Global investment bank GCA Altium has strengthened its London team with the appointment of consumer M&A expert, Tom Barnard as Director.
Barnard joins GCA Altium as part of its leisure M&A team having spent more than a decade working in the sector, the majority of which was spent at BDO. Prior to this, Barnard completed an 18-month secondment at the LDC London Investment Team.
During his career, Barnard has worked on landmark transactions in the UK leisure and consumer sector, with a specialist focus on the restaurant & bar and travel spaces. As a qualified accountant, Barnard also holds a BSc in Geography from the University of Durham.
In his new role as Director in the London team, Barnard will work directly with Managing Director and office head Sam Fuller and the wider GCA Altium team on some of the UK’s most prolific consumer M&A deals. In recent years, these have included AIMs biggest ever flotation in Victorian Plumbing, the sale and subsequent flotation of Loungers plc and the sale of Watchfinder.
This appointment is the latest move in the most active period in history for the global investment bank, which has over 500 employees in 24 offices across America, Asia and Europe. GCA Altium has enjoyed a record first half of the year to date, completing over 150 deals in Europe, 45 of which have been in the UK.
Barnard, Director at GCA Altium, comments: “I’m pleased to be joining GCA Altium which, as a firm, has a one of the strongest reputations in the UK for its dealmaking ability on a local and global scale. I am looking forward to working alongside the Sam, Christopher Jones and the rest of the London team in expanding our offering not just in the UK but also using our international connections to support consumer-facing companies across a range of sectors and geographies.”
Sam Fuller, Managing Director and Head of the London office, adds: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Tom to the London team. His extensive experience and knowledge of the UK leisure and consumer sector will be invaluable to the future of the company, helping us to build and consolidate relationships within these sectors and continue to grow at scale.”
