People: Alvarez & Marsal; The West Bromwich Building Society; Burgis & Bullock

Leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) continues to expand its Corporate Finance practice in the UK and across EMEA with the appointment of Andy Moody as its first Corporate Finance Managing Director in Birmingham. He will spearhead the growth of A&M’s Corporate Finance practice across the Midlands, with a focus on the mid-market. There are ambitious plans to further expand the team, with multiple new hires to follow in due course.

Moody has more than 18 years of corporate finance experience, having advised on a range of private company transactions in the mid-market, including acquisitions, disposals, buy-outs and finance raising. Deal sizes ranged from £10 million to £300 million and included significant cross-border elements, with counterparties across North America, Europe and APAC.

He has worked with clients across various industries, including Industrial and Business Services, Manufacturing, Energy and Utilities, Building Products and Software. Prior to joining A&M, Moody spent the last 11 years with Deloitte, and previously EY, working in Corporate Finance, where he most recently served as Director with a focus on supporting Midlands based private or family-owned businesses and Private Equity houses on M&A.

Commenting on his appointment, Andy Moody, Managing Director, said: “There is significant pent-up demand in the M&A market across the UK, after a more difficult dealmaking environment in the past 18 months. We are expecting to see a surge of activity, capitalising on the more stable market environment and dry powder in private equity, in the coming months, particularly in the mid-market.”

“A&M is perfectly placed to help businesses in the Midlands navigate this. We take an entrepreneurial and independent approach, and can offer our clients holistic, conflict-free advice covering M&A, tax, transaction support and performance improvement.”

Jonathan Boyers, Managing Director, and Head of Corporate Finance EMEA said: “Our Corporate Finance team in the UK is growing strongly, particularly in key regions where competitors are retrenching. We are proud to now be able to offer local support to companies in the Midlands alongside our presence in the North West, Yorkshire and London. I look forward to working closely with Andy and helping him grow the local team.”

Omar Mirza, Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Andy to the Birmingham office and be able to offer our clients local, on-the-ground Corporate Finance support across the Midlands. As a firm, we have ambitious plans for our continued expansion in key regional markets, where we see significant opportunity to help businesses of all sizes with our full suite of services.”

The West Bromwich Building Society held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at its Head Office in Providence Place.

Members were invited to attend and had the opportunity to hear from the Society’s Chair, John Maltby, and the CEO, Jonathan Westhoff, about West Brom’s financial performance and plans for the future.

During the AGM, the Chair announced the appointments of two Non-Executive Directors, Russell Galley and Nimisha Patel.

Russell, who was CEO of Retail Banking at Lloyds Banking Group, brings a wealth of experience from a 40-year career including strategy formulation, cultural change, P&L management, proposition development, and marketing. He is also a Non-Executive Director for Yorkshire Housing, a major social landlord and housebuilder, as well as chairing their Audit and Risk Committee. Russell is a member of the Society’s Risk and Remuneration Committees.

Russell spoke about his appointment and said: “I joined the West Brom as I believe deeply in the mutual model and how it supports social mobility and local communities. Mutuals are a critical part of the UK financial services landscape, and I am delighted to be able to leverage my experience for the benefit of West Brom members.”

Nimisha joins the Society as a highly experienced executive leader with over 23 years’ experience in technology, digital and cyber security across the private and public sector spanning financial services, healthcare, energy, aviation and car manufacturing. In her last executive role, Nimisha was the Chief Digital and Information Officer for Bupa. Prior to this, Nimisha was the Chief Digital and Information Officer for HM Cabinet Office. She also served on the Board of Bank North where she was a member of the Bank’s Audit, Risk and Remuneration Committees.

Nimisha shares her thoughts about her recent appointment: “I am delighted to be joining the West Brom’s Board at a time of significant digital transformation focused on delivering the right customer outcomes, at the right time, through the right channels. As a purpose driven individual, I am extremely proud to be part of an organisation focused on improving the financial future of the community it serves, helping generations to come”.

A leading Warwickshire accountancy firm has made a senior appointment to its tax team.

Burgis & Bullock, which has four offices across the county and works with clients throughout the UK and internationally, has appointed Helen Marshall as private client tax manager.

Helen, 38 from Coventry, will be based out of the firm’s Leamington Spa office and her appointment signals a continued expansion of the specialist tax team.

She brings more than 20 years’ experience in tax roles to Burgis & Bullock, after starting her accountancy career as an apprentice.

Helen, who is Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualified, has 13 years’ experience in her previous role as a tax manager and specialises in taxation matters in relation to property investment and UK tax advice for non-UK residents.

She will be managing a diverse portfolio of clients at Burgis & Bullock, working with high-net-worth individuals, owner-managed businesses and clients who do not reside in the UK.

Helen said: “This is the perfect challenge for the next stage in my career and I look forward to bringing a proactive, comprehensive approach to managing our clients tax affairs.

“Burgis & Bullock has a trusted reputation for providing a client-centred and personal approach to tax. This attracted me to the role as this is the approach that I believe enables us to offer clients the best possible advice.

“The team have been incredibly welcoming, there is a real family feel about the firm. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to this role and delivering a high-quality personable service to clients.”

Burgis & Bullock’s private client tax experts provide a range of services to individuals, both in the UK and overseas, including self-employed people, investors or individuals approaching retirement.

The firm works with clients to structure their affairs to make them as tax-efficient as possible.

Burgis & Bullock has offices in Leamington Spa, Rugby, Nuneaton and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Phil Stevens, Head of Tax at Burgis & Bullock, said: “Helen adds a wealth of experience to our growing tax team.

“We have seen significant growth in our private client tax offer recently. Helen will provide valuable expertise as we continue to develop our services in that area and offer a high-quality service to clients.”