LAVA Appoints Matt Morris as Head of Finance

WHY THIS MATTERS
LAVA’s move to appoint a full-time Head of Finance reflects a common inflection point for growing advisory firms: the shift from flexible, outsourced support to dedicated in-house financial leadership. As deal activity scales and operations become more complex, stronger financial oversight and data-driven decision-making become essential to sustain growth.

This also highlights a broader trend in the M&A advisory space, where firms are investing in internal infrastructure—not just front-end dealmaking—to improve efficiency, governance and scalability. Having a finance leader embedded in the business allows for better visibility on performance, smarter resource allocation and more strategic planning.

LAVA Advisory Partners, the M&A advisory firm with a difference, has announced that Matt Morris has been appointed as their new Head of Finance as the business continues to expand.

Morris joins the London-based firm full-time following a two-year relationship with LAVA through his role at professional services firm RPD (Richard Place Dobson), which preceded his more recent part-time role as LAVA’s fractional Head of Finance. His appointment on a permanent basis reflects the firm’s trust in his abilities, as well as their increasing need for dedicated financial oversight as activity continues to grow.

In his new role, Morris will be responsible for overseeing LAVA’s financial operations and supporting the leadership team with data-led decision-making as the business evolves its scope and develops its capabilities. 

He previously worked at RPD, where he was responsible for preparing LAVA’s statutory accounts and developed an ongoing working relationship with the firm. 

Simon Woodcock, Partner at LAVA, said: “Matt joins us full-time at a crucial moment for LAVA as we underpin our operational foundations with strategic, data-driven processes and robust oversight. His laser focus on the financial running of the firm frees up the Partners to focus on driving our next phase of growth, secure in the knowledge that we’re working with the best possible data.” 

Morris added, “In an industry that can sometimes seem prescriptive, LAVA’s approach is truly special, and it’s the team that makes the difference. It’s a really supportive environment where people are comfortable challenging each other, but we all have each other’s backs as well. There’s real energy around doing things differently, building relationships early, and thinking creatively about deals. It’s an exciting, high-growth company and I’m looking forward to being part of that journey.”

FF NEWS TAKE
This signals a shift from momentum to operational maturity for LAVA. As the firm grows, relying on fractional support is no longer enough—bringing finance fully in-house gives leadership tighter control, clearer insight, and the ability to make faster, more informed decisions.

It also reflects a wider evolution in advisory firms, where success is no longer just about winning deals, but about building the infrastructure to support sustained growth. Strong financial leadership becomes a competitive advantage, not just a back-office function.