Optio Group, a leading specialty MGA, today announces the appointment of Joanna Eilts to the newly created role of head of legal, effective immediately. She will be based in London and report to Optio’s CFO Mark Mugge.

This latest appointment further boosts Optio’s senior-team bench strength as its international expansion through strategic acquisition continues.

In addition to a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, Eilts brings extensive experience in advising private-equity owned companies, financial investors and corporate institutions on complex domestic and cross-border M&A. She joins from Goodwin Procter where she served as a senior private-equity lawyer and has also worked for Clifford Chance in London and Warsaw. Her expertise will support Optio’s long-term global expansion strategy for growth through acquisitions across Europe.

Deepak Soni, chief executive officer, Optio Group, said: “Joanna’s wide-ranging experience and expertise brings essential legal knowledge to the senior team as we embark on further acquisitions and scale up our operations. It therefore gives me great pleasure to welcome her as we work to maximise Optio’s value to our customers and stakeholders at this exciting time for our business and the markets we serve.”

Eilts said: “Having seen through many transactions and advised both buy and sell side clients, the opportunity to devote my sole attention to such a highly capable business intent on global expansion was compelling. I very much look forward to working with Mark and the senior team to enable Optio to reach its full potential.”