Deloitte names major corporate deal player as new regional head

Martin Jenkins, 42, will replace Geoff Taylor, 56, who has held the post of senior partner since May 2008.

In his only interview yesterday, Mr Jenkins described the appointment as "a tremendous privilege".

He told the Yorkshire Post: "I feel very passionate about our region, its prospects and its success."

Despite numerous invitations to move to London during his career to date, Mr Jenkins said: "My priority is the success of our business in this region.

"This is where I'm based, where my family are and where I have a fantastic network of relationships across corporate businesses and the professional and financial community."

Mr Jenkins, who has established a reputation as a leading dealmaker over the last 15 years, said he would be doing "an awful lot of listening" when he takes over on December 31.

"I have a great belief that you should listen then lead," he added.

Mr Jenkins said: "I'm inheriting a business which is in very good shape.

"We have come through and weathered the financial crisis and recession very satisfact- orily.

"I have a great foundation and a really exceptional team of people from which to look to the future and build on in what's going to continue to be a challenging and somewhat uncertain environment."

He added: "It's not going to be a straight-forward uniform recovery. It will probably be a bit fragmented.

But ultimately we will see a slow recovery over the course of the next couple of years. So much of it will depend on the rest of the world.

"We are in a globalised environment and different sectors will recover at different rates and different economies around the world will recover at different rates.

"I believe we are unlikely to see a double-dip recession.

"Growth, albeit low and a little bit fragile, is the more likely scenario."