What do you do?

I’m an M&A tax advisor, a deals guy that does tax – which is a bit like being the backstage magician at a rock concert. The dealmakers take the spotlight, but I’m the one making sure the lights stay on, the amplifiers don’t blow, and no one accidentally bankrupts the band with a stray withholding tax.

My world is deal structuring, diligence and negotiation — spotting risks others miss, smoothing structures across jurisdictions, and translating tax-ese into commercial sense. Think chess grandmaster meets Tetris champion, with a dash of safe-cracker precision.

In practice? I help investors and management teams protect value, avoid tax landmines, and keep more of the upside they’ve worked so hard for. I like to call it alchemy: turning raw deals into pure after-tax gold.

Why do you do it?

Becoming a private equity tax adviser isn’t about loving tax codes or dreaming in spreadsheets (though let’s be honest, I do both). It’s about the thrill of the hunt.

Most people see tax as grey, boring, suffocating. I see it as the underground fight club of the deal world. While others are shaking hands in boardrooms, I dismantle complex structures, spotting the hidden tripwires, and turning chaos into clarity.

Why do I do it?

• Because it’s one of the few jobs where I could get to outsmart governments legally and keep millions in play for my clients.
• Because every deal is a live puzzle — shifting laws, aggressive timetables, high stakes. We’re the ones in the war room making sure the empire holds.
• Because when the deal closes and the numbers stick, I know we were the reason the value survived.

It’s not glamorous. I don’t get the headlines. But I do get the satisfaction of being the ghost in the machine — the one who makes sure the flashy dealmakers actually deliver what they promised.

And honestly? I If didn’t get a kick out of that kind of pressure I would have run back to audit!

What kind of projects have you been involved in?

I’ve lost count of how many projects I’ve done – over a thousand deals across 26 years. Household names, brilliant people, wild stories. It’s been one hell of a ride. But here’s the truth: nothing in my career excites me as much as what we’re building right now at CP. The best is not behind us – it’s ahead!

What’s on top of your bucket list?

I finally ticked one off this year – a hair cut in the Magic Kingdom barber shop (yes it’s a thing!)! My real obsessions though? Golf and cooking. The dream list: a round at Augusta National and a kitchen session with Heston Blumenthal. Will either happen? Probably not, but chasing the impossible is half the fun!