As demand for debt advisory services continues to rise in the UK, Grant Thornton has appointed George Fieldhouse to lead its corporate finance debt advisory practice. Fieldhouse brings 16 years of experience to the company.
Speaking about his new role, George Fieldhouse said: “Joining Grant Thornton and leading the corporate debt finance advisory team is an exciting next step for me. I have great respect for the success the team has achieved to date and am excited to be part of the next phase of growth.
Over his career, Fieldhouse has advised over £5bn of debt capital to support leveraged buyouts, growth capital, refinancings, recapitalisations and debt renegotiations and restructurings. He has significant experience across debt products including private debt and corporate bank debt and has worked for borrowers in the UK, Europe and the US.
Debt markets enjoyed another record year in 2021, fueled by fiscal stimulus, historically low interest rates, opportunistic refinancings and a boom in M&As and buyouts. In the United States, for example, the high-yield bond and leveraged loan markets set all-time issuance records and combined to break the leveraged funding record of 2017. While floating rate debt and borrowers continue to fund mergers and acquisitions and buyouts, corporate debt finance advisory services can expect strong demand in 2022.
Grant Thornton is committed to working closely with businesses and clients in what has become a complex and dynamic debt capital market. As head of Grant Thornton’s Corporate Finance Debt Advisory team, Fieldhouse will lead the practice’s growth with market-facing responsibility, including executing transactions, driving business development and accelerating the presence of company in London and the UK.
Commenting on the appointment, Keely Woodley, Head of Corporate Finance at Grant Thornton UK, said: “I am delighted to welcome George to our team to lead and grow our national debt advisory offering. George brings deep knowledge of the funding landscape and a host of private equity sponsors and corporate relationships. His appointment builds on the exceptional breadth and depth of expertise within our Corporate Finance team, and we look forward to continuing to grow and diversify our service offering and sector coverage.