Private equity player recruits Yorkshire dealmaker

SOVEREIGN Capital, the UK private equity buy and build specialist, has appointed Richard Taylor as assistant director to its investment team.

Yorkshire-based Mr Taylor joins Sovereign from Octopus Private Equity where he established and headed up the firm’s Leeds office, leading deals in the lower-mid market having developed a strong regional intermediary network. 

At Sovereign he will split his time between its London head office and looking for investment opportunities across the North of England.

Prior to Octopus Private Equity, Richard spent seven years at YFM Group where he originated, led and successfully exited a number of investments; achieving strong returns for investors.

Richard qualified as a chartered accountant at Deloitte & Touche following an economics and economic history degree from the University of York.

Richard’s is the fifth appointment to the Sovereign investment team in the past year and the firm specialises in serve sectors including education and training, healthcare and support services where Sovereign has completed 17 platform, bolt-on and rollout transactions over the past 12 months.

Among the Northern-based businesses within its portfolio are LPM a contract cleaning and manned guard security services business with operations in both Leeds and Manchester, Sheffield-based training provider ESG, and Leeds credit management firm Avance

Commenting on the appointment, Andrew Hayden and Ryan Robson, managing partners at Sovereign, said: “We are delighted to welcome Richard to the team.  He has developed a strong track record in the lower mid-market and will further strengthen the transactional capability of Sovereign’s investment team.  The ongoing expansion of the team reflects the continuing pace of buy & build activity across our portfolio.”