ACCOUNTANCY IN THE NORTH: Large firms look north
Local professionals are under threat from Big Six and others movingin on both their business and their firms.
A spate of mergers and takeovers of regional firms is pointing to a big push north by the national accounting giants.
Preston and Blackpool-based Alliot Rawkins and Holden recently joined up with BDO Stoy Hayward. This follows the May announcement of a merger between the Wilmslow office of Moores Rowland and Ross Houghton.
Earlier this month, BDO’s senior partner in Manchester Ian Templeton said: ‘We believe we can make a significant impact on the North West.’
Ernst & Young has also revealed plans to expand further in the region, adding weight to its tax services in Manchester. David Cunliffe has joined from KPMG as senior manager of the northern Inland Revenue investigation service. David Brewin also moved across as a new tax partner.
According to E&Y’s North West managing partner Chris Phillips, mergers and acquisitions is another area the firm is targeting for growth.
KPMG Management Consulting, meanwhile, has lost John Keyes to surveyors Grimley which is expanding its town planning and consultancy team in Manchester.
Property consultancy is another area of strong growth for accountants which has caused friction with rival professions.
Grimley is fighting back by appointing Keyes, as well as moving Jeremy Hinds from its office in London’s West End to work on retail planning and promoting Gerard Hughes to equity partner.
Another long-running row concerns a similar move into pensions consultancy which has caused local actuaries to hit out at the accountancy firms’ claims for the amount of business that has moved across to them.
