Grant Thornton invests further in North West advisory capability with restructuring partner hire
Sam Mills joins Grant Thornton as a Turnaround & Restructuring partner, adding close to two decades of restructuring and turnaround expertise to the firm's advisory team.
Based in Manchester, Sam joins as the third senior appointment to join Grant Thornton's advisory team in the North West in as many months. He also joins a growing national Turnaround and Restructuring practice, following the other recent appointments of David Pike as head of London, Ian Guthrie as head of Real Estate Advisory, and Nick Toone in our value creation and turnaround team – with more to come.
Sam advises chief financial officers, chief executives and business leaders facing financial stress or uncertainty, helping them protect and build value. Sam brings close to 20 years of experience in restructuring and turnaround situations, with a track record of stakeholder management, capital and debt advisory, process leadership and cash flow and working capital management.
As a qualified chartered accountant (ACA), Sam has held leadership roles in the Big Four, as well as senior finance roles in industry and a number of secondment positions with high-profile clients. His varied experience has given him a rounded, practical perspective on the pressures facing management teams during periods of change.
Sam’s appointment follows the August partner promotion of Manchester-based Steph Baker, who leads Grant Thornton's national Asset Based Lending practice. Together, the two appointments reflect the firm’s continued investment in specialist expertise for mid-market businesses and their stakeholders as they manage financial and operational pressures.
Sam Mills said:
“This is a great time to join the Grant Thornton Turnaround & Restructuring team with such a strong reputation for delivering high-quality work at pace. I'm drawn to the firm’s growth ambitions and its tech-enabled approach to client delivery, which I think will make a real difference for clients and colleagues alike.”
Pete Terry, Grant Thornton’s practice lead for the North West of the UK, added:
“Sam brings deep, hands-on restructuring experience and a track record of supporting businesses and their stakeholders through complex, high-pressure situations. His appointment reflects the scale of our ambition in the North West: building a team that understands the full spectrum of financial and operational challenge.”
Kevin Coates, Grant Thorton’s UK head of Turnaround & Restructuring, added:
“We are delighted that Sam has joined the firm at such an exciting time in the firm’s growth story. Sam has spent two decades helping CFOs and boards at the point where decisions actually matter, and that experience will strengthen how we support clients through periods of stress and fast-paced turnaround."
With more than 500 professionals across its Manchester and Liverpool offices, Grant Thornton's North West team remains a priority growth market for the firm, and Sam’s appointment adds further weight to its specialist advisory capability for mid-market clients. His appointment, alongside Steph’s earlier promotion, sit within Grant Thornton UK's wider partnership expansion programme announced late 2025.