Corporate finance boutique becomes employee-owned

Orbis Partners, the Birmingham based corporate finance boutique, has transferred majority ownership to an Employee Ownership Trust.

The business was started in 1999 when James Grenfell and Chris Gregory set up Invex Partners as Birmingham’s first independent corporate finance boutique. They were shortly joined by Gary Ecob, a newly qualified ACA, and after a strong period of growth Invex was sold to Kroll in 2003 and Kroll Corporate Finance was formed.

Shah Zaki joined the business that year and after a successful period under Kroll’s ownership the business was re-acquired by Grenfell and Gregory in 2006 under the new name of Orbis Partners.

Grenfell said: “We have always been focused on our people and creating opportunities for the talent within our team to flourish and receive the right recognition and financial rewards. We are proud of the team and the culture we have created, and in a people driven business feel that this is better developed under a wider ownership structure.”

Ecob said: “We are genuinely excited about the next chapter as the partner group commits to widening our ownership and jointly delivering an ambitious growth plan. The timing is perfect after an exceptionally busy period for the team and the recent promotions of Tom McCarthy to partner and Peter Waplington to director.”