New finance team formed
Corporate finance outfit Dow Schofield Watts today announced it has lured three senior managers from PricewaterhouseCoopers in Manchester to run a new division, and has launched a venture capital fund which is looking to raise up to £5m.
Ed Brentnall, Chris Williams and Catriona Lang will join Warrington-based Dow Schofield Watts later this year to lead a transaction services team, focusing on areas such as preparing companies for sale.
Their arrival takes staff numbers at Dow Schofield Watts to 18.
The firm, founded in 2002 by James Dow, Jon Schofield and Mark Watts, has completed 54 deals with a combined value of £1.6bn.
It specialises in transactions ranging from £5m to £50m in value.
Mr Dow said the new service would add significantly to the firm’s capabilities, and that it was looking to expand further, with corporate recovery next on the agenda.
The venture capital business, called PHD Equity Partners, has secured approval from the Financial Services Authority and is looking to raise between £3m and £5m initially. It is chaired by Lord Daresbury.
Its name is derived from the surname initials of the Dow Schofield Watts partners running it – Phil Price, Frank Herlihy and Andy Dodd.