New senior hire for Welsh corporate finance specialists

A finance specialist, with more than 20 years’ experience, has joined Cardiff-based Lexington Corporate Finance as it seeks to strengthen its services to mature businesses wanting to expand, restructure or enter new markets.

Sinead Johnson joins the award-winning company as a director, bringing decades of experience working with businesses across the SME and mid-markets at NatWest, Barclays, Lloyds Bank and, more recently, as a principal with Growth Lending, one of the UK’s leading alternative finance providers for innovative, fast-growing companies.

She will play a crucial role in managing and developing the service line, which helps owners of companies raise funding from debt and equity providers.

Lexington’s managing director, Gary Partridge, commented: “We are excited to welcome Sinead into our senior leadership team and to deepen our strength and experience in providing growth capital advisory services. In particular, Sinead has built up an amazing track record in the banking sector and we are all really excited at the prospect of her bringing her knowledge and networks to the team.”

Ms Johnson said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Lexington as a director at an exciting time in its growth strategy and after the firm had such a successful 2021. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to bring my experience of working with business owners to identify, establish and negotiate the best commercial structures and financial terms for growth capital.

“Growth capital can unlock the potential of any business. I’m really looking forward to working with ambitious businesses who want to raise growth capital, in the shape of debt or equity, to finance a new capital investment, bolt-on acquisition, diversify with a new product or service or any other means of expansion that will have a significant positive impact on their growth trajectory.”

The appointment boosts the company’s headcount to 12, and follows a 2021 that saw the hiring of three new employees as part of its graduate scheme.

Mr Partridge added: “Sinead joins us at the perfect time at the start of a new calendar year. In 2021, we completed over £160 million of transactions and Lexington’s achievement was recognised by winning a number of prestigious awards. Our plan is to continue this momentum over the next 12 months and beyond.

“Sinead’s new appointment gives us additional strength and depth in our leading position in the regional advisory marketplace. I think she will make a real positive difference to our business and reinforce Lexington as the go-to independent corporate finance specialist in Wales and enhance our presence across the south of the UK with the benefit of her trusted networks.”