Mid-market investment banking firm Alantra has appointed Paul Birley as a senior advisor.

Alantra’s global healthcare team includes more than 30 professionals across Europe, the US and Asia and has completed more than 20 deals over the past year.

Birley will help Justin Crowther, who heads Alantra’s UK healthcare team, and Hoong Wey Woon, who leads the Alantra UK real assets team, with their focus on providing M&A, capital raising and debt advisory to the healthcare real assets market.

Birley was Barclays’ head of healthcare for almost 20 years. Having helped set up its healthcare strategy in 2001, he grew the business with a portfolio of healthcare clients covering all aspects of the sector.

Crowther said: “We are delighted to welcome Paul to Alantra’s healthcare team. He is one of the most experienced, well-known and highly respected professionals in the UK healthcare sector. Paul will support us with his deep understanding of healthcare businesses and his extensive network.”

Birley added: “I have been impressed with how Alantra have grown their proposition and developed new ideas for supporting the sector and am therefore delighted to join Justin, Hoong Wey and the team.”