For James Davenport, a partner at Moore Kingston Smith, professional success isn't a single moment but a state of equilibrium. From graduate trainee to partner, Davenport explores the "four strands" of career fulfillment and why accountants must move from the back office to the front line to drive client growth.
For James Davenport, a partner at Moore Kingston Smith and a member of the latest Accountancy Age 35 under 35, the hallmark of a successful career is a state of equilibrium. Having spent his entire professional life at the firm, transitioning from a graduate trainee to a partner, Davenport has leveraged his deep-rooted understanding of the practice to launch a service line specifically engineered to drive growth for owner-managed businesses (OMBs).
Rather than a single defining moment, Davenport’s career has been shaped by the gradual realization that professional success requires the alignment of four distinct strands: remuneration, competency, personal enjoyment, and client value.
“Most people go to work to earn money, but getting those things aligned is brilliant,” Davenport explains. This philosophy has prevented the “dread” often associated with high-pressure professional services. By maintaining this balance, he has been able to focus on the “fourth strand”—positioning the firm’s services exactly where clients find the most value, ensuring that the work is not just a technical exercise but a strategic necessity.
Davenport views the evolution of the profession as a move away from the back-office finance function. While technical competency remains the baseline, he argues that the real value lies in the “front-line” operation of a business.
“There is increasingly less and less of just mindless admin for accounts teams,” he notes. By utilizing analytical skills to interpret trends and provide real-time insight, Davenport’s team aims to move accountants into the running operations of a business. This shift transforms the accountant from a retrospective reporter into a highly active participant in the client’s growth trajectory.
As a young leader, Davenport is a vocal advocate for the accessibility of the accountancy profession. He contrasts the industry’s low barriers to entry with the high-cost, high-hurdle nature of the legal sector.
“We literally take people off the street, hand them a calculator, and off you go,” he says. Davenport is committed to spreading the message that accountancy is a progressive route for school leavers who wish to avoid the long-term debt of university. By qualifying as early as 21 or 22, young professionals can gain a “no-brainer” advantage in the workplace a message he believes is vital for the continued dynamism of the profession.
When navigating the challenges of a scaling practice, Davenport relies on a simple, pragmatic mantra: the art of “getting stuff done.” In an industry often prone to excessive deliberation and “talking heads,” he prizes action and the seizing of opportunities as they arise.
“Nothing will ever improve if you don’t present yourself at that risk,” says Davenport. This bias toward action is supported by his life outside the office. His wife, who works in the creative fashion industry, provides a necessary counter-perspective to his logical, numerical world. This “shop-free” environment at home allows him to maintain the perspective needed to lead a high-growth team without losing sight of the wider world.
