Date posted: 14th May 2025
One of the North’s leading independent accountancy and business advisory firms has strengthened its Corporate Finance division amid a surge in transactional activity.
Clive Owen LLP has welcomed Joe Vera-Sanso as Corporate Finance Executive, continuing his development at the firm, which has offices in Darlington, Durham, York, Middlesbrough and Newcastle.
Joe began his career in business development for a national charity, having completed degrees at the London School of Economics and Durham University. He subsequently moved internally into the finance function at the charity, where he began studying to become a Chartered Management Accountant.
Having missed the client-facing aspect of his previous business development role, Joe saw an opportunity to develop his skills further at Clive Owen LLP, joining the firm’s Grants team in 2023. Following a successful period in Grants, he has moved into Corporate Finance, bringing to the role a commercially focused skillset that combines a commitment to excellent client service with financial and sales knowledge.
Joe’s appointment follows a period of continued success for Clive Owen LLP’s Corporate Finance division, which recently advised on a series of high-profile transactions, including County Durham-based Artech Lighting’s acquisition of Powerlite Fitzgerald and the purchase of PJ’s Foods Limited by Bradford-based Tiffin Sandwiches.
Joe Vera-Sanso said: “I am incredibly excited to join the Corporate Finance team at Clive Owen. We are capitalising on a rising tide of transactions and I’m looking forward to delivering advice and services to our large range of clients, both sectorally and geographically.”
Michael Cantwell, Corporate Finance Partner at Clive Owen LLP, added: “We have advised on several exciting deals recently, highlighting the strong demand for our services and skilled capabilities of our professionals to support clients through every phase of their business journey.
“Joe is a welcome addition to the team, whose vast experience within professional services and in industry, combined with his diverse skill set, will stand him in good stead as Clive Owen Corporate Finance continues along its own growth journey, with further transactions and activity in the pipeline, perfectly complementing and driving forward the wider firm’s ambitious expansion strategy.”
Founded in 1983, Clive Owen LLP has grown from a small operation with just one partner into a dynamic firm with almost 150 colleagues. The firm prides itself on delivering multi-disciplinary expertise while maintaining a reputation for personal, client-focused service.
