Dow Schofield Watts, the independent corporate advisory firm, has appointed Richard Townsend as a Corporate Finance Director in its Yorkshire & North East Corporate office.
Richard joins from Lloyds Banking Group and brings 30 years of experience working in Commercial and Corporate Banking and dealing with SMEs through to mid-market companies and FTSE 100 PLCs. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.
Richard’s senior roles across the Yorkshire and the Humber Region have given him considerable experience in leading the financing of complex multi banked club or syndicated loans through to bi-lateral, working capital and ABL type facilities. In addition, Richard has experience of raising debt for investment grade clients through US Private Placements and also through the High Yield Bond market. He also has supported and provided banking facilities for clients undertaking IPOs.
Richard has assisted many businesses with acquisitions or a change in ownership over the years, working with a range of private equity houses and institutional debt funds. MKM Building Supplies, Willerby Holiday Homes, DFS Plc and Cranswick Plc are just a few of the Yorkshire based businesses which he has worked with over the last 15 years. Richard has extensive knowledge and contacts in the manufacturing, food and drink, retailing, caravan and leisure, construction and building materials, TMT and business services sectors.
This is the second senior appointment to DSW’s Yorkshire & North East office in April. Sophie Colloby, one of Yorkshire’s leading financial due diligence specialists with a career spanning almost 20 years, joined the Transaction Services team earlier this month from EY.
Further appointments to the Yorkshire & North East team which now numbers 11 professionals across its Corporate Finance, Transaction Services, Forensic and Wealth Advisory disciplines, are anticipated later in the year.
Richard Townsend commented: “I am delighted to be joining the award winning team at DSW at such an exciting time when the market is so active. The culture of the firm and the desire to provide excellent advice and service for their clients has been a major attraction and hopefully I can play a significant part in helping the firm to continue to grow and develop in this region.”
Roger Esler, Corporate Finance Director at DSW commented: “Richard has a fantastic reputation across the region for his debt advisory, transactional and business expertise built up over many years. The significant evolution in the debt and funding markets in recent years requires appropriate market insight and connections in order to provide best advice. Richard’s appointment represents DSW’s ongoing commitment to providing businesses across Yorkshire, Humberside and the North East with access to the most seasoned of specialist professionals and to delivering that experience to our clients through our hands-on approach every step of the way through a project.”