Corporate finance boutique makes senior hire ahead of office move

A new corporate finance firm has continued to expand ahead of its move into new offices in Newcastle city centre.

WilliamsAli Corporate Finance (WACF) launched two years ago with a view to providing specialist advice.

The company has already been involved in a series of significant mergers and acquisitions, management buy-outs, private equity and fundraising deals and now has made a senior appointment to its team.

Mark Robinson has joined WACF as it prepares to move into office space at The Pearl in Newcastle city centre.

The Pearl overlooks Northumberland Street and Grey’s Monument and will accommodate the firm’s ongoing expansion.

Mark brings experience to the team having made a name for himself in banking with AIB in Manchester for the past six years.

He said: “My time in banking gave me wide and varied deal experience across a range of sectors.

“Now I am looking forward to bringing that experience to the table and blending it together with WilliamsAli’s clear ethos of client service and tailored advice.

“There’s a huge amount of work involved in making a deal happen – and the level of skill and planning the team at WilliamsAli goes into is way beyond anything I have seen before.

“I’ve been hugely impressed and am really pleased to join such an ambitious firm.”

Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, WACF founders Abu Ali and Phil Williams have continued to see strong demand for their deal making expertise.

Among the highlights in their current portfolio are a health sector acquisition, a growth capital deal in the water utilities sector, buy-side support for a leading mid-market private equity investor, a corporate carve-out in the luxury services sector, and a number of clients embarking on the process of selling their businesses.

WACF also went through its own buy-out and rebrand in 2020.

Phil said: “For strong businesses, we see 2021 as the year to be bold. That’s what we’re telling our clients and that’s what we plan to do ourselves.

“While there remain parts of the market where economic conditions will continue to be challenging, there are investors with significant cash to invest in businesses and sectors which can see huge opportunities ahead.

“Throughout the past year, during some of the most difficult times in living memory, we’ve supported many clients who, like us, remain ambitious and continue to grow.”

Abu added: “We are working with clients throughout the region in realising their ambitions and potential, and as entrepreneurs ourselves, who have successfully navigated our own business through the pandemic, we are ideally placed to support others in their strategy and future plans.

“By moving into our new premises in The Pearl, we are making a big statement about our ambition – this is a prime site which can accommodate our ongoing growth, and we are investing in our team and our business to equip us for the future.

“The addition of Mark to the team is a very big move for us. With his strong track record in corporate banking, he has huge experience in working with businesses at the point of investment and has unrivalled insight into what is needed for them to secure that.”