Clearwater International has announced two promotions in its London and Manchester offices. Zack Goddard and Mark Maunsell become partners as the corporate finance advisory firm anticipates a resilient M&A market in 2025.
Mark Taylor, Clearwater’s UK CEO, commented, “The promotions of Zack and Mark reflect their huge contributions to the firm. They’ve both built deep relationships with their clients and shown a commitment to developing their expertise to win the trust of those they advise and work with.
Citing a “dynamic environment” for its people to work and develop in, with the two promotions as “prime examples”, Taylor added that the firm had been working to enhance its dedicated sector coverage with industry experts, based across its regional offices and international network. He noted it would continue to do so, as it looks to differentiate itself from competitors which are “centralising teams and scaling back” their footprints.
Goddard is part of Clearwater’s industrials team, and has recently advised on the sale of specialist power connections provider JSM Group to TowerBrook Capital Partners and the sale of technical engineering specialist BGEN Group to CVC-backed M Group Services.
He stated, “Having seen the business go from strength to strength during my eight years at Clearwater, it is a huge honour to be joining the partnership. We have great momentum in the market with a talented and growing team and some fantastic clients, making it a really exciting time for the business.”
Maunsell meanwhile is a member of the business services team, has worked on transactions including the sale of HSL Compliance, a leading water compliance specialist, to IK Partners and the sale of Lomond, the leading lettings and estate agent platform, to ICG.
He said, “Having joined the business over a decade ago, it has been fantastic to have played a part in Clearwater’s growth and the success in the business services sector team. I feel hugely privileged to be joining the partnership and look forward to building on the strong momentum we have established in mid-market corporate finance.”
The promotions come after a successful 2024 for Clearwater in the UK, the firm’s strongest since 2021, when the global M&A market rebounded strongly following Covid-19. During 2024 the firm advised on over 70 transactions. Looking ahead, Clearwater expects a resilient M&A environment during 2025, with the UK boosted by its stable operating environment compared to other markets.