Award-winning dealmaker Nick Cowles has joined Alvarez & Marsal as managing director of the firm’s EMEA corporate finance team.
Cowles, who went on gardening leave after leaving his role as CEO of Zeus Capital in September 2025, will lead Alvarez & Marsal’s newly formed public company advisory group.
He’ll be working with legendary dealmaker Jonathan Boyers, who is head of corporate finance for EMEA at Alvarez & Marsal.
Cowles said he was ‘fully recharged and energised for this exciting new chapter’.
He added: “I see a clear gap in the market for an independent, high-quality, and experienced PLC advisory team, one that can deliver hands-on, expert guidance to public company boards, as well as to founders, management teams, and private equity sponsors navigating public market situations.
“Combined with A&M’s impressive global platform, access to international buyers and investors, and deep sector expertise, this creates a distinctive, best-in-class proposition.
“The team is ambitious, driven, entrepreneurial, and highly focused on building a global, market-leading business. I’m looking forward to getting to know more colleagues and exploring how we can collaborate to add meaningful value to clients.
“I’m particularly excited about building a public company advisory team that can establish a leading position both in the UK and internationally.”
Award-winning Boyers said: “Nick is a hugely experienced public company corporate finance advisor, with more than 20 years of industry experience and £5bn of equity raised over the past 15 years. He will also be a great addition to our wider practice.
“I feel like we have moved a long way towards our goal of developing a market-leading mid-market investment banking service for entrepreneurs, families, and their investors, and so it’s gratifying to have such a high-calibre public company advisor as Nick join us to add to the overall offering.
“Nick joins his old friend Jamie Peel, who landed a few weeks ago, to form the nucleus of a public company advisory team that we expect will quickly become a fully global offering to mid-market public companies.
“I have long believed that the market to advise mid-market public companies is not as well served as it could be.
“I feel like developing the team with this offering is the natural next step and will improve the size and profile of the deals upon which we advise as a team.
“I’m really looking forward to working with Nick and watching the public company advisory group slot into the wider practice and flourish.”
Boyers is also the co-host of The Dealmaker Uncut podcast, along with BusinessCloud’s executive editor Chris Maguire.