Dains appoints new chief performance officer

Dains has appointed John Williams as chief performance officer to manage strategic planning and operating models as the group expands through acquisitions.

Williams will lead regional and partner performance across the business. He will focus on strengthening operating models and aligning resources to support growth.

The appointment follows the recent additions of chief financial officer Remy Lammertsma and chief client officer Fiona McSwein to the leadership team.

Williams joins the firm from Radius, where he spent seven years as director of finance. He led more than 18 acquisitions with a combined value exceeding £200m.

Between 1997 and 2018, Williams spent more than 20 years with EY and Deloitte. He worked in transaction support for 18 years and was a director for 10 years.

During his career in Manchester, Williams advised owner-managed businesses, corporates, and private equity clients on a wide range of transactions.

Richard McNeilly, chief executive, said: “John’s appointment reflects the scale of our ambition and the pace at which Dains continues to grow. As we expand across the UK and Ireland, it’s essential that our operating model evolves with us. John brings a strong track record of driving performance, integrating acquisitions and building scalable structures that support long-term growth.

“His experience in both transaction environments and high-growth, acquisitive businesses makes him an excellent fit for Dains. We are focused not just on growth, but on delivering that growth in a disciplined, sustainable way, ensuring our clients continue to receive the same high-quality service. John will play a central role in helping us achieve that.”

Williams added: “Dains has built impressive momentum in recent years. What attracted me to the Group is its clear ambition, strong culture and commitment to delivering real value to clients.

“My focus will be on ensuring we have the right operating framework, capacity and performance discipline in place to support the next phase of growth. I’m looking forward to working closely with partners and teams across the business to build on the strong foundations already in place.”