KPMG has recruited Philip Shields as managing director to lead its UK real estate corporate finance practice, from Panmure Gordon, where he led the investment bank’s real estate M&A practice. He has more than 20 years of real estate investment banking experience in London, New York and Sydney, and has also advised on M&A and capital raising. He recently advised on the £350m Life Science REIT IPO on the London Stock Exchange.

Originally from Australia, Shields started his career as a corporate finance analyst with Colonial First State bank in Melbourne and Sydney. He subsequently worked for Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse and Tulla Group in Sydney, before moving to London to work for PwC, CBRE and then Panmure Gordon.

Azets has entered the Irish market for the first time with the acquisition of Baker Tilly Ireland, which has been rebranded as Azets Ireland. The investment in Ireland is Azets’ 10th deal in 12 months. The firm says it has ‘more M&A activity planned across all regions’ as it pursues an ambitious growth strategy.

Azets Ireland is headed up by Neil Hughes (1), supported by a team of 100 people, including 11 partners, serving a portfolio of 2,000 clients. It has offices in Dublin and in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, in the south east of the country.

Greg Hogan (2) heads up the firm’s corporate finance offering in Ireland. He joined Baker Tilly in 2020, from private equity fund Renatus Capital Partners, having previously worked for International Development Ireland, Deloitte and Grant Thornton, where he trained as a chartered accountant.

Altman Solon, the strategy consulting firm that is focused on the TMT sector, has promoted Kemper Pierce to partner in New York. A digital infrastructure expert who advises on M&A, Kemper joined the firm 10 years ago from ConnectEDU. He previously worked for growth capital investor Symmetric Capital.

In Milan, the firm has promoted Riccardo Consani to partner. His particular expertise is in strategy and M&A for corporate clients. He has been with Altman Solon since last year, having previously worked for The Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Co.

And in London, TMT strategy and infrastructure expert Noel Perera has been promoted to director. He joined the firm in 2017, from Aetha Consulting.

Ed Weston has joined Deloitte as a partner in the Big Six firm’s private equity M&A operations practice. He joined from PwC in London, where he worked for 13 years and was a director in its M&A team. He previously spent four years with BAE Systems in Australia.

Headpoint, the corporate finance advisory firm, has promoted Oliver Stephens to associate director. He joined the firm as associate in February 2021, moving from Breeze Corporate Finance. Before that, he spent three and a half years with PwC, where he trained as an ACA and worked in corporate finance.

UAE-based investment banking advisory firm Alpen Capital has entered a strategic partnership with IMAP (International M&A Partners), to become its exclusive partner for M&A activities in the Gulf Cooperation Council. IMAP has a team of more than 450 M&A professionals worldwide in more than 40 countries.

Marsh has promoted Paul Knowles to global head of private equity and M&A. He has relocated from London to New York. Previously head of Marsh JLT Specialty for Continental Europe, in 1996 he joined JLT Specialty, which was taken over by Marsh in 2019.