People: Investment banking firm makes partner promotion; Chamber recruits enterprise specialist; and more

Alantra, the global mid-market investment banking firm, has promoted Simon Peacock to partner.

The firm said the promotion recognises Peacock’s track record of originating and completing deals, both in the consumer sector and more generally in the Midlands market, while underlining Alantra’s strategy of investing in both sector and regional routes to market.

Peacock joined Alantra in 2006 from the food industry.

He co-leads the consumer sector team, with a particular focus on food and beverage deals, and is part of the senior Alantra team based in the Midlands.

Peacock led a global Alantra team that advised Key Capital Partners on the sale of Birmingham-based Alliance in Partnership, a specialist school meals provider, to Sodexo, the French headquartered €20bn revenue global outsourcing business. He also advised Palatine Private Equity on the secondary management buy-out of CET, the Midlands-based specialist provider of infrastructure and property assurance services.

Richard Sanders, partner and head of the Midlands, said: “I congratulate Simon on his well-deserved promotion which recognises the significant contribution he has made to the growth of the firm’s UK M&A advisory business, particularly within the Consumer Sector and the Midlands region, as demonstrated by his transaction record.  We are committed to investing behind our people in our chosen markets as we continue to grow the Alantra business both in the UK and globally.”

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has recruited a key figure to help the city and county grow its own pool of talent to meet the needs of the local economy.

Lizzie Mara has joined the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce as an enterprise co-ordinator for the region, a role which is supported and part-funded by The Careers and Enterprise Company and enhances the service provided by the CWLEP Growth Hub.

She will help schools and colleges to improve their careers and enterprise activities by brokering education and business links.

Mara has experience in working with business and education having spent a year as the events officer for families and young people at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and has previously worked as an events and business engagement officer, and as a personal learning adviser for Stratford and Warwickshire College.

She said: “It is great to be on board with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

“The aim is to create a sustainable and thriving landscape of opportunity which will benefit both businesses, and importantly, young people from all backgrounds.

“We want to ensure that every child and young person across Coventry and Warwickshire gets the opportunity to make the most of this network to help enhance their career chances.

“I want to connect with a variety of businesses who would like to work with us in ensuring that we can help to support young people and develop a pool of talent for the whole economy.”

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After a decade of working with entrepreneurial businesses in the West Midlands, senior tax manager Steve Round has joined the tax team at PKF Cooper Parry.

Round started out as a pension advisor and then moved into corporate tax eight years ago. He has worked with many local real estate and construction businesses.

As well as vast experience in property, he also regularly advises clients in manufacturing, technology and retail. This could be making sure his clients are appropriately structured, are claiming all available tax reliefs and are fully appraised of their corporation tax profile.

Round joins the team as a senior manager in corporate tax starting.

This follows tax partner, Philip Rogers’ move to the West Midlands last year.

Philip Rogers, West Midlands tax partner at PKF Cooper Parry, said: “It’s fantastic to have Steve joining us. We’re growing, winning more and more clients who are the kind of entrepreneurial businesses we love to work with. So, Steve will help bolster our already brilliant team.

“Steve’s experiences ensure that we can continue to provide first class tax services to our growing client base, whether group restructuring, buy or sell-side transaction structuring, shareholder asset extraction or general all-round tax consultancy. We’ve got exciting times ahead of us.”

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