New head of restructuring for Grant Thornton

GRANT Thornton has expanded its advisory team in Birmingham with the appointment of Eddie Williams as partner to lead the firm’s restructuring team in the Midlands.
 
Before joining Grant Thornton, Williams spent 18 years working in the region, most recently leading PwC’s restructuring team in the East Midlands. Experienced in  providing advisory, accelerated sales contingency planning and insolvency services to distressed companies and their funders, he has led a number of business turnarounds and insolvency appointments in a wide range of sectors including manufacturing, automotive, retail, construction, services and recycling
 
In the last three years, Williams has led the administration and sale of both camera retailer Jessops and WR Refrigeration. Alongside these assignments, he has advised a wide number of mid-market cases around the Midlands including most recently the insolvency and sale of a recycling centre in north Nottingham.
 
Dave Munton, regional managing partner, Grant Thornton, said: “Eddie’s breadth of expertise will help deliver growth to our already strong foothold in the mid-market as we continue to ramp up to meet the demand arising from increasing economic confidence.”

Business development appointment for Portus

WARWICKSHIRE-based Portus Consulting has appointed Adam Riley to the newly-created role of Director of Business Development as part of the ongoing expansion of the employee benefits consultancy.

Riley will be directly responsible for managing and developing the new business team as well as designing and delivering the business development and reward strategy across the firm’s existing client portfolio and new clients.

Previously he was Proposition and Strategy Manager at Portus, which he joined in August 2013 following experience in corporate business development across the legal, professional services and not-for-profit sectors.

His experience has included roles at Pannells Financial Planning, Friends Provident and Origen Financial Services.

Stuart Gray, Chairman of Portus Consulting said: “The appointment of a Director of Business Development is a major strategic development for Portus Consulting and we are confident Adam will build on the success in his previous role to make a major contribution.”

Portus Consulting works for more than 160 corporate clients including global multinationals and medium-sized companies and focuses on providing strategic advice as well as pro-active benefit broking.

Planner brings wealth of experience to BRI

BRI Wealth Management has recruited Simon Preston as a new Financial Planner working within the firm’s Financial Services team.

Preston joins BRI from Broadstone, formerly BDO Investment Management, where he advised clients for over 12 years, and was latterly responsible for their Birmingham office. Prior to Broadstone, Preston was managing director of Kidsons Financial Services.

He brings more than 30 years experience to his new position, having spent his career looking after a large number of private clients and advising on investment, inheritance tax and lifestyle planning.

BRI chief executive Paul Cusack, pictured left with Preston, said: “I am delighted to welcome Simon to BRI. He joins the company at an exciting time in its development and I am sure he will play a significant part in our future success.”