FRP appoints director to North East team

FRP Corporate Finance has appointed Marc McDermott as a director in its Newcastle team.McDermott joins the firm after nearly eight years as chief financial officer for ecommerce agency Visualsoft, and brings more than 25 years’ experience across financial services and industry to the role.

He is a qualified chartered accountant who began his career at EY in Newcastle, before entering corporate banking with Bank of Scotland in 2002. Following a period at the Bank of England, where he helped deliver regional economic intelligence to support policymaking, he joined Royal Bank of Scotland, becoming the bank’s regional director for the North East. 

He subsequently spent five years as the group CFO of global engineering group British Engines.

At FRP, McDermott will work closely with partners Abu Ali and Phil Williams to support clients across the UK looking to finance their strategic growth plans, with a focus on mid-market M&A and debt advisory.

FRP established a dedicated corporate finance team in Newcastle in September 2024 with the acquisition of WilliamsAli Corporate Finance. The move “significantly” enhanced the firm’s corporate finance capabilities in the region, and “complemented its already strong local restructuring advisory practice”.

McDermott said: “This is an incredibly exciting time to be joining the business, given FRP’s own growth trajectory and current market conditions, which make access to sound strategic advice even more important for all parties involved in corporate transactions and funding.

“I was particularly impressed by the scale of FRP’s national network and the breadth of its service offering. Alongside core corporate finance solutions, this enables us to deliver a comprehensive, seamless, end-to-end service to clients; something I valued in my time on the other side of the table in both banking and industry roles.”

Abu Ali, partner at FRP Corporate Finance, added: “Marc brings direct experience of being in the shoes of the lenders we work with and the management teams we support – something that I know his clients will deeply value. This marks an exciting expansion of our new North East team, and it’s a pleasure to welcome someone of his experience and calibre just a few short months after becoming part of FRP.”