The Western Australia (WA) division of leading mid-tier accounting and advisory firm Bentleys has announced the launch of a Corporate Finance division to be headed by its first female Partner.
Evelyn Tan joins the Bentleys team from mid-tier rival BDO and will lead the creation of a new Corporate Finance division to assist WA companies with services including valuations, financial modelling, transaction support and general corporate advisory.
Evelyn said she was excited by the proposition of shaping the Corporate Finance division from the ground-up, on the back of Bentleys’ existing strong client base, particularly with stronger economic signs emerging in WA in recent months.
She believes that the increase in market activity will translate to an increase in demand for corporate finance services.
“We’re seeing some really positive growth signs in the WA economy so it’s likely we will see further increased M&A and IPO activity over the coming 12 months,” she said.
“Perth is the ideal gateway to Asia, and with the right guidance, I believe more Australian companies can make inroads into these markets and vice versa. Singapore in particular, as the main English-speaking city in Asia, offers huge opportunities for Australian businesses both in-bound and outward-bound.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to join the experienced advisory team at Bentleys WA and help expand the range of services the firm offers to its clients.”
Born and educated in Singapore, Evelyn spent the early part of her career in corporate banking at The Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), before moving to Australia in 1999. In the last two decades, she has held roles at KPMG, PKF, Deloitte and BDO.
Bentleys’ Managing Partner Chris Nicoloff said Evelyn was the perfect fit for the firm, bringing a broad mix of skills and experience that would complement its integrated advisory focus and strengthen offerings to its Chinese client base.
“Evelyn brings a broad skill set and genuine passion for corporate finance making her the right person to drive the establishment of this new service offering within the firm,” he said.
“With more than 20 years in corporate finance, Evelyn has a depth of experience that will be highly valuable to our clients. Her warm and welcoming personality will lead to close bonds with the many companies we work with.”
Evelyn holds a Masters of Applied Finance, a Bachelor of Business – Finance, is a CFA® charterholder and Member of the CFA Institute.
Bentleys (WA) Partners