HKA taps industry veteran Stuart Ells as Chief Growth Officer EMEA

HKA has brought in industry veteran Stuart Ells as its new Chief Growth Officer for the EMEA region.

Since its launch as an independent business in 2017, HKA has been on a growth path. The firm now has over 1,000 advisors and staff across 40+ offices in 18 countries. Backed by investor PAI Partners, which came on board in August last year, HKA has set its sights on further growth.

Appointed to lead that ambition in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) is Stuart Ells, a three-decade veteran of the professional services industry. “I am looking forward to working with so many colleagues to achieve our ambitious growth plans,” said Ells on his new adventure.

Prior to HKA, Ells served as Chief Executive Officer at Forensic Risk Alliance, where he was responsible for all operational planning, running and reporting of the business globally. During his time with Forensic Risk Alliance, Stuart successfully recruited a number of senior fee earning individuals, grew the partner base by over 25% and helped the firm open international offices in the Middle East and Asia.

Before that, Ells was Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer for Alvarez & Marsal in Europe and the Middle East, where he was responsible for the management, effectiveness and efficiency of the corporate support functions in the EMEA region. His role included future proofing the support structure to make it scalable to support the significant growth of Alvarez & Marsal in the EMEA region in recent years.

Earlier in his career, he served as CFO, COO and CEO in a range of companies involved in filmed entertainment, TV production, recorded music, music publishing, theatre production and theatre management during which time he has led or advised on multiple mergers and acquisitions. Ells started his career at Big Four firm EY.

“We are excited to welcome Stuart to the EMEA leadership team, and look forward to working with him to expand our presence across the region. His impressive track record in propelling growth in professional services firms aligns perfectly with achieving HKA’s vision for the future,” said Amanda Clack, Regional Chief Executive Officer for EMEA at HKA.

Headquartered in London, HKA helps clients manage disputes, risk and uncertainty on complex contracts and challenging projects. The global consulting firm works with government agencies, local authorities, contractors, legal firms, and other professional service providers, as well as owners and operators, financial institutions and insurers.