Coutts has appointed Hans Prottey to the newly-created role of corporate finance specialist, executive director within Coutts’ strategic solutions team, based in London.

Prottey, with more than 17 years’ financial services experience, was previously at Macquarie Capital, where he established and led a team that was responsible for the origination and execution of corporate finance advisory mandates and principal investment opportunities in the European renewable energy and clean tech sector. Additionally, he was an advisor on strategic partnerships with Asian industrial groups and co-ordinated cross-border infrastructure and utilities team initiatives between Europe and China and South Korea. Before that, Prottey served at ABN Amro in merchant banking and corporate finance, as well as PwC, where his role was within business assurance.

In his new role, Prottey will be responsible for the development and implementation of Coutts' corporate finance referral service and direct private equity investment opportunities proposition. His focus will be on strengthening relationships with corporate finance houses to build on the flow of investment ideas that can be offered to meet the increasingly sophisticated requirements of Coutts’ private office and ultra high net worth clients.

Strategic solutions brings together a team, both within Coutts and with a network of external providers, to develop solutions for investment clients across a range of asset classes and types. Primary elements of the proposition include: specialist advisory – real estate, private equity/venture capital and hedge funds; corporate finance incorporating club deals; real assets, for example, classic cars, fine wine and art; investing in fashion and luxury goods.