Clearwater International appoints head of Financial Services

Corporate finance advisory firm Clearwater International has appointed Greg Cant as partner and head of Financial Services in a bid to further investment in the high-growth financial services market. The firm said the move further strengthens its presence in the financial services sector across its UK and European offices, with the firm having advised on over 60 deals worth a combined €2.5bn (£2.2bn) in diverse segments such as wealth, insurance and specialist lending. It added that appointing a well-known market specialist presents an opportunity for it to deepen its expertise in financial services while supporting the ongoing growth seen within the industry across Europe. It comes as deal volume in financial services is increasing year-on-year, with on average 650 deals completing annually over the last five years (2018-2022), according to Mergermarket data. Cant brings nearly 30 years of mid-market corporate finance experience, including 21 years at Rothschild and Co, where he worked on more than 50 transactions spanning acquisitions, disposals, fund raisings and IPOs. Most recently he was chief of Staff and director of Corporate Finance and Development at specialist Provident Financial and was involved in the successful defence of Non-Standard Finance’s £1.3bn hostile bid in 2019. In his new role, Cant will focus on leading Clearwater’s Financial Services sector team, strengthening the firm’s relationships with private equity and corporate clients, and transacting across a range of deals within the industry. He will be based in Clearwater’s office in Leeds and his arrival will further strengthen its 15-strong team and coverage in Yorkshire, one of the UK’s key regions for the financial services industry. Mark Taylor, UK CEO of Clearwater International, said: “This is a great start to 2023 and signals our intent to continue investing in the best talent and delivering specialist support for key international growth sectors such as financial services. “Greg has unparalleled experience across a wide range of transactions in this market and brings a valuable ‘in-house’ perspective from his time working for a major listed banking group. His leadership will help us build on the platform we’ve established in financial services and ensure even more management teams and investors can access crucial, high-quality insight and advice from our sector experts.” Cant added: “I’m proud to be joining at such an exciting time with the business continuing to extend and develop its capabilities across territories, sectors and areas such as ESG. “Clearwater’s performance over the last few years speaks for itself and evidences the strength of its track record and reputation for delivery, particularly when it comes to complex, sizeable deals with sophisticated funding requirements. I’m looking forward to collaborating with colleagues in the international Financial Services team, Debt Advisory team and in the rapidly growing Leeds office to drive further success in 2023 and beyond.”