Friends reunited for Bailey’s landmark birthday
A NUMBER of ‘old boys’ returned to Manchester last night for a special dinner to honour one of the North West’s best-connected and longest serving corporate financiers.
The surprise dinner at Piccalinos was organised by colleagues at Rothschild in honour of Northern chairman Richard Bailey’s 60th birthday – which is on Boxing Day.
Among those attending were alumni Mark Corbidge – co-head of private equity at investment house Doughty Hanson – who since leaving Rothschild has been chief executive of Newcastle United and chief operating officer at Umbro.
Former Peel Holdings chief executive Andrew Simpson, now with Falcon Capital, a US firm exploring natural gas in Texas, Roger Hoyle, founder of Altrincham headhunters Ashley Hoyle, Peter Johns, the retired head of banking at Rothschild and Charles Keay, former managing director of the bank.
At the dinner, attended by around 40 people, Mr Bailey was presented with a framed Manchester United shirt signed by Sir Alex Ferguson and the first team squad.
Richard joined Rothschild in 1982 and has advised on some of the region’s biggest corporate deals.
He has helped launch a number of young executives move on to new careers in business including Steve Underwood – a director at Peel Group, Claudio Veritiero at Kier, James Gaskell at Viking Moorings and Pets at Home chief executive Matt Davies.
Andrew Thomas, managing director of Rothschild’s Manchester office said: “It’s been a great pleasure to get together such a wide selection of colleagues and ex-colleagues to celebrate the occasion.”
John Ashcroft, chief executive of pro.manchester, added: “Richard is an old friend and our association goes back over 20 years.
“The Rothschild office was established in Manchester some 45 years ago and it is so easy to think of Richard, there from the start, such is the identification of the individual and the organisation in our city.
“Rothschild and Richard advise on so many transactions but often so discreetly without fanfare or tableau, it is easy to underestimate his quantum contribution to corporate finance in the North West.
“Over the years, Richard has created a training ground, a veritable academy of talent. Graduates include Matt Davies, Tony Machin, James Gaskell and many more.
“We wish him and his family well over the Christmas season and on his birthday on Boxing Day.
As well as business Richard has lent his time and energy to Manchester’s Chetham’s School of Music and the Halle.
