Financial risk consultancy JCRA has appointed Benoit Duhil de Benaze as director. Working from the firm’s London offices, Duhil de Benaze will help to drive and further establish JCRA’s offering in the financial sponsor and corporate markets across the UK and Europe.   Before joining JCRA, Duhil de Benaze spent three years at Nomura where he was an executive director in the FX structuring team and involved in several high-profile transactions for private equity and corporate clients. Prior to Nomura, he spent nine years at Société Générale where he built and headed up the London FX structuring team for both corporate

MMC Ventures, a London-based venture capital fund, has promoted Simon Menashy and Ameerul Miah to partner. Miah also becomes chief operating officer (COO).   MMC has also added to its executive team with Victoria Ferguson becoming general counsel and Anna Slemmings stepping up to the role of director of marketing and investor relations.   Menashy has led a number of new investments over the past two years including the firm’s most recent investment into AI business Signal Media. He also serves on the board of MMC portfolio companies Sky-Futures, Masabi, Admedo, Brightpearl and MUBI. He joined MMC in 2011 from

Rush, the hair and beauty brand that was backed by private equity firm LDC earlier this year, has appointed former Costa Coffee managing director Christopher Rogers as its non-executive chairman, with immediate effect. Rogers has over 11 years of experience as a main board director of Whitbread, the UK’s largest hospitality company, where he held roles as group finance director and managing director of Costa Coffee, one of the world’s leading coffee chains. He led Costa Coffee’s global expansion, during which time profits increased from GBP69 million to GBP153 million, and global store numbers increased from 2,200 to over 3,200.

Ipes, a provider of outsourced services to private equity in Europe, has appointed Sumindra Bains-Cleary and David Bateman. Bains-Cleary joins Ipes as head of commercial finance based in London while Bateman joins Ipes as a manager in Guernsey.   Bains-Cleary is an experienced finance manager whose most recent role was for Xchanging, where she spent five years, latterly as corporate development and corporate strategy manager. Prior to that, she spent five years in KPMG’s corporate finance department, specialising in cross-border acquisitions and disposals.    Reporting to the CFO, Bains-Cleary will be responsible for providing management information and business intelligence across the

Gordon Brothers, a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm, has expanded its footprint to Australia. Based in Sydney, the new office will be led by seasoned restructuring and turnaround management professional Tim Stewart, who will serve as managing director, Australia.   "We at Gordon Brothers see tremendous opportunity in the Australian market," says Frank Morton, CEO, international. "Tim's restructuring expertise and ties to the local turnaround community are extensive. Under his leadership, and in partnership with Gordon Brothers Finance Company, we will deliver capabilities and capital long overdue in the Australian market."   "I am thrilled to lead Gordon Brothers'

McDermott Will & Emery has appointed Gregory Metz as a partner in the firm’s Chicago office.  Metz has joined the firm’s corporate and transactional practice group with a particular focus on middle market private equity.   Metz joins McDermott from Ropes & Gray where he counselled clients on complex business transactions and advised private equity clients on mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, debt and equity restructurings, divestitures, and executive compensation and incentive arrangements.   Metz has an active practice representing middle market private equity funds across a broad spectrum of industries including in the healthcare private equity arena.   “We

Lightsource Renewable Energy, a solar energy company, has appointed James Brooks as chief strategy officer, a member of the executive leadership team and board of the company. After 18 years’ experience in the energy and technology sectors, Brooks has a wealth of knowledge in energy, technology and finance markets globally, and how to skilfully capitalise on disruptive and structural changes in complex global markets.   This includes working at First Reserve, a global private equity and infrastructure investment firm exclusively focused on energy, as well as private equity firm Advent International.   Most recently, Brooks was the co-head of energy

Independent Growth Finance (IGF), a commercial finance provider for SMEs, has appointed Paul Edmeades as the firm’s head of underwriting for asset based lending. Edmeades joins the business from Shawbrook Business Credit, where his role was business development director for over two years.   He has also held previous positions at GE Commercial Finance and NMB Heller, and has over 20 years’ experience in the industry in risk, portfolio and commercial roles.   Responsible for building an underwriting team to support the firm’s commercial activities, he will be working closely with IGF’s sales teams to deliver and underwrite deals in