Chris Potts

Director, corporate finance

During this time he developed the ability to lead diverse teams and manage projects encompassing multiple workstreams to successful conclusions, often in high-pressure environments.

On joining PKF FC, Chris spent four years with our Corporate Services team, qualifying as an ACA Chartered Accountant and going on to act as the lead Senior for some of our more complex audit clients.

Seeking a role where he can add truly significant value for our clients, in 2017 he transferred to our Corporate Finance team. He has since built a wealth of experience advising on company sales, acquisitions, management buy-outs, and raising finance (both debt and private equity) across numerous sectors, as well as in the construction of complex financial models.

Chris’ clients praise his professional, objective guidance and his ability to take the emotion out of what is often an emotive subject, providing a voice of reason to help them understand issues from all points of view and thus negotiate from a fully-informed position, ultimately leading to successful deals.

Chris’ recent successes include:

  • sale of Grassby & Sons, a Devon and Dorset funeral director, to private equity house Downing LLP
  • sale of BV Dairy, manufacturer of specialist chilled dairy products, to cooperative First Milk
  • debt-backed management buy-out of Crondall Energy, an independent offshore energy consultancy specialising in floating and subsea facilities
  • sale of DP Seals, manufacturer of precision mission- / safety-critical rubber components for the aviation, subsea and automotive sectors, to Stockholm-listed conglomerate Lagercrantz
  • complex financial modelling to support an equity raise by Callen-Lenz, developer and manufacturer of novel uncrewed aerial systems
  • sale of Halo ARC, a multi-site insurer-led vehicle accident repair chain, to German international group Intelligent Repair Solutions
  • debt-backed management buy-out of a leading sports construction business serving the elite-level professional sport market, and two subsequent acquisitions by the same business
“PKF Francis Clark were instrumental in getting this deal over the line. They understood our concerns and priorities and what really shone through was their ability to help us take the emotion out of an emotive subject, providing a voice of reason to help us understand issues from all points of view and ultimately reach positions that were acceptable to both sides.” Andrew Piper, MD, DP Seals