LDC grows presence in East of England with senior hire

Leading mid-market private equity firm LDC has strengthened its team in the East of England with the appointment of Nicole Wong as Investment Manager.

Nicole, who is based in Cambridge, joins LDC following six years at business advisory firm Grant Thornton, where she was an Associate Director in its Central and East corporate finance team. Nicole is experienced in advising business leaders on a range of transactions, including buying and selling businesses and management buyouts.

She has worked on some of the region’s flagship transactions in recent years. This includes playing a key role in the sale of Hertfordshire-based food coatings producer Bowman Ingredients to European ingredients supplier Solina SAS and in the sale of the Cambridgeshire-headquartered fertility clinic specialist Bourn Hall to Canadian investor, Triangle Healthcare Partners.

At LDC, Nicole will focus on identifying local business leaders that are looking to grow their businesses with the support of an investment partner across a number of markets including Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Norfolk. Working closely with her East of England and East Midlands team, she will also support management teams that are currently partnered with LDC.

Nicole’s appointment follows a busy period for LDC in the East of England. In February, the leading mid-market private equity firm announced a minority investment in Tiptree-headquartered premium milkshake brand Shaken Udder, to support the next stage of its growth journey. LDC backed the management team, led by co-founders Jodie and Andrew Howie, to further expand the company’s customer base and continue to develop new products. Nicole advised LDC on the investment in her previous role at Grant Thornton and is very familiar with the management team and Shaken Udder’s great tasting products.

Earlier in the year, LDC announced the promotion of David Bains to Head of East Midlands and East of England. David is committed to increasing LDC’s investment activity across the East Midlands and East of England and to ensuring mid-market businesses have the capital and expertise to pursue ambitious growth plans during an uncertain economic period. The firm is backed by a nationwide pledge to invest in at least 100 medium-sized business across the UK over the next five years.