Evolve expands East Midlands team with partner hire

Evolve Corporate Finance has appointed Tom Summers as a partner as it continues to build its presence in the East Midlands.

The appointment follows a period of growth for the firm, including the arrival of Richard Ellis as partner in January and the opening of a Nottingham city centre office in February at the Cubo building in Standard Court.

Summers joins after nine years at Cooper Parry’s corporate finance team, where he worked on lower mid-market transactions across both trade and private equity. His experience spans sell-side and buy-side deals, with a focus on sectors including healthcare, industrials, and professional services.

At Evolve, he will work alongside Ellis to support the firm’s regional expansion, advising owner-managed businesses and working with private equity firms and professional advisers on mergers and acquisitions activity.

Tom Summers, partner at Evolve Corporate Finance, said: “It is an incredibly exciting time to be joining the team here at Evolve Corporate Finance as we continue to expand our corporate finance advisory team in the East Midlands. I am delighted to be working alongside Richard and the wider team to support the region’s ecosystem and its vibrant business and professional community. Evolve has built an excellent reputation for providing advisory support to the owner-manager and SME market on a range of corporate finance transactions, and I am looking forward to supporting the firm’s growth in the region.”

Richard Ellis, partner at Evolve Corporate Finance, added: “We are delighted to welcome Tom to the team. He brings a wealth of experience across both sell-side and buy-side transactions, across trade and private equity deals and in the owner-managed market – a segment where we see significant opportunity to support ambitious businesses across the East Midlands. His appointment strengthens our capability as we expand our team based in Nottingham and build long-term relationships with local entrepreneurs and the wider professional community. We are excited about the next phase of our growth and the role we can play in helping businesses achieve their strategic ambitions.”