KPMG partners with Bayes' Mergers & Acquisitions Research Centre

The Mergers & Acquisitions Research Centre (MARC) at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) is teaming up with audit, tax and consultancy giant KPMG.

As part of the agreement, KPMG will provide guest speakers and project opportunities to Bayes undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as support the research centre’s expert ongoing portfolio of research around global M&A and private equity deal patterns. The partnership will place a particular emphasis on the impact of environmental, social and governance issues on deals.

KPMG experts will participate in the School’s flagship finance events, including the annual Bayes M&A Conference – the largest of its kind in the world.

The agreement also sees Liz Claydon, Global Head of Deal Advisory at KPMG, join the MARC Advisory Board.  She joins other top-level players in the M&A industry, the Dean of Bayes, senior faculty from other leading business schools and senior representatives from our sponsor organisations.

Ms Claydon is joined on the advisory board by Michel Driessen, who has been appointed as its Deputy Chair and Honorary Senior Fellow at Bayes Business School. Mr Driessen replaces the retiring Alan Giles, a non-executive director of Foxtons plc.

A bastion of expertise in a fast-changing market

Ms Claydon said: “The work that the Mergers & Acquisitions Research Centre (MARC) does is truly excellent, providing quality M&A research and insights across both sectors and borders. I‘m delighted that KPMG has become a sponsor of MARC, and I’m honoured to be joining the advisory board. So much has changed globally, nationally and economically in the last few years alone, and the perspectives MARC can provide are second to none, so I’m looking forward to working with the academics and other board members as we explore the emerging issues in M&A.”

Professor Scott Moeller, the founder and Director of the Mergers & Acquisitions Research Centre, said: ‘We are excited and proud to welcome KPMG as a Senior Sponsor of the research centre.  We look forward to working closely with their team. I am sure that, as with our other sponsors, they will provide wise counsel on the issues and trends we should be researching to ensure our work meets the needs of both industry and academia. As well, we look forward to supporting their own training and development of staff working in M&A and private equity.

“I would also like to thank Alan Giles for his unswerving advice and guidance for over a decade of service on the Advisory Board as Deputy Chair, and to welcome Michel back to the board to take on that position as Alan retires.’