Our 'Five Minutes With ' blog series continues with Tait Walker Corporate Finance Associate Partner, Chris McCourt.
What is your role and how long have you been part of the Tait Walker team?
I am an Associate Partner in the Corporate Finance team, so I lead project work with a range of clients. I help businesses owners who are either looking to grow their business through raising money or acquiring other businesses, or by helping them sell their business when the time is right.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I get to work with different people every day. Our clients come from a range of industries and it is great to be able to learn about a new business and help them on part of their journey. It is also very satisfying to be able to help someone achieve their ambitions – be that helping them scale up their business or see the business they have built up passed on to new owners to take it forward.
What’s your favourite thing about the North East?
The space. I lived in London for a couple of years and found the sheer number of people everywhere more than a little irritating! I used to come back up on the train, cross the viaduct into Durham where I grew up and feel like I was back somewhere that suited me much better.
Where is your ideal dinner date and why?
My wife would tell you I have a very sweet tooth, so anywhere with a good dessert menu!
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Different things at different points in my childhood; when I was young I really wanted to be a farmer but for most of my school life I hoped to be a chef. How I ended up going from wanting to cook to what I do now I have no idea!
Have you got any hidden talents?
I have some pretty random facts in my head so I am a useful addition to a pub quiz team.
Which charity is closest to your heart and how do you support them?
The Great North Children’s Hospital. One of my children has been a patient there several times during his life and I have always been amazed by how brilliantly they deal with what can be very hard situations. I’ve run the Great North Run a few times and have raised money for them in the past.
What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever been given?
Surround yourself with people who are cleverer than you, and listen to them. What’s your favourite way to spend a Saturday morning? With two young children, my Saturday mornings (every morning in fact) are usually fairly noisy and chaotic, but on the rare occasions that isn’t the case I enjoy having a good cup of coffee and catching up on what’s happening in the world (in silence!).
