Dealmaker Marwood joins corporate advice firm

Ian Marwood, who left mid-tier accountancy firm Grant Thornton late last year, has joined corporate finance adviser Sentio Partners.

Sentio Partners was founded by former members of BTG McInnes’ team in Leeds.

Partner Dave Irwin said: “Ian has been one of the region’s leading and most respected dealmakers for many years and brings with him both a wealth of experience and a wide range of complementary relationships.

“His interest in advising entrepreneurial businesses and his hands-on approach with clients presents a natural fit for us.”

Mr Marwood has advised on a number of deals in Yorkshire over the last decade, including the £350m sale of Dean Hoyle’s Card Factory to private equity giant Charterhouse in 2010.

He told the Yorkshire Post: “For the last nine months I have been providing strategic and corporate development advice to a number of retained clients who have been paying me to see them once a month and talk through all sorts of issues.

“During that period I was asked to help out some of those clients with transactions. I felt there were lots of opportunities with the market improving and more deals around.

“It was about time I put myself in a position where I could execute those transactions rather than be on the periphery.”

Mr Marwood has spent 25 years in the M&A market in Yorkshire, London and Prague.

He joined Grant Thornton in 2002 to help build its corporate finance presence in Yorkshire. Mr Marwood left the partnership at the end of December.

He said: “I wanted a change of pace at that time. I found I wasn’t enjoying the situation there and felt it was time for a change.”

Deal credits include the sale of Federation Brewery to Scottish & Newcastle, the sale of Intelligent Data Services to the AA and advising LDC on its investment in Intercontinental Brands.

Mr Irwin said: “His appointment demonstrates our commitment to building our business and we look forward to continuing the success we’ve enjoyed over the past 18 months.”