Accountancy firm Grant Thornton has expanded its Bristol-based team in response to continued growth in corporate activity across the region and an increasing client base. The firm achieved a 9.3% growth in its South West corporate income in the year to June.
To meet increasing demand for its services, Grant Thornton has appointed two new partners to the business. John Panteli will lead the transaction advisory services team while Jon Roberts is joining its public sector team. 
John Panteli, pictured right, who has worked in the sector for 19 years – 12 of them with Grant Thornton in London – specialises in advising with acquisitive, growth-orientated companies from a wide range of sectors, including retail, food and beverage, and property.
He advises businesses on how best to realise their potential before selling, floating or seeking investment and his transaction experience includes advising on public company transactions (on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market, its AIM market, and Euronext) and funding and acquisition due diligence.
Jon Roberts, pictured below, will be working with local government, health, police, fire and central government clients across the region. He returns to the South West and Wales, where he led public sector assignments for accountants Robson Rhodes and the Audit Commission, before he located to the Midlands eight years ago. 
Elsewhere in the firm, the corporate finance team has also been strengthened with the appointment of Andrew Charter as associate director.
Andrew has more than 25 years’ experience advising on merger and acquisition transactions including sales, management buy-outs and fundraising. Joining from Gambit Corporate Finance in Cardiff, he has managed major deals, including the acquisition of Norwich International Airport and management buyout of Bluestone Holiday Village in Wales.
Grant Thornton South West practice leader Tim Lincoln said: “This is a great time to be doing business in the South West. There’s significant growth across all sectors, with both income and salaries rising.
“It is important for us to keep pace with this progress and I am pleased that we’ve made such excellent new appointments across the business. We are now more capable than ever to serve the needs of our many clients; whether this is in tax advice, help with auditing or guiding those who want to take advantage of improved economic conditions by buying or selling businesses.”
Grant Thornton has also won a number of new clients across all areas of the business, including Premier Veterinary Group in Bristol for audit, Cheltenham-headquartered clothing brand SuperGroup for tax advice, as well as the corporate finance team’s advising the shareholders of Devon-based Vetswest on its acquisition by MWI Veterinary Group.
John Panteli said: “People are in the mind-set to do deals and there is a huge opportunity to add value to dynamic companies as they continue their growth journeys. Our Bristol office is going from strength to strength. I look forward to playing my part in its future success.”
