Corporate finance firm appoints former PwC partner as CEO
Clearwater International, the mid-market corporate finance house, has welcomed Julian Brown as chief executive along with his addition to the firm’s international board of directors.
The appointment comes on the back of a record period of growth which saw the business complete more than 90 deals worth £7.6bn and grow by over 20% in the last six months.
Brown takes over from Michael Reeves, who, having led Clearwater International as CEO since its inception almost seven years ago, has decided to focus on his role as UK managing partner and board member of the UK business.
Clearwater International’s new CEO arrives with almost 30 years of international corporate finance experience in Europe and North America and will work across regions and with all 55 of the firm’s partners to deliver a company growth strategy.
Brown spent 15 years at PwC building and running its corporate finance businesses in Spain, Canada and latterly the USA, as well as sitting on the global corporate finance Board with responsibility for North and South America.
Brown said: “Clearwater International is a business that has grown into an established, trusted and well-known brand across Europe in a relatively short space of time. I am both honoured and humbled that the partners have entrusted me with the exciting role of driving the business further forward.
“The partners in this business are outstanding entrepreneurs and business people in their own right, and this resonates strongly with our clients. My role as CEO is to work with this amazing pool of talent to help them realise their full combined potential as a business.
“I have spent the summer months travelling to meet partners and staff around the business and am excited not only by the quality, energy, dedication and professionalism of our people but also by the client-centric culture of the firm.”
Michael Reeves, UK managing partner and former CEO of Clearwater International, added: “It is the right time to pass the baton to a new leader of this incredible business. In the last seven years the business has experienced phenomenal growth which has placed us consistently in the top 10 financial advisory firms in Europe.
“I am proud of what we have achieved in the last seven years and am confident in the strong foundation that has been laid for Julian to lead the further growth of our business.”
