Barclays Corporate is on the hunt for potential clients as the commercial lender's appetite for new business in Oxford and across the region continues to increase.

The bank has appointed Trevor French, 41, as corporate director for the area based at the firm's offices at Wytham Court, West Way, Oxford.

French brings a wealth of corporate banking experience having worked in the industry for more than 24 years and will head up a team of nine relationship directors and a support team of 25.

"Oxfordshire is a key area for us and as such we are keen to work alongside quality companies to ensure we continue to support the region's growth, both with existing and new customers."

French added: "Expanding our client footprint is a top priority, and is part of the bank's strategy to increase our market share."

He said: "During the course of the recession many businesses including those in the banking sector have had to review the way in which they operate. Indeed, across the financial services sector the post recession landscape looks quite different. Subsequently, the need for a stable and secure banking partner is even more imperative.

"As well as aligning ourselves more closely to our clients, within the Barclays Group we are now aligned to Barclays Capital, our investment banking arm, and Barclays Wealth, our wealth management business, as my team concentrate on a more focused portfolio of customers with a turnover of £5m-plus."

French is keen to emphasise that Barclays Corporate never left the market during the recent challenging environment. "Our clients remain at the centre of everything we strive to do" he said. "Given the state of current funding markets we at Barclays Corporate feel now is a good time to begin new relationships with local businesses we would like to work with over the long term."

And it's not all been about high finance. French has helped raise significant sums of money for a local charity Oxfordshire Community Foundation currently acting as a trustee, and looks forward to his team contributing and making a real difference to local communities in the near future.

French was educated at Bartholomew School, Eynsham, and now lives in Freeland, West Oxfordshire with his wife and two children.

The region's top companies have been invited to the launch of the Solent 250.

Barry Naisbitt, chief economist for Santander, will be a guest speaker at the event on November 3 at the Rose Bowl, home of Hampshire County Cricket Club.

The Solent 250 has been compiled by The Business Magazine and will be launched in the November issue.

It lists the top 250 private companies in the region, ranked by turnover.

The Solent 250 is sponsored by business advisers Grant Thornton, law firm Paris Smith, Santander and the Solent Innovation & Growth Team.

A LinkedIn group will be created so that 250 companies can discuss issues with each other.

Future events are also planned by the organisers.

 

Award-winning corporate finance adviser Simon Davies is to set up a new regional corporate finance boutique in Reading, The Business Magazine understands.

Davies is to leave Grant Thornton, where he is regional CF head, and, we understand, is to form Spectrum Corporate Finance.

He will team up with Ian Milne, Royal Bank of Scotland heavyweight in the south; Clive Hatchard, who previously worked with Davies at DHD, the region’s first CF boutique; and entrepreneur David Pointer, who sold his company, Point Source, in 2008 in a deal led by Davies.

Spectrum has identified offices at Forbury Square, Reading, and is looking to recruit to build a team of up to 10. The firm aims to make a significant impact on the deals scene in the south in the coming months.

Ian Milne is managing director, financial sponsor coverage at RBS, and is a former Dealmaker of the Year in the Solent Deals Awards.

Hatchard was a finance director with Land of Leather and is currently CFO at Allied Carpets. He was a former corporate finance director at Tenon and a founder of DHD.

David Pointer started point Source in 1991 and sold it to Qioptiq in 2008.

Davies is a serial winner of CF Adviser of the Year in the Thames Valley and Solent Deals Awards. His recent deals include the sale of HobbyCraft for £100 million-plus and Amtech for £35m.

Before joining Grant Thornton and building its CF team into one of the major players in the south, Davies worked for two of the Big Four firms, and built DHD to a 13-strong team before selling the business to Tenon.

No-one from Spectrum was available for comment at the time of going to press, but we understand the firm plans to open in October and will focus on MBOs, exits, bank refinancings and, eventually, due diligence work. The focus is thought to be on the retail and healthcare sectors, with deals valued at between £15 million and £100m.