Armstrong Watson appoints Funding and Debt Advisory partner

Armstrong Watson has appointed Lee Hayes as Corporate Finance partner – Funding and Debt Advisory.Hayes brings with him 37 years of banking and finance experience, having worked with The Halifax Building Society, Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Bank of Ireland, Bibby Financial Services, and most recently, Close Brothers Invoice Finance.

For almost 13 years, he served as Regional Sales director at Close Brothers Invoice Finance, where he “significantly” contributed to the growth of the brand and loan book in Yorkshire.

In his new role at Armstrong Watson, Hayes will focus on meeting with clients from across the firm to explore their current and future funding requirements. Leveraging his “extensive” market knowledge and experience in structuring funding packages, he will identify the best solutions to support their business growth and achieve their goals. 

His appointment comes just a month after Stephen Green joined the business as Financial Due Diligence partner and follows a successful 2024 which saw the Corporate Finance team complete 16 M&A transactions, valued at more than £55m.

Hayes said: “After a 37-year career in banking and finance, I’m looking forward to putting my vast experience and knowledge to good use by advising Armstrong Watson clients on the best funding package to suit their business needs. I believe offering this service to our clients will remove a lot of the time and resources that can be spent on sourcing the right banking and funding facilities, allowing them to focus on running and growing their business.”

Mike Kienlen, Armstrong Watson’s chairman and head of Restructuring and Insolvency, added: “I am delighted that Lee has joined Armstrong Watson as Funding and Debt Advisory Partner. He brings a wealth of experience in understanding clients’ funding needs. The funding market is always developing, and to have someone of Lee’s experience assisting our clients in getting the right funding solutions for their businesses will be of great benefit.”

Paul Dickson, CEO and managing partner, concluded: “We are very fortunate to have Lee join Armstrong Watson to support our clients with their banking, finance and debt requirements.  Lee’s experience will be invaluable to our clients to guide them through the complexities of dealing with financial institutions and sourcing the best solutions for their specific business needs.”