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Gravitate Accounting has announced the appointment of Martin Dean as director of corporate finance.
Dean joins the firm as a shareholder to lead and build its newly-established corporate finance department.
He brings a wealth of senior experience to the role having joined from Shorts Accountants, where he worked for 11 years, most recently as senior corporate finance manager.
Previous to this, he held positions at Clayton and Brewill and Howsons and he has extensive experience supporting businesses.
The firm plans to grow the team in the coming years, with Dean mentoring and coaching the next generation of corporate financiers.
Dean said: “There is a genuine buzz at Gravitate Accounting because they do things differently. Building a corporate finance team within a dynamic, supportive and collaborative culture is such an exciting prospect and something I’m very much looking forward to.
“My role will be centred around making a meaningful impact for clients by working alongside them as a trusted strategic advisor to negotiate the very best deals for their business. We’re here to help clients make informed decisions, helping them to evaluate their growth and ownership plans at every stage of a business’ lifespan while also considering market conditions.”
He added: “It’s been an interesting few years in the transaction marketplace with uncertainty, relative instability and higher interest rates making for a slowdown of typical M&A activity. But it’s a fragmented picture. Certain sectors, such as tech and SAAS-related businesses, are still attracting consistently high multiples. Correct payment structures and strict due diligence are really critical to successful transactions.
“EOT transactions have definitely continued to be a popular choice of exit for SME owners and more EOTs have been funded by mainstream lenders, showcasing that lenders have gained confidence and a greater understanding of what they are backing. While there will no doubt be some headwinds to this year, I suspect H2 could pick up significantly in terms of transaction volume.”
