Mid-market private equity investor LDC has further strengthened its Yorkshire team with the appointment of Will Scales as an Investment Director.
As Investment Director, Scales is responsible for identifying potential investment opportunities, leading transactions and supporting the management teams of LDC’s portfolio businesses as they pursue their growth ambitions.
Scales, who will be based in LDC’s Leeds office, joins the private equity firm with more than a decade of experience of working in corporate finance. Prior to LDC, he spent eight years at global investment bank Rothschild & Co, as a member of its corporate finance team. There he worked on numerous local, national and international transactions, and helped Yorkshire-based management teams operating across a variety sectors secure private equity investment. Prior to this, Scales worked in EY’s financial due diligence team for five years, qualifying as a chartered accountant.
Scales’ appointment follows a successful period for LDC across Yorkshire. The private equity house recently backed the creation of a new national lettings and estate agency group in a £100million transaction to merge portfolio firm Linley & Simpson, which was founded in Leeds, and Lomond Capital. The Yorkshire team also completed the successful exit of NBS, the leading technology platform for the construction sector. During LDC’s partnership with the business, NBS expanded its presence internationally, opened new permanent bases in both Australia and Canada, and completed two acquisitions in Australia.
LDC, which marks its 40th anniversary in 2021, invested more than GBP240 million across the UK in 14 new investments last year. It also worked closely with portfolio businesses to help them grow through acquisition, providing follow-on capital to support 35 bolt-on deals. Looking ahead, LDC is committed to investing GBP1.2billion of equity across the UK over the next three years.
Dan Smith, Head of LDC in Yorkshire, says: “We are very pleased to welcome Will to the team. He brings fresh experience and will be a valuable addition to LDC and the management teams we support. Will’s enthusiasm and expertise will support us in ensuring a sizeable chunk of our nationwide commitment to invest GBP1.2 billion over the next three years will be used to support mid-market businesses across Yorkshire.”
Scales says: “LDC fully deserves its reputation as the leading mid-market private equity firm across Yorkshire. I am delighted to be joining the team to continue to build on its success and, being a proud Yorkshireman, am looking forward to helping local management team grow their businesses across my home region and beyond.”
To date, LDC has invested almost GBP640 million to support the growth of 70 management teams across the Yorkshire and North East region.
