William Blair expands European investment banking with consumer sector and regional hires

William Blair strengthened its European investment banking team today with the appointment of Chris Bates as director in the firm’s Consumer Products & Services group. The London-based executive will advise European beauty, personal care, and consumer-health companies along with financial sponsors pursuing investments in these sectors.

Bates arrives from Church & Dwight, where he served as director of M&A, strategy, and business partnerships for Europe. During his tenure at the consumer goods manufacturer, he developed and executed acquisition strategies, identified target brands, and led the integration of strategic purchases into the company’s portfolio. His 14-year career includes previous positions as a director on the consumer team at Alantra in London, with earlier roles at PwC and Hamilton Bradshaw. He holds a first-class honors degree from the University of Nottingham and is a chartered accountant.

Stewart Licudi, head of European investment banking at William Blair, noted that Bates brings experience leading in-house corporate M&A strategy that will help him guide clients investing in beauty, personal care, and consumer-health sectors. Bates said William Blair’s integrated investment banking platform, sector knowledge, and investor relationships position the firm well in consumer products and services.

The firm also announced today that João Fernandes has joined its Madrid office to expand operations in southern Europe. Fernandes spent the past four years at Lincoln International in Madrid, most recently as M&A vice president, following positions at PwC in Spain and Deloitte Portugal.

These appointments follow several strategic hires William Blair has made across Europe this year. Last week the firm brought on Daniel Nilsson as managing director for its Financial Sponsors Group in Stockholm to expand private equity coverage in the Nordic region. The executive, who has more than 20 years of experience and previously held senior roles at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, most recently served as a partner at ABG Sundal Collier.

Tim-Oliver Seidel joined in April to lead secondaries efforts in Europe, concentrating on GP-led secondary transactions. Delaney Brown came aboard in March as senior director in the Private Capital Advisory team in London, focusing on fund placement and secondary advisory services to financial sponsors and limited partners across Europe.

William Blair’s investment banking group operates across more than 20 cities on four continents. The team has advised on more than $825 billion in completed transaction volume from July 2020 through June 2025.