Perth-based Azure Capital has poached one other senior M&An expert from KPMG to help its east coast push, with Tony Kogan becoming a member of Nicholas Coombes in Melbourne.
Coombes, an nearly two-decade-long companion at KPMGand the Massive 4 agency’s former nationwide Personal Fairness co-lead, joined Azure Capital as a companion in June, recruited to assist construct up the advisory’s newly-established Melbourne workplace.
Alongside Azure Capital’s infrastructure advisory co-head Phil Prenc, Coombes will now even be supported in rising the agency’s Victorian enterprise by former colleague Tony Kogan, who crosses as a director after a decade in KPMG’s M&A division.
The launch of the Melbourne workplace – which goals to additional increase Azure’s portfolio past its assets & mining mainstay into sectors similar to superior manufacturing, defence, and waste – follows the institution of a base in Sydney in 2021, which in flip got here on the again of a majority funding into Azure by French monetary providers large Natixis two years prior.
“We’re delighted that Nick shares our collective imaginative and prescient of constructing a number one nationwide company advisory,” Azure managing companion Richie Baston mentioned of the agency’s transfer into the Melbourne market. “The appointment of somebody of his calibre deepens our non-public sponsors focus and builds on the momentum generated by Adrian Arundell’s relocation to Sydney earlier this 12 months.”
Along with Kogan and Coombes, various different senior leaders at Azure Capital additionally share a background at KPMG, together with Arundell, who spent eighteen years on the agency and led its M&A follow in Perth previous to crossing to Azure and later serving as joint managing companion, and Olivia Boyne, who was appointed Azure Capital’s first feminine companion final 12 months after becoming a member of from KPMG in 2016.
“Having began my profession in Perth, I’ve all the time admired what the Azure crew have achieved over a few years, so I’m thrilled to reunite with Adrian and assist increase their market-leading enterprise on the east coast,” Combes mentioned upon becoming a member of. “The mixture of Azure’s dynamic tradition {and professional} monitor file instills absolute confidence to supply the perfect help to our purchasers.”
Alongside its recruits, Azure Capital itself boasts a critical consulting pedigree, having been born out of GEM Consulting in 2004 with former McKinsey & Firm alumnus Mark Barnaba, Geoff Rasmussen, and Errol Levitt amongst its co-founders along with present deputy chair Simon Value. The agency in flip spawned Azure Consulting, which offered to Oliver Wyman in 2022.