Whitehouse wins turnaround prize
DAVID Whitehouse of Duff & Phelps was judged North West turnaround professional of the year at the third annual St Nicks awards.
The event, organised by private equity investor Endless, took place at MOSI and was attended by more than 200 accountants, lawyers, bankers and other professionals engaged in the turnaround sector.
The vote for the overall winner – a title won by Deloitte’s Bill Dawson in 2010 and Ernst & Young’s Tom Jack last year – took place at the event, which raised thousands of pounds for charity.
For a second year in succession, KPMG took the Big accountancy firm of the year title, while Duff & Phelps – which has led one of the highest-profile insolvencies of the past year at Rangers Football Club – also took the Mid-Tier title and Leonard Curtis retained its boutique firm of the year crown.
Addleshaw Goddard won the large law firm title, which was held previously by DLA Piper, while Shoosmiths was a clear winner again in the mid-tier category.
Most supportive bank of the year was judged to be Barclays and GE Capital the asset-based lender. Sanderson Weatherall took the valuation agency award.
In a further boost for Duff & Phelps – the Spring Gardens-based firm formerly known as MCR – Phil Duffy was named accountant of the year.
Addleshaw Goddard’s Ged Barnes won lawyer of the year, amid close competition from James Cameron of Pinsent Masons.
Bob Smalley of HSBC won banker of the year and Tom Weedall from GE Capital Finance, asset-based lender.
In the categories selected by independent judges – Endless’ Matthew Deering and Ian Plumb and TheBusinessDesk.com’s Chris Barry – Amanda Barlow from Duff & Phelps was a deserved winner of the PA of the year prize.
For his work on one of the biggest insolvencies in the region, Focus DIY, amid other achievements Steven Henderson of Ernst & Young won the Rising Star award, while Bill Dixon was judged to be the company director of the year.
