Inaugural chief operating officer joins Kennedys

Commenting on her move to Kennedys from NatWest Group, Watkinson said she was drawn to the firm’s “compelling growth story and clear ambition to continue on that upward trajectory”.

“After 25 years in the banking sector, I’m excited to do what I love in a new industry and to work alongside leadership to build on the firm’s strong foundations and drive continued success,” Watkinson said.

Watkinson’s career has spanned senior roles at major financial institutions such as Barclays, UBS and Credit Suisse. At NatWest, she implemented a global finance transformation and established a new chief operating officer department of 300 employees.

She is a non-executive director of Time Finance, an AIM listed invoice and asset financing business for SMEs in the United Kingdom.

Global managing partner Meg Catalano said Watkinson would bring a wealth of experience in leading complex operational environments and would play a “pivotal role” in Kennedys’ global expansion.

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The creation of the chief operating officer role is in line with the firm’s commitment to strengthening its business services leadership, having followed the appointment of its first chief knowledge officer and a chief information officer last year.

John Bruce, senior partner, said it was vital Kennedys’ leadership structure “evolves to match our strategic ambitions”.

“The appointment of our first chief operating officer reiterates our intent to build a firm fit for the future, and we look forward to working with Tracy to align our operations with that vision,” Bruce said.