Our Team
Paul Packard
Managing Director
Paul has worked in ship finance for over 30 years, as Head of Maritime for Bank of Ireland for 14 years until August 2016 following time with the shipping teams of Barclays, Merita, KBC and ING. During his career, Paul has structured, managed and restructured transactions across multiple shipping an offshore sectors. Paul has signed loans globally with clients in all shipping centres worldwide and with clients of all sizes and structures from small one-ship operations to large, multinational, publicly-listed enterprises. Over more than three decades in the industry, he has seen several large restructurings and workouts. Paul has also been extensively involved in strategy formation and policy development.
Lars Torum
Managing Director
Lars is a ship financier and chartered shipbroker with over 20 years experience within the offshore oil and gas and maritime transportation sectors. Prior to Merchant Prospect, Lars worked in Bank of Ireland from 2001 and on the bank's maritime industries team from 2003-2019 in a multitude of capacities covering global bilateral loan origination, syndicate participation, portfolio management and restructuring/workout. As an MD of Merchant Prospect, Lars is engaged with all aspects of services. Lars has a pro-active and hands-on approach to doing business with a significant focus on building lasting professional relationships. Lars is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.
Alan Doyle
Managing Director
Alan Doyle is a highly experienced senior executive with a proven track record in finance, risk management, business innovation, and leading high-performance teams. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Alan held a series of senior positions within Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking, where he led large corporate transactions and managed operational teams.
​
During his banking career, Alan structured, negotiated, and restructured substantial lending packages for companies across Ireland, the UK, and Europe, covering a wide range of industries. This work gave him deep insight into multiple business sectors and strengthened his expertise in arranging complex financial solutions. His leadership of diverse business units also enabled him to develop exceptional risk management and operational skills.
​
Following his successful career in banking, Alan became Director of Finance & Risk at Futureworks Training Ltd, an SME in the UK Higher Education sector. As one of the company's founding members, he played a pivotal role in implementing new strategies, policies, and procedures during a period of increasing regulatory demands - all while ensuring continued income growth.