On the move: the latest East Midlands hires
Dow Schofield Watts (DSW) has appointed another partner in its Midlands corporate finance team.
Ryan Shields joins from Grant Thornton in Milton Keynes where he was an M&A director.
Shields is the fifth and final founding member to join the team, with his arrival having been delayed due to contractual commitments. He joins the existing partners – Harry Walker and Shaf Bheda, together with director Fahim Kassam and associate directors Daniel Chouciño and Lucy Fairclough, bringing the total number in the team to six.
Shields will be focusing on building Dow Schofield Watts’ corporate finance presence in Milton Keynes and Northampton.
He has spent his career at Grant Thornton, joining in 2012 and gaining his accountancy qualifications, then moving into the corporate finance team and rising through the ranks.
“I have loved my years at Grant Thornton, but now is the time to move on and be part of building a new challenger boutique focusing on the mid-market where we all feel there is a distinct opportunity,” said Shields.
He added: “The DSW Corporate Finance team in the Midlands has made no secret of its plans to invest in expanding strategically to bring its signature partner-led approach to Milton Keynes and Northampton. DSW has a highly regarded and recognised brand and corporate finance offering, which I’m thoroughly looking forward to playing a role in.”
Harry Walker added: “Ryan is the last piece of the current jigsaw for DSW Corporate Finance in the Midlands. He is an established and highly regarded corporate finance operator, and his focus on Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire strengthens our geographical reach in the South Midlands and into the Central and East markets. On top of that, Ryan enhances our mid-market offering, being another partner with experience in delivering some of the region’s most significant private equity and owner-managed deals in recent years.
“We’re excited to have assembled a roster of dealmakers with over 60 years’ experience between them and are looking forward to building the business together with our clients and fellow Midlands professionals.”
Danielle Waterhouse
Danielle Waterhouse has joined the team at the Northampton office of World Options as a sales executive.
Part of MBE Worldwide, World Options is the largest retail group of franchised shipping services companies in the UK.
Northampton businessman Matt Patten launched a World Options franchise in May 2022, and is seeking to grow the business further, servicing businesses across the UK.
Welcoming Waterhouse to the company, he said: “We are very pleased to welcome Danielle aboard. She joins us at a great time. With the global economy becoming more connected and with the boom in ecommerce, the courier industry is a growing market so it’s a great sector to build a career in.”
Waterhouse added: “I am very excited to be joining the team at World Options. Many businesses find international shipping confusing. We ease the pain by providing one point of contact for the courier options we offer customers, and by providing customers proactive information on the status of their shipments to prevent minor issues turning into major problems.”
