Cairneagle People

Cairneagle People

Rupert Barclay Rupert Barclay is Cairneagle’s Managing Partner. His strategic advisory career spans twenty-five years working in consulting and in industry. He spent ten years at LEK Consulting, the last five as a partner, working on a wide variety of strategy and M&A assignments in various industries. He followed this with spells as Head of Strategy and M&A at two top 50 UK companies, Allied Domecq and Reuters. In the former he led the aborted attempt to merge Allied Domecq with Seagram, and at Reuters he was responsible for floating its subsidiary Instinet on Nasdaq. In 2003 he joined forces with former colleagues to build Cairneagle. He specialises in corporate and business unit strategy and M&A and focuses on the intersection of media, information and financial services businesses. He also looks after the firm’s clients in the consumer and leisure industries. He is on the Boards of FTSE-listed Lowland Investment Company plc, and a number of private companies, and was formerly a Board member of Dimension Data plc until its acquisition by NTT Communications Corporation in 2010. He has an MA in Classics from Cambridge, an MBA with Distinction from INSEAD and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

Ian Koxvold Ian Koxvold is a Partner at Cairneagle Associates. Over the last 12 years as a strategic and change management consultant he has helped clients in a wide range of sectors to develop the information and understanding to make difficult business decisions. Moreover, Ian has worked to support project delivery for both large and small businesses – ensuring that business-critical initiatives are executed to plan and budget, and that market, operational and competitive pressures do not erode the benefits case. His experience includes significant transaction support (providing due diligence support to over fifteen transactions) as well as strategy engagements with the Credo Group and CIL, and large project implementation and change management with Opera Solutions (formerly Mitchell Madison Group). Ian has a Masters degree in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, and is a Chartered Member of the Institute for Securities and Investment.

Paul Suter Paul Suter is a Partner at Cairneagle having joined the firm from Sciowa Consulting, the boutique strategic and financial advisory founded by Paul in 2001. Paul has over 20 years experience advising senior management on complex strategic and financial issues. Paul has deep experience in the financial services sector, where he has led over 20 major assignments covering corporate & business unit strategy development and execution, operational development, M&A strategy & execution (including two of the most successful mergers in UK banking history), performance improvement & restructuring and organisational effectiveness. Paul has worked on high priority assignments in most areas of the Financial Services sector, including retail and commercial banking, wholesale / investment banking as well as general insurance and life assurance. Paul has also led significant programmes for Business Services, Automotive, Retail, Healthcare / Pharma, Travel & Leisure, FMCG, Energy, Logistics, Media and Telecoms clients. Paul began his career as an Investment Banker with Morgan Stanley, was a Financial Analyst with Stern Stewart & Co in New York & London, an Engagement Manager with Marakon Associates and a Director in the Financial Services practice of Braxton Associates (the former strategy arm of Deloitte Consulting). Paul continues to work closely with his clients, ranging from multinational corporations to high potential start-ups, early stage ventures and MBOs/MBIs, to generate meaningful insights and help them make the changes necessary to deliver substantial enhancement to long-term shareholder value. Paul has a BA in Economics from the University of Chicago and an MBA from London Business School.

Mark Pearson Mark Pearson is a TMT industry expert with almost twenty years experience, primarily working as a strategy consultant but also with stints in industry at both large corporates and innovative start-ups. He has particular expertise in fixed and mobile telecoms and TV. He has conducted a wide variety of assignments ranging from business unit strategy development through to cross-industry scenario planning and complex company valuations. Mark was a founding member of Cairneagle in 2001 and is now a Senior Associate with the firm. He started his consulting career at LEK and has also worked at C&W. He has a degree in Computer Science from Manchester University.

Peter Fenichel Peter Fenichel is a Senior Advisor to Cairneagle Associates. His career spans 35 years in investment banking and capital markets advisory including key strategic work in financial markets technology and product development. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of SecFinex Limited the leading European electronic marketplace for Stock Borrowing & Lending. Peter’s previous experience includes positions as Chief Executive Officer of Instinet Global Fixed Income Markets, Managing Director, Fixed Income at Barclays de Zoete Webb in the USA London and Tokyo where he was BZW’s resident Director at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, a Director of the Tokyo International Financial Futures Exchange, and resident Director of the Osaka Securities Exchange. His investment banking career also included time at Security Pacific Hoare Govett and Bankers Trust International. Mr. Fenichel was educated at the American University, Washington, DC where he received a BA degree in 1973 and The University of London, MA 1975.

Michael Williamson Michael Williamson is a Senior Advisor to Cairneagle Associates. He is a seasoned financial professional with over thirty years of experience advising on capital structure, debt and equity finance, financial strategy, financial litigation, M&A, restructuring and valuation. His long and successful track record includes advice to CEOs and Boards of major listed companies and financial institutions on mould-breaking transactions for major listed companies in the UK and Europe. He has extensive senior management experience at major financial institutions including membership of Investment and Commercial Bank Management Boards, and Credit, Risk and Technical committees. He is also a Special Advisor to STJ Advisors, the independent capital markets advisory firm. Mike spent the core of his investment banking career at SGWarburg, ultimately as Global Head of Financing. He was also a member of the Investment Banking Committee, the Credit Committee and the Group Risk Committee. Other leadership positions include at Houlihan Lokey as Co-Head of Financial Advisory in the UK and as Co-Chairman of the Technical Standards Committee for Portfolio Valuation, at Commerzbank Securities as Head of Capital Structuring (including Leveraged Finance), as a member of Executive Committee and of the Universal Board for Corporate and Investment Banking of Commerzbank AG, at Barclays Capital/BZW as Global Head of Corporate Finance, as a member of the Investment Banking Management Committee and Managing Director of Equity Capital Markets and at Deloitte & Touche as Co-Head of the Capital Consulting Group and as a Partner of Corporate Finance. Mike has a first class honours degree in Economics from St. Andrews University and an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.

Iain Watt Iain Watt is a Senior Advisor to Cairneagle Associates and is leading the firm’s marketing development. In a career spanning more than 30 years he has held senior international corporate roles in finance, strategy, marketing and general management in Deloitte, BP, Diageo and Philip Morris. Most recently over the last 10 years having co-founded IGI an international network of communications consultancies, Iain has provided marketing and communications strategy advice to blue chip organisations supporting them in corporate positioning, accessing the international capital markets and in planning mergers & acquisitions. A specialist in regulated industries, Iain also has deep expertise in public affairs and has been an adviser to government agencies in emerging markets. He is an affiliate of College Hill, a leading City communications consultancy with a strong financial public relations practice. Iain advises clients on the challenges and opportunities associated with the transition to the low-carbon economy. Iain also advises clients on business transformation and was seconded to AXA Insurance as Marketing Director and member of the Executive team during its successful change programme. During his international career, Iain has worked in Europe, USA, Asia, Middle East and Africa. He has a particular expertise in emerging markets and has over 20 years experience in Central and Eastern Europe having been a part of the Philip Morris team spearheading penetration of those markets following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Iain has a MA in Modern Languages from the University of Glasgow, read Accountancy and Finance as a post-graduate at Stirling University and has attended Advanced Management Programmes at IMD, Lausanne. He is a member of IMD’s Alumni Committee.

Artur Niemczewski Artur Niemczewski is a Senior Advisor to Cairneagle Associates. Artur is a seasoned executive in insurance and financial services with a track record of delivering strategic growth and business improvement. Artur’s previous experience includes senior roles at Marsh & McLennan, Xchanging, Willis, AXA, and Capital One. He was CEO of the Specialities and Large Accounts Division of Marsh Ltd, where he led a major business turnaround. He led a strategic joint venture for Xchanging Plc. He was COO of Willis International, where he led a number of acquisition integrations. Artur was Strategy Director at AXA, and New Business Director at Capital One, where he launched a savings bank. In his early career Artur was a strategy consultant with McKinsey. Artur has worked extensively across Europe, esp. Germany, Asia, and Latin America. Artur also has hands-on expertise in financial regulation, having been an FSA approved person in a number of executive roles. Artur has a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), MSc in Public Policy from MIT, and MSc in Mechanical Engineering from Warsaw University of Technology.

Matt Cooksley Matt Cooksley is an Associate at Cairneagle, having been with the firm since 2004. Alongside strategy consulting, where he focuses on business development and new commercial opportunities, Matt is responsible for Cairneagle’s venturing and corporate finance activities. Having graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge with a degree in engineering, he spent the first 5 years of his career as a consultant with Corporate Value Associates, a Paris-headquartered strategy consulting firm. Thereafter, Matt spent 3 years at Cazenove / J.P. Morgan as an equity analyst covering the European telecoms and technology sectors and advising Cazenove / J.P. Morgan’s Private Equity team on telecoms equipment deals. As well as having deep expertise within the technology and telecoms industries, Matt has spent a significant proportion of his time over the last four years on engagements in the carbon and clean technology space. He has a diploma from the Securities Institute in investment analysis, accounting and compliance.

Simon Davies Simon Davies is a Senior Advisor to Cairneagle. He is a specialist in revenue growth, with 25 years blue-chip marketing and sales experience. Simon started his career at PZ Cussons as a Brand Manager before moving to Cadbury, where he was responsible for managing their portfolio of chocolate bar brands in the UK. He moved to Bass in 1998, where he was Director of Consumer Marketing and Managing Director Independent On Trade Sales, before joining the Board of Molson Coors as Chief Marketing Officer in 2005. Simon has orchestrated over 400 advertising campaigns, promotions and brand launches, managed the UK’s most successful football and music sponsorship programmes, launched the World’s number one iPhone app and won Gold at the British and at the European Television Advertising Awards. In partnership with the UK Government, Simon developed and implemented a £100m drinks industry social responsibility campaign. He also successfully represented and defended the brewing industry at the 2009 Parliamentary Select Committee on alcohol. In 2009 Simon founded E-Metrixx in association with Manchester University and launched me2; the World’s leading psychometric instrument for the assessment and development of creative capacity in organisations, with customers across the UK, USA and Asia. Simon is a graduate of Lancaster University and holds an honours degree in Marketing. He has completed the Advanced Management Development Programme at INSEAD and holds an ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Finance. He is a course leader at the EACA International School of Advertising and Communications where he specialises in teaching Creativity in Business. simon.davies@cairneagle.com


Cairneagle has a wide network of trusted professionals outside of the firm but who are regularly called in to support specific assignments where specialist skills or deeper expertise is required. This approach allows us flexibility and enables us to structure the most effective project teams for our clients.