Interpath Advisory, a financial advisory business, has appointed a trio of Managing Directors to its business across the island of Ireland. Ken Fennell and Mark Degnan arrive in the firm’s Irish wing, while Stuart Irwin joins in Northern Ireland.
Since its launch following the sale of KPMG’s UK Restructuring business in May 2021, Interpath has opened 13 offices across the UK and Ireland and, in addition to its established restructuring, insolvency and turnaround capabilities, has also broadened into new financial advisory service lines, including debt advisory, tax, valuations, forensics, transaction services and M&A.
Ken Fennell joins Interpath from Deloitte, as it looks to meet demand in its Dublin office. Fennell was previously Head of Restructuring with Deloitte in Ireland, and has a wealth of experience advising clients in contingency planning and insolvency assignments across a variety of sectors. Over a career spanning 30 years, he has advised corporates, financial institutions, private equity and government agencies on distressed debt and asset positions. He is currently leading the liquidation of Wirecard’s Irish arm and the liquidation of Sonical Limited, the specialised fit-out contractor.
Fennell said of his new challenge, “at Interpath, we have a fantastic opportunity to create and build a new, differentiated offering, building upon the experience and quality of the Big 4, but with the agility and independence of a boutique. We have enormous energy and hunger to grow, with the ambition to soon become the market leading business across Ireland. With so much experience and a range of skillsets across the team, our collective strength lies in managing challenging situations and remaining unwavering in the face of difficult decisions. We can’t wait to get started.”
Mark Degnan meanwhile also joins from Deloitte, bringing more than 15 years of experience in a wide range of restructuring advisory services, including corporate restructuring, lender advisory, contingency planning, and insolvency services for corporate, private equity, and financial institution clients. He has particular experience of handling restructuring engagements in the aviation sector, and also provided the independent expert report for the successful examinership of Mallinkrodt. Looking ahead, Degnan will be based in Dublin, and will lead Interpath’s financial restructuring, strategy and turnaround service areas in Ireland for corporate and SME clients.
Stuart Irwin meanwhile takes up the role of a Managing Director in Belfast. Also bringing Big Four experience to the role, he formerly led KPMG’s restructuring practice in Northern Ireland. A licensed insolvency practitioner, Irwin has led a wide range of business recovery, rescue and business sale projects in his career, resulting in significant experience and management of enforcement strategies, trading and viability assessments, accelerated disposal strategies and the resultant sell and buy side requirements. He has worked on behalf of banks, private equity and company stakeholders across all sectors.
Commenting on the news, Blair Nimmo, CEO of Interpath, said, “the arrival of Ken, Mark and Stuart is a pivotal moment for us as we strive to become the leading restructuring and advisory business across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ireland has long been an important centre in the global restructuring market, and we knew from the outset of the Interpath journey that we wanted to become the number one firm operating here. In the New Year, we expect to add at least 6 new managing directors, as we push on with our plans to expand the team to over 65 professionals by the end of the first half of 2023.”
Source: Consultancy UK
