Independent advisory firm Dow Schofield Watts has launched a new IT due diligence and transformation service as it continues to expand its team of specialist advisors.
Dow Schofield Watts IT Advisory will be led by Graham Pollitt, who has over 25 years’ experience in managing IT projects and advising on IT in mergers and acquisitions. An Oxford University graduate, Graham joins from General Electric, where he successfully led the IT activities on numerous deals as part of ‘Project Hubble’, the company’s $200bn divestiture of its financial arm, GE Capital.
At Dow Schofield Watts, he can help companies to assess the IT systems of businesses they are acquiring, separate IT systems in preparation for a sale, merge IT functions post-acquisition, or develop strategies to achieve transformational growth.
Graham says: “IT systems are an integral part of many businesses today, and the data that they provide is critical to drive insights and inform strategy. It is important that outsourcing companies question the potential impact of IT systems on the viability of any deals. For example, is the system secure? Is it overly reliant on key individuals? Does it provide the right data to support decision making and can it drive growth? We can answer all these questions.”
James Dow, the founding partner of Dow Schofield Watts, said: “Graham’s appointment further adds to our specialist team which includes corporate finance, due diligence, and tax advisors, allowing us to provide a comprehensive service for businesses pursuing acquisitions, disposals and growth strategies. It demonstrates our commitment to building the leading independent advisory business for owner-managers and high net worth clients.”