Kevin Smith - Partner of Certified Accountants

Following in my father's footsteps I entered banking and worked for a number of international banks in the City of London before leaving to establish AWS Structured Finance.  I spent my initial banking days as a credit analyst, analysing the accounts and business risks of many companies from quite small ones to very big multinationals. 

Following that very sound business grounding I then became Manager in a number of fairly diverse roles including Trade and Project Finance, UK Corporate Banking, Syndications and Asset Trading, and International Business Development working throughout Western and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

AWS Structured Finance was effectively established in 1996 and worked alongside Aspen Waite until the two formally merged in 2004 and I became a Partner in Aspen Waite.  The addition of the AWS services into Aspen Waite enables us to offer a much broader range of services to our clients and indeed has resulted in a broader range of clients.

I guess I approach my working life with a 'can do' approach and try to always look to see how something can be done rather than reasons why it cannot be done!  This approach has served me well in UK corporate finance deals and large number of transactions I have been involved with in the emerging economies of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia and the Former Soviet Union.  Certainly if something is a bit more difficult then I get a much greater sense of achievement in helping the client to succeed.

I have always been an active person and like new challenges and in the last few years I have passed my advanced driving test and my PADI scuba diving qualification.  I have many more things that I want to achieve both on a professional and a personal level.