Six Questions
- What is your role and main area of responsibility at Enness Global?
- What is your claim to fame or special talent?
- What’s your core area of specialism within corporate finance?
- What was your personal corporate finance highlight of 2023?
- What corporate finance development or trend are you most excited by in 2024?
- How do you like to unwind outside of work?
Scott Monks, Head of Corporate Finance (UK)
- Role: As Head of Corporate, my role is both to lead on larger, more complex client transactions, support my wider team with their deals and client relationships, and also lead on the development of the Enness Corporate proposition. Having set up the division with the Enness Board in August 2021, we’ve continued to hone and develop the proposition, with Corporate now transacting regularly in core markets of the UK and Middle East, but also completing deals in Africa, Europe and North America. The most satisfying thing about the role is seeing the team personally develop, supporting really amazing businesses (from SMEs through to PLCs) and collaborating with the wider Enness group.
- Claim to Fame: I’ve appeared on You’ve Been Framed! Special Talent: I used to be a lifeguard and swimming teacher.
- Specialism: The majority of my time on deals is focused on M&A-type transactions or more complicated cashflow requirements, whether that involves Company A buying Company B, buy-and-build programmes, MBOs, multi-jurisdictional expansion or acquisition, and deals with a multi-currency requirement.
- Highlight: There are too many to list, but seeing the team expand repeatedly in quick succession is a huge highlight, which only further enhances the client experience.
- Trends: The corporate finance market is constantly evolving and pivoting as lenders become more innovative and borrowers seek a more enhanced offering from their intermediary. One of the biggest areas of activity is in the M&A space, with a huge number of SME business owners reaching their natural retirement age and transacting via share sale with the next generation of entrepreneurs, who have the opportunity to implement new ideas, technology and AI to improve the target company.
- Unwind: Hiking, reading, exploring Europe and seeing friends and family.
Chris Davey, Corporate Finance Advisor (UK)
- Role: As a Corporate Finance Associate, I am responsible for working with new and existing clients on their funding requirements, typically between £1m and £5m.
- Talent: I am fluent in Devonian.
- Specialism: Asset-backed lending (ABL), and in particular incorporating receivables finance (invoice finance), stock lending and asset finance. I also regularly support clients with quicker-turnaround unsecured loans for cashflow and other requirements such as tax and VAT.
- Highlight: Of the many highlights, completing an ABL deal for a heavily loss-making, early-stage company looking for a seven-figure funding package stands out. By taking the time to properly analyse the business and forecasts, and discussing the case directly with a credit underwriter, I was able to close a challenging transaction. The facility enabled the business to increase its stock holding and fulfil new contracts.
- Trends: There has been an upturn in enquiries for traditional borrowing, particularly in the asset finance space and funding for commercial vehicles. I’m looking forward to supporting new and existing clients with these requirements. We have expanded our lender panel further, and I believe we are in a great position to consider all types of asset finance in 2024.
- Unwind: The usual stuff: the gym, socialising with friends and eating out.
Jack Dowling, Corporate Finance Advisor (UK)
- Role: As a Corporate Finance Associate, it is my role to support our clients in achieving their business’s financial aims through the most cost-effective means available to them.
- Claim to Fame or Talent: I’m not sure if it constitutes a claim to fame or special talent, but I have one leg a lot longer than the other… so there’s that.
- Specialism: My core area of specialism is asset finance, where I have had significant success in structuring complex, multi-asset refinancing facilities as a means of restructuring expensive and inefficient debt that is holding SMEs back from achieving their full potential.
- Highlight: My personal corporate finance highlight of 2023 was supporting a business through a high-value EOT buy-out, providing a sophisticated and bespoke facility despite the significant complications surrounding the case. It involved a lot of work and a tight timeframe, but getting there in the end was incredibly satisfying.
- Trends: The bullish sentiment across the market is enough to excite anyone. Specifically, with many of the COVID-era products, such as CBILS, coming to redemption and the market certainly tougher than it was back then, the key for SMEs will be finding the most suitable structure to achieve their aims. This gives us as brokers the chance to get creative and create truly bespoke solutions.
- Unwind: Outside of work, I am writing a novel and enjoy a pint of Guinness at the weekends.
Nick Jones, Corporate Finance Advisor (UAE)
- Role: As a Corporate Finance Associate, my main responsibility is arranging finance for businesses raising capital for a variety of purposes.
- Claim to Fame or Talent: I wouldn’t call it a special talent, but I once went viral on TikTok with a video I posted on the subject of mortgages. I’m still unsure why this particular video ‘blew up’, but a few celebrities follow my page because of it.
- Specialism: I enjoy facilitating all types of corporate finance facilities. My speciality lies in any transaction that requires speed, outside-the-box thinking and delivery.
- Highlight: Arranging asset finance against a collection of luxury assets, including art, watches and jewellery, within 48 hours.
- Trends: M&A. In 2023, M&A transactions across the UK were subdued, with a 19% reduction on the year prior, mainly as a result of a pessimistic economic outlook and increasing debt burdens. In the first month of 2024, we’ve already seen a spike in activity levels for this type of transaction as headwinds ease, including the release of pent-up demand, more affordable borrowing rates and a reduction in inflation. Especially for those pursuing buy-and-build strategies, M&A will be a strategic focus this year.
- Unwind: I live quite an active lifestyle. When I’m not playing up to my high handicap on the golf course, I like to run, train in the gym or go for a hike — anything to keep me out of trouble.
The views and opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not constitute advice or a recommendation. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Enness and are not intended to indicate any market or industry viewpoints, or those of other industry professionals.
Islay Robinson, founder of Enness, is a specialist in high-value and complex mortgage transactions. He has played a key role in structuring and delivering bespoke financing solutions across a wide range of UK and international cases.
