DUNCAN Swift and Darryl Whitehead have increased the local partner strength of leading business advisers Grant Thornton. The firm, which prides itself in providing partner led service to growing owner-managed business, now has ten partners located at offices in the centres of Southampton and Portsmouth.

Mr Swift joins the south coast recovery and reorganisation services team which is based in Southampton. He will work with Peter Hall in providing both traditional services of receiver-ships, liquidations and voluntary arrangements and meeting the increasing demand for company doctor services to businesses facing difficulties and needing to change.

Mr Whitehead is a corporate and business services partner and has joined the existing team in Portsmouth. His most recent appoinment in the firm was in Cheltenham and prior to that worked in the firm's London office. He has much international business experience.

Regional managing partner John McGibbon said: "We saw the opportunity to build on the strength our of team in the Solent area and I am glad that we can demonstrate the sense of purpose in our strategy of providing locally- based, partner-led service backed by considerable national and international resource.''

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