Nicholas Wakefield

Nicholas Wakefield was educated at Westminster School, the University of Oxford and Manchester Business School. After an early career as a consulting civil engineer with Binnie & Partners, he specialised in project finance.

During an 18 year career with Warburg Nick established the bank as a recognised market leader in advising public and private sector sponsors of major projects in power, oil and gas, mining, pulp and paper, manufacturing, leisure and transportation sectors in the UK, Continental Europe, Scandinavia and the USA. He also played a major role in the evolution of the Private Finance Initiative in the UK and in the promotion of a policy framework for European Public/ Private Partnerships.

Nick joined Halifax Bank as Head of Project Finance and managed a highly rated project finance team, which developed and managed a portfolio of UK PFI equity, mezzanine and senior debt assets in the transportation, health, defence, education, property, and water sectors.

Following the merger of Halifax with Bank of Scotland, to create the HBOS Group, Nick was responsible for the Group’s international project finance businesses in the natural resources, telecoms and power sectors, which was managed by teams located in, London, Edinburgh, New York and Sydney. Nick then became one of three founding shareholders in Infracare Group, which was sold to Babcock and Brown. At the time of this sale, Infracare had been established as one of three leading participants in the NHS LIFT market and had developed and financed the construction of 8 new major health facilities in Bristol, Oxford and Dudley. In recent years Nick has advised companies in the waste recycling, green energy and transportation sectors.

During his career, Nick has played a significant role in ensuring the success of the following major projects:

  • Aberdeen Waste Water Scheme (UK)
  • Alwyn North and Balmoral gas and oil fields (UK North Sea)
  • Army and Navy Stores (UK)
  • Army Foundation College (UK)
  • Channel Tunnel and Channel Tunnel Rail Link (UK and France)
  • Ely-Ouse Water Transfer scheme (UK)
  • Euro Disneyland (France)
  • Eurostar Rail Service (UK and France)
  • Glasgow Secondary Schools Project (UK)
  • Goldstrike Gold Mine (USA)
  • Heathrow Express Rail Link (UK)London City Airport (UK)
  • MoD Whitehall Headquarters (UK)
  • Plover Cove Reservoir (Hong Kong)
  • Queens Medical Centre (UK)
  • Riyadh University (Saudi Arabia)
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