Our People

Andy Dodd – andy@dswcf.com

Andy joined Dow Schofield Watts in 2003 from KPMG’s Corporate Finance team.

He trained and qualified as a chartered accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

At Dow Schofield Watts, Andy has worked on a broad array of major transactions.

Roger Esler – roger@dswcf.com

Roger joined Dow Schofield Watts in 2012 and is responsible for its Yorkshire and North East office.

He joins from Deloitte in Leeds where he was a corporate finance partner for over ten years. There he had regional responsibility for public company and debt advisory in addition to advising on a wide range of corporate and private equity M&A, refinancings and restructurings.

Roger previously held senior positions at SG Hambros Investment Bank and KPMG, also in Leeds.

Daniel Freed – daniel@dswcf.com

Dan joined the corporate finance team at Dow Schofield Watts in February 2008 from Rutland Partners, the mid-market private equity firm.

He previously worked in the London Corporate Finance team at Ernst & Young and in Investment Banking at CIBC World Markets, advising on a wide range of UK, European and North American public and private equity transactions.

Dave Graham – dave@dswcf.com

Dave Graham joined the corporate finance team at Dow Schofield Watts in June 2007 from KPMG.

Dave qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG.

Tony Meakin – tony@dswcf.com

Tony joined the corporate finance team at Dow Schofield Watts in June 2007 from Ernst & Young.

Tony qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young.

Philip Price – philip@dswcf.com

Philip joined Dow Schofield Watts in June 2003 and became a partner shortly afterwards.

Philip became a partner at Dow Schofield Watts in 2003, having joined the firm from KPMG where he qualified in 1996 and moved into corporate finance in 1997.

Philip acquired extensive experience of the corporate finance sector at KPMG, including advising on a series of headline transactions.

Craig Richardson – craig@dswcf.com

Craig joined Dow Schofield Watts as a partner in 2006 after training as a chartered accountant at KPMG and spending 10 years in the firm’s corporate finance team.

In the recent North West Insider awards, Craig was voted Corporate Finance Advisor of the Year and Dealmaker of the Year in Lancashire.

Ed Brentnall – ed@dswdd.com

Ed jointly heads the financial due diligence business, Dow Schofield Watts Transaction Services LLP, which he helped to establish in December 2008.

Ed qualified as a chartered accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Manchester and Minneapolis (USA) and then spent 5 years in their transaction services team. During this period Ed worked for a number of clients such as The Cooperative Group, Barcrest Ltd, JCB Ltd, William Jackson Food Group, Close Brothers Private Equity, Visage Ltd and MacQuarie Bank. Whilst working across a range of sectors, Ed focused on the Pharmacy, food manufacture and gaming sectors.

Ed’s experience covers a variety of industries and deal types: financial buy-side due diligence, financial sell-side due diligence, working capital reviews, vendor assistance, bid support and bid defence.

Since forming DSW TS, Ed has carried out the following key projects

• FDD for Gresham PE in relation to their acquisition of LAS
• Vendor assistance on behalf of Ideal Shopping Direct, subsequently acquired by Inflexion PE
• FDD on behalf of Gresham PE re their acquisition of Walker Technical Resource (now ICR) backed by HSBC; and
• The acquisition of A&P, the UK’s second largest ship repair & shipbuilder by Atlantic & Peninsular, backed by Peel Ports.
• FDD with respect to the acquisition of Kirona Ltd by LDC
• Buyside due diligence in relation to two acquisitions for The Energy Solutions Group

Catriona Lang – catriona@dswdd.com

Catriona jointly heads the financial due diligence business Dow Schofield Watts Transaction Services LLP, which she helped to establish in December 2008. She joined from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant in their audit department, before spending 5 years in their Transaction Services team.

Catriona has significant experience of a variety of deal types and industries, specialising in manufacturing, media and television and service industries. Recent deals Catriona has worked on include:

• buy side due diligence on behalf of Finance Wales in relation to their investment in Medical Gas Solutions
• buy side due diligence for Infinity Asset Management LLP in relation to an aborted acquisition
• contract review analysis for BBC Worldwide and Entertainment One on a number of licensees
• buy side due diligence for a corporate in relation to their acquisition of a law firm
• cash flow review and due diligence exercise for Barclays Ventures in relation to a portfolio company, Howorth Air Technology Limited
• vendor due diligence for Halliwells in relation to their break up and sale to Hill Dickinson, HBJ Gately Wareing and Barlow Lyde & Gilbert
• buy side due diligence for Infinity Asset Management LLP and Goldshield Electronic Security Systems in relation to their acquisition of AIS Total Security

Chris Williams – chris@dswdd.com

Prior to setting up DSW TS in 2008 with Ed and Catriona, Chris started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Manchester. Staying with the firm post qualification, he spent 5 years in Guernsey and London working for a number of private equity clients before moving back to Manchester in 2006.

Chris offers experience covering a number of industry sectors – Debt management, Food manufacture, Packaging, Retail and Licensing – and a variety of differing deal types as well as FDD, such as vendor assistance and Management Information reviews . Recent transactions include:

• FDD with respect to the acquisition of Kirona Ltd by LDC
• FDD in relation to a number of debt management back books acquired by both Harrington Brooks and Money Plus Group.
• Refinancing of One Advice Group on behalf of PNC Business Credit
• Vendor assistance with Rio Tinto PLC in respect of the divestment of their international packaging operations

Julia Barnett – julia@dswdd.com

Julia joined the DSW Transaction Services team in October 2011.

She trained at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for 3 years in the audit department in London and Manchester and was involved in audits for the following clients: Shell, Samsung, Taylor Nelson Sofres, Belgravium Technologies, Mouchel.

After qualifying as a Chartered accountant in 2009, Julia joined Cowgill Holloway LLP for 2 years as an Audit Senior and then Manager leading audits on SME clients in the Construction, Plant Hire, Hotel & Leisure, Warehousing & Distribution and Pharmacy sectors.