Davies picks group finance chief

Professional services and technology solutions provider Davis has announced the appointment of Amber Wilkinson (pictured) as group chief financial officer, who will join the company later this year.

As part of his role as CFO, Wilkinson will also be a member of Davis’ group executive committee. He succeeds Tony De Beers, who is retiring after 12 successful years as chief financial officer.

Wilkinson, a chartered accountant who trained with PwC in London, joins from global law firm DLA Piper, where he has been CFO since 2021. Wilkinson’s career also includes more than 10 years at AXA, where he held senior management roles including CFO of AXA Health and Bluefin Insurance, and head of mergers and acquisitions for AXA UK & Ireland.

The leadership change follows Davis’ recent announcement of a £1.5 billion senior debt refinancing, a move that will reduce the company’s annual interest expense, extend debt maturities to 2031 and provide new credit facilities to support its M&A, technology and artificial intelligence ambitions.

Meanwhile, speaking about his upcoming role, Wilkinson said: “I am delighted to be joining Davies as Group CFO at a pivotal time as the business further internationalises and invests in technology and customer service.

“Davis has experienced impressive growth over the past decade while maintaining a great culture supported by its employee ownership program. I look forward to working with Dan and the broader leadership team to deliver results for our clients and stakeholders.”

Dan Salter, group chief executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome someone of Amber’s talent and ambition to Davis and are thrilled to have her on board as our new group chief financial officer.”

“Amber’s experience in international business, professional services, insurance and M&A is a great fit for Davis as we look to execute on our ambitious future strategy. We are also extremely grateful to Tony for his outstanding contributions at Davis over the years and we all wish him every success in the future.”

Over the past decade, Davies has experienced significant growth, increasing revenue by 25x, and the company now employs more than 8,500 people in over 20 countries.

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