Cowan leads finance at Moore Stephens

   Phil Cowan has returned to shipping accountant and consultant Moore Stephens as head of corporate finance.
   He was most recently group chief financial officer of V.Group Ltd. and chairman of V.Ships Capital. He was responsible for a number of V.Ships’ acquisitions and led the V.Ships’ team that managed the sale of V.Group to Omers Private Equity.
   “Shipping has always been highly cyclical, but seldom have we seen such a long bottom of the cycle than we have at present. Bankruptcies, Chapter 11, and impairment are terms in almost every day use at the moment in the maritime sector,” Cowan said. “Nevertheless, such market conditions create opportunities for the shrewd operator.”
   Cowan joined Moore Stephens as a trainee in 1986. He moved to the corporate finance team in 1989 and became a partner in 1996. He was appointed head of corporate finance in 2004. He joined V.Ships in 2007.