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Cooper Parry has announced the appointment of Chulanga Jayawardana and Paul Hudson as senior partners in its northern leadership team, as the firm continues to expand in the region.
Jayawardana joins the Leeds hub to lead transaction services, while Hudson arrives as audit partner based in Manchester.
Both partners join from Big Four firms, with Jayawardana previously spending 10 years at KPMG and Hudson 14 years at PwC. The moves are part of a strategy to increase headcount in the North to nearly 200 staff.
Jayawardana has experience in mid-market transactions and the food and beverage sector, including cross-border deals and initial public offerings.
Meanwhile, Hudson has worked in more than 20 countries and specialises in supporting private equity-backed companies through high-stakes business cycles. Hudson will also lead the private equity audit offering across the North.
The firm expects to announce further appointments in Manchester and Leeds over the coming months to support its growth.
Jayawardana said: “CP is making real waves in the market. It’s an ambitious firm scaling at pace, and I’m excited to help accelerate our growth across the North. There’s a real buzz and energy about the business, underpinned by an agile and collaborative culture and a clear ambition to challenge the status quo.”
Hudson said: “Having spent the last five or six years working almost exclusively with PE backed businesses, CP being PE-backed too really resonated. The chance to come in, lead the PE audit offer across the North and genuinely live and breathe that same journey felt like an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.”
Ade Cheatham, chief executive of Cooper Parry, added: “We’re excited to be growing our presence across the North. Bringing in leaders of CJ and Paul’s calibre is another major step forward. Their sector expertise, Big Four experience and energy for disruption all align perfectly with our vision as the UK’s most progressive professional services group.”
