Tom Rayfield walked into Accuracy’s London office on Tuesday as the firm’s third restructuring partner. His arrival marks the latest senior hire for the independent consultancy as it builds out capacity in a market bracing for distress.
The appointment, announced on 16th March 2026, brings nearly two decades of crisis management experience to Accuracy’s UK practice. Rayfield will work alongside partners James Cook and Mark Patterson, forming a senior trio tasked with steering corporates, lenders and investors through what the firm’s leadership describes as an increasingly turbulent economic landscape.
Before joining Accuracy, Rayfield spent years at Alvarez & Marsal and PwC—two firms synonymous with high-stakes restructuring work. His track record spans formal insolvency processes, accelerated mergers and balance sheet overhauls across sectors including oil and gas, retail, manufacturing and automotive. The breadth suggests a consultant who has seen distress in its many forms.
The timing isn’t accidental. Restructuring advisory has become a growth area as economic uncertainty persists and companies face pressure to transform or face collapse. Accuracy, which operates across 14 countries in Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, has been expanding its UK footprint deliberately.
Frédéric Duponchel, chairman of Accuracy, framed the hire within that broader market shift. “In an economic environment characterised by rapid change and persistent uncertainty, the need for transformation and restructuring services are becoming increasingly frequent,” he said. “Tom Rayfield’s experience will be a significant asset in supporting our clients as they navigate these challenging contexts. His appointment further underlines Accuracy’s momentum and its commitment to expanding its footprint in the UK market.”
What Accuracy offers—and what may have attracted Rayfield—is a different model from the Big Four or the larger turnaround specialists. The firm positions itself as wholly independent, delivering what it calls “senior-led, high impact advice” on critical strategic and financial decisions. That means partners stay close to the work rather than delegating to junior teams.
Rayfield’s credentials fit the mould. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and JIEB qualified, he has led UK and cross-border engagements covering financial advisory, liquidity management and formal insolvency processes. His approach, according to Accuracy, is hands-on and pragmatic—qualities that matter when companies are running out of options.
The sectors he has advised reflect the volatility of the past decade. Financial services faced regulatory upheaval and crisis management. Oil and gas navigated price collapses and energy transition pressures. Retail confronted structural decline accelerated by shifting consumer behaviour. Manufacturing and automotive dealt with supply chain shocks and technology disruption.
For Accuracy, the hire represents both ambition and acknowledgement. Ambition to compete more aggressively in the UK restructuring market. Acknowledgement that demand for such services is rising, not falling.
The firm’s structure—international but independent, with teams combining strategy, financial analysis and operational expertise—positions it between the sprawling Big Four networks and the specialist turnaround boutiques. Whether that middle ground proves advantageous depends partly on how deep the next distress cycle runs.
By adding a third partner to its UK restructuring practice, Accuracy signals it expects sustained demand. The firm recruits from what it describes as “the best,” blending international and multicultural teams to deliver bespoke services. The language is corporate, but the intent is clear: build senior capacity before the wave hits.
Rayfield’s move from Alvarez & Marsal—a firm built on restructuring and performance improvement—suggests confidence in Accuracy’s trajectory. Such lateral moves among senior practitioners often reflect more than compensation. They indicate belief in a platform, a strategy, or simply a better fit.
What remains unstated is how quickly Accuracy intends to grow beyond three partners in UK restructuring. The firm operates globally, leading engagements across continents, but the UK market has particular characteristics: a well-established insolvency regime, active distressed debt markets, and a concentration of financial and legal expertise in London.
For clients facing distressed situations, the choice of adviser often comes down to track record and availability. Rayfield brings the former. His arrival ensures Accuracy can offer the latter even as demand intensifies.
The broader consulting market has seen movement as restructuring becomes a more prominent service line. Firms that scaled back after previous cycles are rebuilding. Specialists who thrived during the financial crisis are preparing for what comes next. The question isn’t whether distress will rise—economic indicators and corporate debt levels suggest it will—but which firms will be positioned to capture the work.
Accuracy’s strategy appears to be adding senior talent now, ahead of the curve. Whether competitors follow with their own hires or Accuracy continues to pull practitioners from larger rivals will become clearer in the coming months.
For now, Rayfield’s appointment extends Accuracy’s reach in a market where experience matters more than scale. The firm describes its strength as connecting strategy, facts and figures—consultant speak for bridging the gap between what companies plan and what the numbers reveal.
In restructuring, that gap often determines survival.
