was an Operating Executive at Percheron Capital, where she worked with management teams across multi-site, field-based services businesses on value creation, finance transformation, infrastructure scaling, integration and operational performance. She brings more than 20 years of experience across corporate finance, operations, private equity portfolio support and executive leadership.
Ahmed Elkomy has joined Alvarez & Marsal as Managing Director in Brisbane. He will focus on expanding A&M’s capabilities across Australia’s East Coast, with a particular focus on complex operational and performance challenges within asset-intensive industries. Previously, Elkomy served as Partner and Global Asset Management Lead at Partners in Performance.
David Terrell has joined Alvarez & Marsal as Managing Director in New York within A&M Tax. Terrell brings more than 25 years of experience in transforming and modernising tax functions through technology, automation and data-driven strategies, with expertise across tax operating model design, process automation and data governance. His experience spans financial services, private equity, real estate, hedge funds and large multinational organisations.
Todd Sisitsky has been named Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chair of CVC Capital Partners, sharing the role with Peter Rutland as part of the firm’s leadership succession. Sisitsky joins from TPG, where he spent more than two decades and was most recently President and Head of Global Private Equity.
Matt Shafer has joined Golub Capital as Managing Director and Head of GP-led Private Equity Secondaries Strategy, leading Golub Equity Continuation Partners. Shafer joins from Northleaf Capital Partners, where he was Head of Capital Solutions and US Private Equity, and brings nearly 30 years of private equity experience.
Adams Street have welcomed Justine Huang Burns as a Partner in the Secondary Investments team, where she will help scale the firm’s venture secondaries business by sourcing LP-interest and continuation vehicle deals. Huang Burns joins from Industry Ventures.
Tony Ranaldi has joined HarbourVest Partners in Boston as Managing Director of Evergreen Portfolio Management, overseeing portfolio construction for the firm’s private credit evergreen solutions. Ranaldi joins from Sixth Street, where he was a Senior Adviser, and brings nearly three decades of experience in private credit.
Warburg Pincus have appointed Philip Nolan as Managing Director and Head of US Wealth, to deepen the firm’s investor relationships across the US wealth market. Nolan joins from Neuberger Berman, where he spent 15 years and was most recently Managing Director and Head of National Accounts.
Younghee Choi has joined HIG Capital in Hong Kong as Head of Asia within the Capital Formation Group, covering private equity, private credit and real assets. Choi joins from Blackstone after more than 15 years at the firm, most recently as Senior Managing Director and Head of Korea Institutional Client Solutions.
Hunter Point Capital have appointed Bill Sonneborn as President and Chief Operating Officer, to support the firm’s next phase of growth. Sonneborn joins from TCW Group, where he was President and Chief Operating Officer, and brings more than three decades of experience in alternative investments, including time on the management committee at KKR.
Matt Gibson is set to join Strategic Value Partners as President in February 2027. Gibson joins from Goldman Sachs, where he spent more than 25 years, including 16 years as a Partner.
Mill Point Capital have welcomed Michael Kaplan as Managing Partner, leading new investments and working with portfolio company leadership. Kaplan joins from Littlejohn & Co., where he spent more than 20 years as a Managing Director and Investment Committee member, and brings more than 25 years of experience.
HighPost Capital have launched a new Aerospace, Defense and Cybersecurity vertical, led by David Walsh. Walsh joins from FON Advisors, where he was Managing Partner, and is a former US Navy intelligence officer and the founder of Prescient Edge.
Suzanne Flannery has joined Grafine Partners as Managing Director. Flannery joins from Neuberger Berman, where she was Managing Director and Head of Product Marketing Platform.
Partners Capital have appointed Jennifer Fox Bensimon as Head of Co-Investments. Fox Bensimon joins from LNK Partners, and previously worked at Trilantic North America, investing in middle-market consumer and business services companies.
Quad-C have welcomed Dan Soroka as an Operating Partner focused on supply chain. Soroka joins from Graham Partners, where he was also an Operating Partner, and brings more than 30 years of experience in purchasing, operations and real estate, including senior roles at Ingersoll Rand and Delta Air Lines.
Vector Capital have appointed Kiran Rao as Managing Director and Head of Value Creation, with a seat on the Management Committee, leading value creation across the firm’s software and technology portfolio with an emphasis on AI and automation. Rao joins from Vista Equity Partners, where he spent five years as Chief Operating Officer of the Operations team.
Jeff Hawkins has joined The Vistria Group as Head of the Portfolio Resources Group, partnering with portfolio company executives on growth, operations and transformation. Hawkins joins from TPG and brings more than two decades of experience, including roles at Aon, AlixPartners, JPMorgan Chase and Deloitte.
Vision Ridge Partners have appointed Jason O’Briant to the newly created role of Head of Portfolio Talent, covering executive assessment, succession planning and organisational design. O’Briant joins from O’Briant Advisory, which he founded, and was previously Managing Director of Human Resources at Blackstone, bringing more than 30 years of experience.
Ed Jones has joined RoundTable Healthcare Partners as an Operating Partner, driving value creation across portfolio companies. Jones joins from HealthTrust Performance Group, where he spent nearly 14 years and was President and Chief Executive Officer, and brings more than four decades of healthcare experience.
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice have welcomed Giovanni Caforio as an Operating Adviser, focusing on healthcare opportunities in Europe. Caforio is the former Chief Executive Officer of Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he spent more than two decades, and is currently Chairman of Novartis.
Julia Liuson has joined Permira as a Senior Adviser. Liuson joins from Microsoft, where she was President of the Developer Division, covering GitHub, Visual Studio and VS Code.
Chris Machera has joined Paul Weiss in New York as a Partner in the Private Equity practice. Machera joins from Weil, Gotshal & Manges, where he was Co-Head of Private Equity, and will be followed by three further Weil partners, Timothy Burns, Noah Beck and Amanda Rotkel.
Jeremy Bassinder has rejoined PwC UK as Chief AI Officer, returning to the firm where he began his consulting career. Bassinder joins from IBM, where he spent close to three decades and was most recently Head of Generative AI Consulting, UK and Ireland.
Azets have welcomed David Tomlinson as a Partner in the Transaction Services team within Corporate Finance in Manchester, advising clients across the North. Tomlinson joins from PwC, where he spent 17 years, including three years in Australia.
Tom Ayerst has joined Bishop Fleming as Advisory Partner in Bristol, heading the Transaction Services team, and becomes the firm’s 60th partner. Ayerst joins from PwC after more than 30 years, most recently as Office Senior Partner for the West region and leading Transaction Services and Deals in Bristol.
S&W have appointed two Partners to their Transactions Tax team:
– Rosemary Prendecki, who joins from EY, where she was Partner, Private Capital Transactions, advising mid-market private equity investors, portfolio companies and corporate sponsors on domestic and cross-border deals
– Andrew Robinson, who joins from KPMG, where he was Partner, Deal Advisory Tax, advising private equity, financial services and corporate clients on due diligence, structuring, divestments and reorganisations
Gravita have appointed Chris Hawes as the firm’s first Head of Ethics, covering ethics and independence within the quality and risk function. Hawes joins from Grant Thornton, where he spent 18 years and led on technical ethics matters.
Emma Davies has joined Cooper Parry as a Partner in the Finance Talent and Intelligence team, expanding the firm’s offering across Yorkshire and the North of England. Davies joins from Grant Thornton, where she spent three decades and built the Financial Accounting Advisory and Special Projects teams.
Grant Thornton UK have welcomed Amanda Askham as a Partner in Public Sector Consulting, overseeing local government transformation and organisational design work. Askham joins from Ealing Council, where she was Strategic Director, and brings nearly 30 years of consulting and public sector experience, including more than 20 years in local government.
Heather Gibson has joined Freeths as a Partner in the Tax team, advising on corporate, private equity and real estate tax. Gibson joins from Addleshaw Goddard and brings nearly 20 years of experience advising on tax matters.
AMS Accountants have appointed Stephen McIlwaine as Audit Partner, leading the firm’s audit expansion in Aberdeen and the North East. McIlwaine joins from Johnston Carmichael, where he spent more than 13 years and was the Partner leading the Aberdeen Financial Reporting practice.
Jayne Fotheringham has joined UHY Hacker Young as Audit Partner in Nottingham, working with private equity-backed and owner-managed businesses. Fotheringham joins from Cooper Parry, where she spent 16 years.
Jeremy Bassinder has rejoined PwC UK as Chief AI Officer, returning to the firm where he began his consulting career. Bassinder joins from IBM, where he spent close to three decades and was most recently Head of Generative AI Consulting, UK and Ireland.
Azets have welcomed David Tomlinson as a Partner in the Transaction Services team within Corporate Finance in Manchester, advising clients across the North. Tomlinson joins from PwC, where he spent 17 years, including three years in Australia.
Tom Ayerst has joined Bishop Fleming as Advisory Partner in Bristol, heading the Transaction Services team, and becomes the firm’s 60th partner. Ayerst joins from PwC after more than 30 years, most recently as Office Senior Partner for the West region and leading Transaction Services and Deals in Bristol.
S&W have appointed two Partners to their Transactions Tax team:
– Rosemary Prendecki, who joins from EY, where she was Partner, Private Capital Transactions, advising mid-market private equity investors, portfolio companies and corporate sponsors on domestic and cross-border deals
– Andrew Robinson, who joins from KPMG, where he was Partner, Deal Advisory Tax, advising private equity, financial services and corporate clients on due diligence, structuring, divestments and reorganisations
Grant Thornton UK have welcomed Amanda Askham as a Partner in Public Sector Consulting, overseeing local government transformation and organisational design work. Askham joins from Ealing Council, where she was Strategic Director, and brings nearly 30 years of consulting and public sector experience, including more than 20 years in local government.
Heather Gibson has joined Freeths as a Partner in the Tax team, advising on corporate, private equity and real estate tax. Gibson joins from Addleshaw Goddard and brings nearly 20 years of experience advising on tax matters.
People Promotions
KPMG UK have named Vicki Heard Group Managing Partner of the KPMG UK and Swiss group, succeeding Chris Hearld. Heard moves up from Head of Tax and Legal Services, which she led for six years, and will oversee the group’s operational and performance strategy, becoming the first woman to hold the role. She takes on full responsibility from 1 January 2027.
Tim Donlea has been promoted from Managing Director, International Tax to Partner at KPMG. Donlea has spent more than 13 years at KPMG, having previously served as Senior Manager and Manager in International Tax. In his new role, Donlea will continue working within the firm’s International Tax business.
Forvis Mazars have promoted Christos Vernardos from Head of Audit Quality to Head of Risk and Quality, with a seat on the executive board, succeeding Mark Kennedy. Vernardos will lead the firm’s approach to risk management across its strategic, operational and regulatory activities.
Stephens Group have promoted Lindsey Joseph from Vice President, Value Creation, to Principal, Value Creation, advising the firm’s portfolio companies on operational performance.