RSM Canada appoints new leaders for business development and consumer products
RSM Canada has appointed Kate Phillips as national business development leader and Ben Gibbons as national consumer products industry leader.
Phillips brings more than twelve years of experience in the consulting industry, with a focus on business development, sales operations, and client management experience.
She joins RSM from BDO Canada, where she was national director of business development, industry, and before that was business development manager for the Southern and Midwestern Ontario region. Phillips was also previously head of business development in Canada for Alula, a US-based management consulting firm.
Phillips started her career at PwC Canada, where she was latterly the leader of the national client relationship executive team.
"Kate is a highly-skilled leader and we are thrilled to welcome her to RSM," said Harry Blum, national managing partner, RSM Canada. “Her deep expertise and knowledge of the market will play an integral role in further expansion of the RSM footprint across Canada.”
Gibbons, meanwhile, brings more than 14 years of experience in corporate finance and transaction advisory to his role at the head of the new consumer products industry practice.
RSM called the practice’s creation the “logical next step” for its industry strategy. Manufactured goods for household use and processed food and beverages account for approximately one-third of Canadian manufacturing GDP and 40% of employment.
Gibbons has been a partner at RSM Canada since its inception in December 2017, having been a corporate finance partner at predecessor firm Collins Barrow Toronto. He has led RSM Canada’s private equity practice for the last three years, helping mid-market clients increase value across the portfolio lifecycle.
As a partner in transaction advisory services, Gibbons and his team focus on extended deal support services such as transaction readiness and strategic assessments, and financial modeling and projections.
Gibbons previously spent five-and-a-half years at Collins Barrow Toronto, where he led M&A and capital markets transaction across both equity and debt financing.
Before that, he was an associate in corporate advisory at Octa Phillip Financial Group and a senior manager in corporate finance at Grant Thornton Australia. He started his career as an analyst at Deutsche Bank, focusing on M&A transactions and debt and equity capital raising.
“Ben has and currently leads a number of important initiatives for the firm, so we know that his robust leadership skills will allow him to further enhance and develop the consumer products industry across Canada, whilst also offering new perspectives and ideas to our clients.”
RSM Canada has more than 600 professionals in Ontario and Alberta, providing audit, tax and advisory services to mid-market organizations nationally.
