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Matt Willmott

Partner, corporate finance

Meet Matt

As one of the South West’s most experienced M&A advisers, Matt helps entrepreneurs and business owners navigate major milestones, from selling a business and securing investment to making acquisitions and planning succession.

Hi, I’m Matt, a Corporate Finance Partner based in Exeter, specialising in mergers and acquisitions.

My role is to work with business owners, often on life-changing transactions, whether that’s company sales, acquisitions, management buyouts, employee ownership trusts or raising equity.

As a team, we help businesses thoroughly prepare for their transactions, run competitive processes and negotiate strong commercial terms. We also focus on identifying the right strategic buyers and investors who will pay the best value, while working closely with all parties to ensure deals are successfully completed.

We’re fortunate to have an award-winning team and we’ve been the most active advisors in the region for the last three years.

What I enjoy most about helping clients is crystallising years of hard work into a successful transaction. Whilst mergers and acquisitions can be demanding, I take pride in providing clear, hands-on advice that genuinely adds value throughout the process.

Outside of work, I enjoy sport and I’m a keen runner, although much of my running these days involves chasing my kids around at the weekend.

If you’re considering a transaction now or in the near future, please feel free to get in touch.

A leading mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisor in the south west, Matt has been one of the most active dealmakers in the region over the past 10 years.

Clients consistently praise Matt for his patience, focus and professionalism, noting that his thoroughness and responsiveness were crucial in navigating complex transactions. They appreciate his ability to keep a level head and provide unwavering support, making the process as smooth as possible.

With extensive experience in advising owner-managed businesses and SMEs, Matt specialises in company sales, management buyouts (MBOs), acquisitions and raising finance (both debt and equity). He has a particular interest in guiding owner managed businesses and their shareholders to achieve their strategic goals, whether through advising on succession options or facilitating sales, raising finance for growth plans or making acquisitions.

Matt’s expertise spans various sectors, including manufacturing, wholesale, media, e-commerce, technology and health.

His career highlights include:

International trade sale of the Valeport Group to NASDAQ listed Teledyne Technologies
MBO of TVG Media Limited
Trade sale of ERS Transition Limited to Ezec Medical / Cairngorm Capital
MBO of Rotamic Engineering Limited
MBO and subsequent trade sale of RGB Building Supplies to Grant & Stone
Trade sale of Polyformes Limited to McFarlane PLC

A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (FCA), Matt also holds the Institute’s Corporate Finance (CF) qualification. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys running, skiing and golf.

Matt's clients say

“Matt is one of the most active corporate finance advisors in the South West market and has been responsible for bringing together many highly impressive deals in recent years. He is quick to build a rapport with clients, who no doubt appreciate his diligence, calm nature and commitment to getting the deal done. He is very good at finding solutions to seemingly difficult hurdles and I am always pleased when we have Matt and his team working for mutual clients” Corporate Partner, law firm

“Inevitably there were a few challenges along the way, and I don’t think this deal would have happened without Matt’s patience, focus and professionalism. He kept a level head throughout and helped me to keep believing in what I wanted to achieve. I can’t speak highly enough of his thoroughness and responsiveness. It was always my ambition to own my own business, and this wouldn’t have happened without the support of Matt and PKF Francis Clark.” Gary Squires, MD, Rotamic

“The management buyout (MBO) was a new and daunting journey for us as founders and for the management team, but Matt has been incredibly supportive throughout the deal process in showing us the art of the possible. It’s been reassuring to have the team at PKF Francis Clark in it with us. It’s been a highly successful and enjoyable relationship, and we’ve always had complete trust that they are acting in our best interests.” Steve Leyton, Founder, The Pixel