Corporate Finance – An M&A Outlook for 2027

Aaron is a Director for Axon Moore and head’s up Axon Moore’s Manchester office and specialises in the recruitment of FDs for ambitious and fast-growth businesses.

Managing a team of 8 consultants covering the full spectrum of finance roles from graduate to the boardroom, he and the team transform finance functions by uncovering and then bringing to market some of the region’s best talent.

With over a decade’s worth of experience in Accountancy and Financial recruitment, Aaron is the go-to for senior finance professionals and is the creator and face of Axon Moore’s Future Leaders programme. A programme designed to bring together ambitious finance professionals looking to progress to C-suite level positions. Future Leaders creates an environment where aspiring leaders can form a peer group, share best practice, advice and insight whilst strengthening their network and learning from high-calibre guest speakers.

Aaron has a long-term working relationship with many of the fastest growing SMEs in these geographies having partnered with them from early stages to them becoming major players in their respective markets.

Shru joined Dow Schofield Watts in 2024 as the Deputy CEO of DSW Capital plc, and was appointed CEO in April 2025.

Before this, Shru was CFO at Pick Everard, a national multi-disciplinary consultancy within the property, infrastructure and construction industry. There she was responsible for working with stakeholders across the group to drive change, business performance, and financial governance.

Shru also spent seven years at law firm Napthens, joining as Finance Director in 2014 before being appointed CEO in 2017. During her tenure, she was responsible for setting the firm’s overall growth strategy, helping to increase revenue and profitability, strategic recruitment, increasing the firm’s profile nationally and expanding the firm’s services both organically and through acquisitions.

A qualified accountant, Shru spent eight years at Bowmans and Baker Tilly (now part of RSM) at the start of her career. Shru has experience of M&A, financial due diligence, debt and equity fund raising and working within private equity backed businesses.

Katy Philips is a Corporate Partner at DWF and an experienced M&A lawyer based in Manchester. She advises on all aspects of corporate transactions and is recognised for her work in M&A, private equity and equity capital markets. Katy acts for public and private companies, financial sponsors, founder-owned businesses and institutional clients, regularly leading high-value and strategically significant transactions across a range of sectors. Her experience includes advising Daisy Communications on its merger with Wavenet and its acquisitions of 4Com, the XLN Group and ECSC Group plc; the shareholders of Hurst Accountants on its sale to Dains; the shareholders of Training Qualifications UK Limited and NorthEdge Capital and the management shareholders on the sale of Abbey Logistics Group to Sitra. At the panel, Katy will share her practical perspective on the factors likely to influence deal activity, investor appetite and transaction execution across Manchester’s M&A market in 2027.

Ryan advises clients on a wide range of corporate finance transactions, including business sales, acquisitions, management buyouts and fundraising. He works closely with shareholders, management teams and private equity investors, helping them navigate strategic transactions and achieve their growth and exit objectives.

Prior to joining Crowe, he worked for a regional accountancy practice in Manchester for 10 years and an M&A boutique for four years.

Laura McMorland is a Partner in the Corporate team at the full-service corporate firm, Bermans (Solicitors), in Manchester, with corporate law experience since 2006 both in-house and in private practice.  Having spent 13 years of her career in Aberdeen, the Oil and Gas Capital of Europe, Laura’s client base is now across a wide variety of sectors (including tech, charity, social housing and manufacturing) and her practice involves M&A, private equity, reorganisations, share options (EMI’s, EoTs) and other general corporate work.