SLR expands Finance Advisory capabilities across EMEA region

SLR is strengthening our Finance Advisory capabilities across Europe and the Middle East with a series of senior appointments that reflect growing demand from financial institutions, investors and asset managers for integrated, decision-ready sustainability advice.

The appointments build on SLR’s continued investment in the finance sector globally, following the successful acquisition and integration of IBIS Consulting, specialists in emerging market finance advisory, Malk Partners, leading advisors to private equity on ESG and value creation, and Planetrics, a climate modelling business working with leading financial institutions on climate risk and opportunity analysis.

Together, these investments and hires strengthen and accelerate SLR’s role as a trusted partner to financial clients across major financial hubs in London, Frankfurt, Paris and Dubai where our teams are established and operating.

Welcoming senior Finance Advisory expertise in Europe

We’re pleased to welcome the following senior professionals to our expanding Finance Advisory team in Europe:

• James Hilburn, Director Finance Advisory - London. James brings extensive experience advising private and public market financial institutions and investors on climate, ESG and transaction‑related risks and opportunities across Europe and international markets.
• Loree M. Gourley, Director Finance Advisory - London. Loree specialises in the listed equity finance advisory sector, supporting clients with ESG integration, impact, regulatory alignment and strategic transformation while leveraging technology to drive positive outcomes.
• Nicky Crawford, EMEA Sustainable Finance Practice Lead - London. Nicky has deep experience working with responsible investors and their portfolios across Europe and emerging markets. Nicky joins us from British International Investment, the UK’s development finance institution where she was their Head of ESG.
• Onur Durmus, Technical Director Sustainability and Due Diligence – Frankfurt. Onur advises private equity, banks, investors and corporates on transactions on ESG, EHS, climate and sustainability risk and opportunities, supporting implementation into systems, processes and decision‑making. Onur will play a critical role in expanding our footprint in continental Europe.
• Sebastian Katsch, Technical Director - Sustainable Finance, Dusseldorf. Sebastian brings over 25 years of experience in ESG, sustainability, and transaction advisory, specialising in integrating ESG into financial and business strategies to drive long-term value. His expertise spans ESG due diligence, sustainable finance, and EHS advisory, guiding organisations through complex transactions and regulatory requirements.

These appointments significantly deepen SLR’s Finance Advisory leadership in Europe, Africa and the Middle East particularly in the key financial hubs of London, Frankfurt, Paris and Dubai, and complementing existing teams across EMEA and globally.

An integrated Finance Advisory approach

SLR supports financial institutions and investors in addressing sustainability challenges that arise across different stages of the investment lifecycle. Our Finance Advisory work focuses on how these considerations are factored into investment and portfolio strategy, transaction execution, and ongoing portfolio management, including the identification, management and reporting of risk. We work with clients to integrate relevant considerations into data, systems and operating models to ensure they are reflected into governance and day‑to‑day decisions rather than treated as standalone exercises.

This work draws on SLR’s technical expertise across climate risk and decarbonisation, resource efficiency, human rights, biodiversity, supply chains, environmental compliance, occupational health and safety, and pollution and liability. This allows us to support informed decisions across asset classes and geographies. Our capability is further strengthened by Planetrics, acquired from McKinsey & Company in April 2026, which brings advanced climate and economic modelling to help clients quantify climate‑related risks and opportunities.

Jeremy Soboil, Finance Sector Leader for EMEA at SLR, added:

“We’re doing exceptional work with finance clients across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, supporting them through increasingly complex strategic, regulatory and transactional challenges. Expanding our Finance Advisory team in Europe is a critical part of SLR’s growth story and ensures we’re even better positioned to support our clients with trusted, locally grounded expertise backed by global capability. This is a major step forward for our work with the finance sector in the region.”

“Finance is a core global sector for SLR. With teams based in major financial hubs across the Americas, Asia and EMEA, we bring together on‑the‑ground knowledge and global technical expertise to support clients and their investment portfolios worldwide. This combination of local insight, integrated global capability and bringing SLR’s deep technical capability alongside our strategic advisory skills is where SLR truly stands out.”

Rob Hounsome, Executive Director - EMEA