Interpath Advisory is pleased to announce the arrival of seven senior hires, including three Managing Directors, to its fast-growing restructuring and advisory business in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Ken Fennell and Mark Degnan, two of Ireland’s preeminent restructuring professionals, have joined Interpath from Deloitte.
As head of Deloitte’s Restructuring business in Ireland, Ken Fennell 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. Ken is currently leading the liquidation of Wirecard’s Irish arm and the liquidation of Sonical Limited, the specialised fit-out contractor.
Mark Degnan is a restructuring advisor with over 15 years’ 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 plc. Mark will lead Interpath’s financial restructuring, strategy and turnaround service areas in Ireland for corporate and SME clients.
Ken and Mark join Interpath’s practice in Dublin, which was founded in June 2022 following the arrival of managing director Andrew O’Leary. Over the past six months, the team has grown to comprise 16 professionals, and has won engagements including the liquidation of Roadbridge Limited and the Tiger Wood Fire pizza restaurant group.
Also joining Interpath as managing director is Stuart Irwin, who has been appointed to lead the Interpath team in Belfast. Stuart previously led KPMG’s Restructuring practice in Northern Ireland. Stuart is a licensed insolvency practitioner and 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, and has been the appointment taker on some of the most high-profile and challenging enforcement appointments in Northern Ireland over the last ten years.
Blair Nimmo, chief executive of Interpath Advisory, commented: “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.
“It’s no exaggeration to say the high calibre of the team we are building demonstrates the strength of this ambition. Between them, Ken, Mark and Stuart have decades of experience leading on some of the most high-profile and complex assignments, so we feel proud that they have chosen to join us on our journey.”
Blair added: “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 Q2 2023.”
Ken Fennell, managing director at Interpath Advisory added: “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.”
In addition to the arrivals of Ken, Mark and Stuart, Interpath will welcome Paul Hough to the business in 2023. Paul, who will join as a managing director, will lead the Data and Technology Advisory practice for Interpath in Ireland, delivering a wide range of services including Digital Forensics, eDiscovery, Data Analytics and Remediation. Paul has over 17 years’ experience in this field, having spent 13 years in London providing Forensic Technology services to clients across Europe and the US. More recently Paul has led the KPMG Ireland Forensic Technology department, focusing on regulatory response, eDiscovery and data-driven issues in international and SME businesses.
Interpath is also pleased to announce the appointment of a senior director and three directors, who collectively bolster the firm’s suite of restructuring and advisory offerings.
James Sharkey has joined Interpath as senior director to lead the firm’s CFO Advisory service line. James has over 12 year’s professional experience working closely with senior business leaders providing operational and strategic support to private companies and clients experiencing challenges.
As Interpath seeks to build out a truly multi-disciplinary financial advisory business across Ireland and Northern Ireland, the firm is also delighted to welcome Bernard Eyres and Peadar Hogan, who have been appointed as directors to build and lead the firm’s forensic services practice.
Completing the suite of new arrivals is Ian Leonard, who joins Interpath’s team in Belfast as restructuring director.
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.
The firm has also kickstarted its ambitious international expansion plans, starting with the acquisition of Kalo Caribbean in July 2022, which saw Interpath develop a leading presence in jurisdictions including BVI, the Cayman Islands and Anguilla.
Blair Nimmo concluded: “The last 18 to 24 months have seen a relatively benign global restructuring market. However, strengthening headwinds across global economies, including rampant inflation, rising interest rates, weakening consumer confidence and geopolitical turmoil, mean that more and more organisations are now seeking specialist support. We remain steadfast in our commitment to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our clients as they navigate this economic uncertainty, while we continue to build upon our vision of becoming a truly global provider of restructuring and specialist advisory services, with the capability to deliver the largest and most complex assignments.”
