Business turnaround specialist Claire Burden has joined the Bristol office of financial and professional services firm Smith & Williamson as a partner in its national advisory consultancy business.
Claire, pictured, arrives at Smith & Williamson after spending 10 years in industry, including spells as head of finance at Bristol-based OVO Energy and as finance director at renewable energy group Ecotricity.
She has also led turnaround programmes and supported high-growth and working capital-constrained businesses and also worked for nearly eight years in audit and restructuring at Big Four accountancy firm KPMG.
In her new role, Claire will develop Smith & Williamson’s advisory and turnaround offering, supporting businesses that are experiencing under-performance or financial pressure, primarily in the £100m to £500m turnover bracket.
Smith & Williamson head of advisory consultancy Greg Palfrey said Claire’s appointment was part of a process of widening the scope of the firm’s advisory services and investing in growth.
“Many businesses are currently impacted by unforeseen external events, altering planned strategy, working capital and profitability,” he said.
“Claire has a breadth of board level and corporate finance experience and a commercial acumen for operational and strategic delivery. She has a deep understanding of the challenges businesses face and how to alleviate them.
