Corporate Finance Mid Year Review

Alistair is the Partnership Director for Equals Money, an AIM listed payment business operating out of London, Brussels & Amsterdam. It combines global payments technology with currency expertise to help you manage your FX, cashflow and expenses, simply and cost-effectively. It also offers embedded finance [PaaS, CaaS & BaaS] capabilities through APIs to a range of complex and regulated industries [Funds, SPVs etc].

Ben is a Partner in EY based in Manchester with over 20 years of corporate finance experience. Ben works with businesses providing broader strategy and transactional services to clients in the form of financial and operational analysis and strategic options, mergers and acquisitions and debt advisory.  His engagement with the diverse North business population is extended by his lead role as Partner sponsor for EY’s flagship Entrepreneur of the Year programme in the North.

Having joined Axon Moore in 2014, Gill is a Business Director for our Executive Practice. A highly experienced recruiter of CFOs and FDs for SME to Mid-Market, privately-owned businesses as well as PE backed and listed organisations, Gil’S successful 25-year career includes recruiting across the East & West Midlands and the South East. Gill has a long-term working relationship with many of the fastest growing SMEs in these geographies having partnered with them from early stages to them becoming major players in their respective markets.

Gill is passionate about supporting and fostering talent internally and externally and is the Gill is the key contact for Axon Moore’s Women in Business programme – a platform which allows women across finance and professional services to inspire, develop and connect through insightful events and networking.

Following a 20+ year career with blue chip enterprise businesses in retail, recruitment and technology, Hayley founded Distology, specialists in identifying, representing, distributing and implementing the latest disruptive technologies across the UK&I, Benelux and Germany.

Hayley has carefully nurtured a unique company culture that encourages vibrancy and ambition and as a result, Distology has won various accolades, including being named CRN’s Security Distributor of the Year 2023, Distributor of the Year (Sub £250m) 2022 and Cloud Distributor of the Year in 2020. What’s more, Hayley was personally awarded the CRN Editor’s Choice Award for Industry Achievement for 2022 and was also named Role Model of the Year and Woman of the Year at the CRN Women in Channel Awards in 2021.

A leading voice of authority within the industry, Hayley sits on the CRN judging panel for their prestigious Channel Awards and Women in Channel Awards. She was recognised by Channel Futures’ as one of the Top 20 EMEA Channel Leaders for 2023 and features on the CRN A list for channel.

Kieran is a Senior Investment Director at Palatine and has worked in corporate finance and private equity for over 18 years. He has experience in a number of sectors but predominantly focuses on Financial Services, one of Palatine’s focus areas. He is also has a keen interest in talent development and takes a lead role in developing the firm’s People proposition.

Kieran has been involved in a number of transactions while at Palatine, and is currently a non-executive director on the board of four Palatine portfolio businesses: Gusto Italian, My Pension Expert, Lucion Group and The Alchemist.

Mark is a Senior Director at DC Advisory and part of the Manchester leadership team. He is part of the wider national TMT team and leads coverage of the Digital Transformation and Technology Services sectors. Mark has advised on some of the region’s highest profile M&A deals and was named the North West’s Emerging Dealmaker of the Year in 2023. DC Advisory is a leading global mid-market investment bank, advising across M&A, debt raisings and private capital. DC has significantly invested into its regional presence, tripling the size of the Manchester team in the last four years.

Michelle Mullany is Head of Deal Origination at MHA Corporate Finance having spent 20 years at one of the Big 4 accounting firms.  Her focus is to build relationships with entrepreneurs, owner-managed and family owned businesses who need support with raising finance, acquisitions and business sales to trade and Private Equity.

In addition to her corporate finance role, Michelle is also on the advisory board of the Lowry Theatre and Reform Radio CIC, as well as her role on the Pro Women’s Committee, a Trustee for The Jackson Foundation and she is an enterprise advisor for Wellington High School, Timperley.

Sam is a senior partner in Cowgills and leads the corporate finance team. In addition, Sam heads up the Manchester office and leads the Technology, Media, and Telecoms (TMT) sector team.  Sam is a senior deal adviser having completed in excess of 100 deals, with extensive experience of completing deals, both as an advisor and as an investor.  His primary focus lies within the technology, media, telecoms, and consulting sectors.  In addition to his role M&A, Sam also provides strategic guidance to shareholders.  He understands the intricacies of value creation and business growth, positioning himself as a strategic partner, often working with clients over many years ahead of a transaction.  Cowgills is recognised by their peers as a market leader in lower mid-market advisory, through winning several industry awards.

Subrahmaniam Krishnan-Harihara is the Deputy Director  – Research at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. He leads the Research and Analytics team that supports the Chamber’s Policy & Campaigning work by conducting research on economic issues, international trade and business policy to provide relevant and up-to-date insights including sector specific reports. With a strong background in data analytics and modelling, he is able to draw insights for business decision making. Subrah has worked on consultancy projects for small and large organisations including Heathrow Airport, the NHS and the Manchester Jazz Festival.

Subrah is a non-executive director of Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network.

Victoria is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Tax LLC and leads the UK’s Private Capital team. She brings more than 20 years of experience working with high-net-worth individuals and privately owned companies, supporting them on a broad range of personal and corporate tax matters.

Victoria is known for her passion for working with entrepreneurs and supporting them on their transformational growth journeys. Over the past two decades she has worked with hundreds of home grown businesses as they have scaled in the UK and beyond.