Edward is Co-Head of the Portfolio Performance team at Alpha Alternatives. Ed focuses on strategic advisory for the asset lifecycle of clients across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

David Smith has been economics editor of The Sunday Times since 1989. He is also chief leader-writer, assistant editor and policy adviser. David is the author of several books, including Free Lunch: Easily Digestible Economics; and Something Will Turn Up: Britain’s Economy Past, Present and Future. He is a visiting professor at Cardiff and Nottingham Universities and has won a number of awards.

Howard manages the Alternatives Supervision Team within the Wholesale Buyside Directorate. He has worked at the FCA for 6+ years, prior to which he worked in the RBS group for 19 years in a number of roles.

Joshua is a Senior Market Analysis in the Asset Management Sector Team within the Wholesale Buyside Directorate where he led the FCA’s multi-firm review of private market valuation practices. Prior to that, he has worked on other asset management multi-firm reviews and was seconded to analyse funds in the Bank of England’s system-wide exploratory scenario.

Thomas is a forensic accountant and business valuation expert who provides economic and financial advice. He is regularly appointed as an expert to opine on issues of finance and valuation.

Ed is a Director in Grant Thornton’s SPA Advisory team based in London. He specialises in advising both buyers and sellers on equity value price adjustments and the financial and accounting aspects of sale and purchase agreements (SPAs). With expertise in the often complex world of enterprise-to-equity value bridges, locked box and completion account mechanisms, Ed helps clients translate commercial terms into robust, financially sound agreements. He advises private equity, corporate, and private clients across a wide range of sectors, with extensive experience supporting cross-border transactions.

Chand is a Partner in the Strategic Corporate Finance team. He is based in the City of London and works across the practice. Chand and his team engineer how to grow the value and performance of ambitious corporates, funds and disrupters. They achieve this by raising, re-allocating and deploying capital into M&A, global growth and performance improvement in order to drive the shareholder returns in client businesses. He and his team operate as strategic advisors, analysts and lead advisors on transactions.

Matt Palmer is Head of EMEA IG and Crossover Corporate Coverage within the Business and Relationship Management team at Fitch Ratings. Matt and his team act as investment grade market specialists supporting proactive outreach to investment grade corporates on the potential value of a Fitch rating for financing and wider strategic reasons. They also engage directly with investment grade market execution advisors and bankers across rating advisory, DCM origination, Debt syndicate and relationship management and sector banking teams on the potential execution value of ratings.

Andrew is a Chartered Accountant with many years’ experience of corporate transactions with specialism as a business valuer. He is also a main contributor to ICAEW’s quarterly newsletter and presents regularly to service users. He indulges in work related to business valuation, litigation support and corporate finance transactions, acting for both buyers and sellers, advising value, on the main terms and on the tax implications of transactions.