Azets appoints new group head of M&A

Azets has announced the appointment of Jeremy Fearnley as group head of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). 

It revealed the role includes responsibility for M&A activity across Azets in the UK and Nordics.

As group head of M&A with Azets, the firm said Fearnley will focus on driving continued geographical expansion and solution proposition via the acquisition of high quality, complementary groups.

Fearnley is a “seasoned” M&A leader, with a track record of advising “complex”, multi-million-pound transactions. He built a career as a deal advisor, working in the corporate finance team of a big four accounting firm in the UK and across Asia, culminating in five years as the head of M&A in Hong Kong. 

Throughout this time, Fearnley amassed a “broad range” of experience, working on many public and private transactions, covering acquisitions, disposals, fundraisings, public-to-private transactions, and private equity deals.

According to the firm, Fearnley’s desire to directly build a business led him to Equiom, a private equity backed international professional services group, where he spent the past six years delivering acquisitive growth, spearheading its international and service line expansion, as global head of strategy and M&A.

Fearnley said: “I am delighted to join Azets at a time of significant growth and look forward to working closely with our leaders to find ways to add to our unique market proposition.

“To build on our position as a leading advisor and provider of professional and outsourced services, Azets is interested in acquiring groups which share our vision for talent development, exceptional service provision, a culture of innovation and for making work enjoyable.”

Chris Horne, group CEO of Azets, added: “Jeremy is a renowned M&A leader, and this is a timely appointment in the continued expansion of Azets, with acquisitive growth a key part of our plans to increase revenue by 50% in the next five years.”