Sunday January 12 2025
Swindon & Wiltshire News
Financial advisory firm Dow Schofield Watts has appointed Marius Pretorius to its Thames Valley office.
The Thames Valley team provides both financial and tax due diligence and focuses on the SME / mid-market space, with typical deals ranging between £1 million – £25 million. Marius’ appointment comes at a time of growth, with the team advising on 75 deals worth c£250m+ since its launch three years ago.
Transaction services director Marius joins from Kroll, where he was director of transaction advisory services leading the SPA advisory and data analytics initiatives. Before that, he worked with Steve in the Reading transaction services team at BDO LLP for almost five years, rising rapidly through the team to senior status.
Within his new role, Marius will become an integral part of the current management team, which currently comprises Steve Holmes (transaction services) and Carla Holmes (tax advisory).
Marius will help to deliver the strategic goals for the Thames Valley office, including growing the team, enabling it to deliver a more diverse and sophisticated service, and building a bigger presence in the region.
“Dow Schofield Watts is highly regarded across the advisory space. Having worked with Steve previously, I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to bring my skill set together with his and Carla’s, as well as the wider Dow Schofield Watts network, and assist a growing business,” said Marius.
“This role will give me a sense of autonomy, which will allow me to have a better work-life balance and do things I wouldn’t get the chance to do at a larger firm. It’ll be great to get stuck in and work with the team to take the business to the next level and beyond.”
Steve Holmes, partner in the Thames Valley, said: “Having worked with Marius previously, I knew when we started thinking about growing the team that he would be the perfect person for the job.
“He brings with him extensive experience in financial due diligence, and it is rare to find someone with the skill to expand our offering into the new and exciting areas of SPA advisory and data analytics, which, alongside our tax DD and tax structuring services, will really add value to our clients when we work with them.
“I know and trust his technical ability, and he is great with clients – he’s the perfect fit for our next steps, and as we celebrate our three-year anniversary, we are excited to welcome Marius to the team.”
