KPMG boosts team

KPMG’s private equity group has strengthened its team with four promotions and the return of a partner. Michelle Bond has been promoted to M&A tax partner. She has specific experience in deal structuring and planning, tax due diligence and completion related services. Recent private equity deals she has worked on include the secondary MBO of Focus Wickes and PepsiCo’s acquisition of Golden Wonder Group from Bridgepoint Capital.

Adrian Dray, a corporate finance professional, joined KPMG in 1993 and has been promoted to partner. Deals Adrian has worked on include advising the management team on the secondary buyout of Vivid Imaginations.

Jon Stratford joined KPMG in 1996 and has been promoted to director. He is also a corporate finance professional and works for the private equity team in the London office. He has worked on a number of deals including advising management on the secondary buyout of Aviagen, advising 3i on the MBO of PaperPak and advising on the MBO of National Car Parks.

James White has also been promoted to director and joined KPMG in 1994. He is a transaction services specialist based in the private equity team in the London office. He has worked exclusively on private equity transactions for five years on deals ranging from pan European LBOs to mid market MBO/MBI deals. He also runs KPMG’s private equity research joint venture with the Manchester Business School.

Returning to the group is Maggie Morrissey, a transaction services partner who returns from a two-year secondment to Germany, where she worked on private equity deals. Maggie is particularly experienced in pan European transactions, where she specialises in pre-acquisition reviews. Private equity houses Maggie has worked with include Alchemy, Apax, Cinven, Goldman Sachs PIA, Hg Capital, Industri Kapital and Permira.

Oliver Tant, head of KPMG’s Private Equity Group, said: “The promotions have been richly deserved and reflect the important contribution each has made to the success of the private equity group. With three new partners in the core private equity group, it only underlines our commitment to invest in the growing needs of the private equity community.”