John Cowie named Moore Global Corporate Finance chair
Moore Global Corporate Finance (GCF), the international deal advisory group within the global accounting, audit and advisory network Moore, has appointed John Cowie chair as Philippe Craninx, managing partner at Moore Belgium, steps down.
Cowie, Corporate Finance partner at Moore Kingston Smith, a leading multi‑disciplinary advisory, tax and audit firm and network member, takes on the role to reinforce collaboration, enhance services and expand GCF to better serve Moore’s clients across the world.
With extensive corporate finance experience across multiple sectors, Cowie’s focus is advising mid-market businesses, and he has significant cross-border M&A and growth capital expertise. A chartered accountant, he joined Moore Kingston Smith in 2015, having previously served as director of Corporate Finance at one of the UK’s largest integrated nominated advisory and broking houses to AIM, the London Stock Exchange’s market for growth companies.
As chair, Cowie will work closely with fellow members of the GCF Steering Committee: Wannes Gheysen of Moore Belgium; Martin de Jong of Crossminds NL in the Netherlands; and Giancarlo Attolini of Moore ASZ in Italy. John Stanford, European regional director of Moore Global, serves as adviser to the Committee.
GCF completes approximately 500 corporate finance projects yearly with a combined value approaching $5bn. Its entrepreneurial approach to dealmaking, with highly specialised teams offering both local insight and international reach, ensures seamless cross‑border execution, strong collaboration, and long‑lasting client connections.
On his appointment, John Cowie, chair of GCF and Corporate Finance partner at Moore Kingston Smith, comments: “I’m grateful to Philippe for all he’s achieved. It was his vision to create GCF and foster true collaboration among our member firms, and I’m honoured to take on the role of chair at such an exciting time for the network.”
“GCF’s entrepreneurial spirit, specialist expertise and international reach create a powerful platform for delivering cross‑border capabilities to our clients. I look forward to working with our talented member firms and the Steering Committee to build on this momentum, strengthen our global presence, and continue delivering outstanding results.”
Philippe Craninx, managing partner at Moore Belgium, says: “It’s been a pleasure to team up with so many highly talented corporate finance experts around Moore Global. Together, we’ve created and shaped GCF into the dedicated and effective cross-border M&A advisory group it is today – focused on mid-market transactions with a multilayered team that blends deep expertise with the agility to work across different cultures.”
“I’m very happy that John is taking on the role of chair. Not only is he an experienced corporate finance professional with vision and drive, he’s also a good person and someone you can rely on with confidence. This is a dimension that is all too often forgotten when talking about Mergers & Acquisitions.”