VELIA
PARTNERS
Strategy and M&A advisory

Partners in Value

Velia Partners advises corporations and investors on the decisions that unlock and create value — growth initiatives, M&A transactions, integrations or separations. Our clients trust us with their most consequential commercial questions, and value our candour and independence of thought.

Why Velia Partners

A new frontier for management consulting and M&A advisory

Velia Partners was established in 2026 by Vito Mennella, who left a senior management position at UK FTSE-listed insurer Aviva with three simple convictions.

  1. 01Management consulting should partner with clients to add and create value to their business and objectives.
  2. 02Strategy design and execution shall go hand in hand — they are two sides of the same coin.
  3. 03Strategy consulting and M&A advisory benefit from complementary skills, and can be offered in one practice alone.
Experience & Judgement

Brought by a unique blend of corporate experience, investment banking and corporate finance careers

Two decades advising leadership teams and their Boards, leading the execution of value creation strategies (growth, M&A, synergies) across financial services — from strategy design and deal thesis to synergy and integration realised.

Vito Mennella

Founder & Managing Partner
Corporate Career · UK
  • 2026M&A Director — Sesame Bankhall Group (subsidiary of Aviva Insurance, Wealth & Retirement), London, UK
  • 2023–25Advice Strategy Director & Director of Connected & Customer Wealth — Aviva Wealth, London, UK
  • 2022–23Advice Strategy Director & Succession Wealth Integration & Synergy Programme Lead — Aviva Wealth, London, UK
  • 2020–22UK Life Strategy Lead (Head of) — Aviva Insurance, Wealth & Retirement, London, UK
  • 2019–20Group Strategy Lead (Head of) — Aviva plc, London, UK
  • 2017–19Group M&A Lead (Head of) — Aviva plc, London, UK
Investment Banking & Corporate Finance · UK & Italy
  • 2013–16Vice President, FIG Advisory — HSBC Global Banking & Markets, London, UK
  • 2010–13Associate, Investment Banking Division — Nomura International, London, UK
  • 2007–10Associate, FIG & Corporates — KPMG Corporate Finance, Milan/Bologna, Italy
Connect on LinkedIn FCA Register (2011–2025)
Vito Mennella, Founder and Managing Partner of Velia Partners
Vito Mennella
PIMFA — Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice Association

The Personal Investment Management and Financial Advice Association (PIMFA) champions a culture of financial health for all and represent and support providers of wealth management services, financial planning and advice in the UK. The sector currently looks after £1.65 trillion in private savings and investments and employs over 63,000 people. Velia Partners is proud to be an Associate Member of PIMFA.