GK Strategy and sister digital agency onefourzero have appointed Justin Ash as chairman. Ash takes up his new part-time position this week.   He was previously chief executive officer of Oasis Dental Care, where he grew the business to become the largest private dental provider in the UK, culminating in its sale in November 2016 from European private equity house Bridgepoint to Bupa for GBP835 million.    Prior to Oasis Dental Group, Ash was UK managing director of Lloyds Pharmacy.   The appointment comes after a strong financial year for GK and onefourzero, which saw the businesses grow in excess

Stephen Delaney has been made a partner of Bowmark Capital, the mid-market private equity firm.  At the same time, Antonia Cheong and Guy Yarrow have been promoted to investment director.   Delaney leads Bowmark’s technology practice and, most recently, led the firm’s investment in Node4, the fast-growing IT solutions provider. He joined Bowmark in 2014 from Darwin Private Equity.   Cheong joined Bowmark from DC Advisory in 2014 and is a member of the firm’s business services and healthcare teams. She has been involved in a number of Bowmark’s investments, and she sits on the board of PSH, one of the

International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is continuing the expansion of its finance and private equity practices with the addition of Joshua Samis, who joins as partner in the firm’s Chicago office. Samis, previously a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, has represented many of the country’s leading and most sophisticated private equity sponsors, private and public companies and commercial lending institutions.   He has broad experience in structuring and negotiating domestic and cross-border leveraged buyouts, secured and unsecured financing transactions, recapitalisations and loan workouts and restructurings, including debtor-in-possession financings.   “Josh is a highly respected finance lawyer with extensive

HarbourVest Partners, a global private markets asset manager, has appointed Paula Drake as managing director and general counsel. Drake will oversee all aspects of HarbourVest’s legal and compliance functions across the globe.   “As HarbourVest continues to grow and expand our solutions and investment capabilities, our primary focus remains on delivering high-quality service to our clients and partners, and this includes staying ahead of changing regulatory dynamics in the global private markets,” says John Toomey, managing director, HarbourVest. “We already have robust legal and compliance functions in place, as well as a strong control environment, and with the addition of

Law firm MJ Hudson has hired three senior lawyers to its team. Christopher Dearie joins as partner (financial services law and regulation).   Dearie advises asset managers, banks and domestic and international investment funds on a broad range of financial services regulatory issues. He previously worked at Freshfields, Ropes & Gray, and Jones Day.   Dearie says: “I am delighted to be joining MJ Hudson at this exciting time and look forward to playing my part in growing the regulatory offering.”   Daniel Lewin will head the firm’s tax practice as partner. Lewin is currently a partner of Arnold &

Michael P Gallagher has joined Duane Morris as a partner in the firm’s Philadelphia office. Gallagher enhances the firm’s corporate and securities capabilities in Philadelphia, nationally and internationally. He joins Duane Morris from Pepper Hamilton.   Gallagher concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate finance, private equity, family businesses, securities, mergers and acquisitions, workouts, exit planning and general corporate matters. He has represented issuers and underwriters in private and public offerings of debt and equity securities, as well as financial and strategic buyers and sellers in stock and asset acquisitions.   Gallagher has significant experience advising clients in a

CIL has appointed Tabitha Elwes as a partner to head its new media practice. Elwes joins from Prospero Strategy Consultants, which she helped to build as a partner from 2011; previously she was partner in charge of media at Spectrum Strategy Consultants.    Elwes has a long track-record of advising clients in the media, digital and tech sectors internationally. She also has extensive M&A experience and has advised on deals totalling over EUR6 billion.   Sebastian Chambers, managing partner at CIL, says: “We are delighted that Tabitha is joining us to lead our focus on media. CIL has extensive expertise in many

Tikehau Capital, a pan-European listed alternative asset management and investment firm, has appointed Peter Cirenza as head of its London operations, effective 24 April 2017. Cirenza will be responsible for helping develop the firm’s private asset strategies – private debt, real estate and private equity.   He will be running the London operations alongside chairman Lord Peter Levene.   Cirenza has been a member of Tikehau Capital’s advisory board since 2005. In this role, he has been supporting the company’s leadership team providing his insight as an outside expert in principal investing, structured finance and mergers and acquisitions.   Bringing

Clayton Euro Risk, a provider of risk analysis on mortgage and asset finance, has appointed Maurice Wijmans (pictured)to the newly-created role of senior manager – business development for the Netherlands. Based in The Hague and working across the country, Wijmans takes up his role with immediate effect, reporting to Clayton Euro Risk’s strategic delivery director Simon Collingridge.   His primary focus will be to build relationships across a range of markets including commercial real estate, consumer, shipping and corporate finance in the Netherlands to ensure that Clayton’s services deliver value and fully meet the needs of its clients.   In residential

Cairngorm Capital has appointed Amit Thaper as investment director, extending the firm’s capacity for new investments. Thaper joins from HIG Capital, a global private equity investment firm, where he was a vice president in the Boston office. Thaper was involved in acquiring and advising value-orientated, lower middle-market companies with high-return outlooks.   Prior to HIG Capital, Thaper worked as a strategy consultant for Bain & Company, both in Boston and London. At Bain, he advised clients across a range of industries including healthcare, manufacturing and distribution, as well as conducting due diligence studies for private equity and hedge funds.