Niki Crookdake
After graduating from Bristol University with a degree in law in 1987, Niki qualified as a solicitor with Slaughter and May. While there she worked on several large commercial transactions. She commenced her career in investment banking in the corporate finance department of Dresdner Kleinwort Benson in 1992, and was involved in both marketing and project execution. Responsibilities included, comprehensive industry analysis, strategic feasibility, detailed valuation of business units or companies incorporating complex modelling, commercial due diligence, negotiations, the writing and delivery of numerous board presentations, managing external advisers, all within tight deadlines.
At the end of 1996 Niki joined Bass plc as part of a team responsible for the restructure of the leisure division. This included the sale of Gala, Coral bingo and a pub estate as well as the return of £850m to shareholders. At the same time she completed her Masters in Finance from London Business School. In 1998, on completion of the Masters and the restructuring work, she returned to the city and started work in Deutsche Bank and then later Caezenove as the first dedicated leisure analyst. In this role she developed good relationships with companies under coverage and fund managers and helped to win corporate business.
Niki then took some time off on maternity leave and commenced her career in training in 2001. Her principal topics are valuation (comparatives analysis, DCF, EVA / APV) modelling and capital structure. She has taught valuation and modelling to many of the well known investment banks and other financial institutions. When training she lays great stress on the practical rather than purely theoretical aspects of corporate finance and draws on her own experiences in industry and the City.