New Director appointment to the Yorkshire & North East Transaction Services team of Dow Schofield Watts
Dow Schofield Watts (“DSW”), the leading specialist professional advisory and equity finance firm, is delighted to announce the appointment of Jeff Gardner as a Director in its Transaction Services team. He will be based in the Yorkshire & North East office.
Jeff qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PwC in 2002 and is a long-standing member of the Yorkshire deal advisory community. Following seven years in PwC’s Transaction Services team Jeff joined Morrisons Plc as a Strategy Consultant in 2014. This role involved Jeff working closely with the Board and responsibilities included corporate strategy, annual planning and operational strategy.
Originally established in 2008, DSW’s nine-strong Transaction Services team provides financial due diligence advisory services to a wide range of clients across the North of England on buy-side, sell-side, and refinancing transactions. Jeff joins the Yorkshire & North East Transaction Services practice established in 2014 by Rob McCarthy.
DSW’s Yorkshire & North East office was set up in 2012 by former Deloitte partner, Roger Esler, providing Corporate Finance Advisory services to businesses, management teams and investors. The multi-service line office now also provides Forensic advisory led by partner Kate Beckett and VAT advisory led by partner Jacqui Wells. Tony Norwood, Corporate Finance Director, also sources and structures investment opportunities for PHD Equity Partners (“PHD”), the fund management arm of DSW, which launched its second private equity fund of £20m in late 2014.
Commenting on Jeff’s arrival, Rob said: “Jeff’s appointment demonstrates our commitment to the Yorkshire and North East region as we continue to build our financial due diligence team. Jeff’s considerable deal experience reinforces our unique reputation of delivering senior led client advice in our transaction services business.”
Jeff commented: “I am delighted to be joining DSW at this exciting time of growth. DSW Transaction Services has a fantastic, well established team who has proved there is a real appetite for DSW’s unique proposition in the regional market. I can’t wait to be part of this and start working closely with private equity, funders and businesses across Yorkshire and the North East.”
DSW founding partner, James Dow, commented: “We are pleased to welcome someone of Jeff’s calibre and expertise to DSW. His senior hands-on industry experience and significant profile across the regional market, will build on the momentum we have achieved in our Due Diligence Services, and indeed the wider professional services we offer.”