Perth investment bank Poynton Stavrianou has doubled in size after acquiring the mergers and acquisitions team at accounting firm BDO, led by dealmakers Todd Grover and Justin Boyce Cam.
Poynton Stavrianou will have 22 people after absorbing the BDO team, which also includes directors Cassie Adamini and Emily Reilly.
It marks a rapid ascent for Poynton Stavrianou, which was established four years ago by veteran corporate adviser John Poynton and former Macquarie Capital and UBS executive Chris Stavrianou.
They added a third director last year when they recruited Citi’s Liam Bertelli.
Messrs Grover and Boyce Cam are on the move six years after BDO bought their previous business, Tomkins Turner Corporate Advisory.
Long-serving BDO partner Peter Toll, who also works in M&A advisory, is not moving.
Chair John Poynton said he was delighted to welcome Todd, Justin and their team.
“They bring a strong reputation in Western Australian private markets advisory, complementing our existing team,“ he said.
The move represents a big shift for Mr Grover and his team, which was a small part of a much larger organisation at BDO.
At Poynton Stavrianou, they will be a key part of a boutique investment bank that highlights its fully independent status, with no ownership or management links to other groups.
“The move was a natural evolution for the team and is a terrific cultural fit,” Mr Grover said.
“We look forward to the future servicing both public and private clients.”
The expanded Poynton Stavrianou will be one of the largest specialist corporate finance firms in Perth, sitting between Azure Capital and Argonaut, according to the sector ranking on Data & Insights.
The ex-BDO team specialises in mid-market mergers and acquisitions.
Notable deals have included advising local firm McKay Drilling on its $80 million sale to a major Canadian company in 2022.
They also advised local family company Go West Tours on its $88 million plus earnout sale to ASX company Kelsian Group.
The BDO team subsequently advised Kelsian on its 2022 purchase of local firm Horizons West Bus and Coachlines for $47 million.
They also advised local firm OTR Tyres on the purchase of the Australian operations of Titan International
Poynton Stavrianou’s clients have included ASX companies Austal, Fenix Resources and Lotus Resources, local firm Envision Medical Imaging and lenders to the Bluewaters power station.
BDO continues to have a strong presence in the corporate finance market in WA.
It provides a full range of deals services but, like other accounting firms, will work primarily at the back-end of deals, conducting valuations and completing independent expert reports.
