EY set their sights on growth with staff shuffle
PROFESSIONAL services firm EY has set it sights on growth after an increase in staff.
The north west arm of the business grew 4 per cent with a string of strategic senior hires, promotions and relocations.
It takes the number of employees at the regional team, which comprises of offices at St Peter’s Square in Manchester and Liverpool, to 655.
The staff boost helped fee income grow 2.7pc to £2.41bn for the year ending June 30.
Tax grew by 7.3pc, advisory grew by 3.8pc and transaction advisory services was up by 1.5pc.
Assurance fell slightly by 1.7pc, while audit grew by 4pc.
Financial services, the UK’s largest sector, grew by more than 7pc this year.
Bob Ward, north west senior partner at EY, said: “Our strong performance is underpinned by EY’s strategy of investing in growth across the regions. I’m proud to be able to say that we have invested significantly in ensuring we can support businesses across all our service lines using people who are based in the north.
“Ongoing investment in senior talent, alongside our graduate and apprentice recruitment, reflects our confidence in the long-term outlook for this region’s economy.
“Moreover, EY’s growing national cyber team has Manchester as its hub, with more than 25 people based here, servicing and supporting EY clients across the country.”
Changes to EY’s north west team include the arrival of Onelia Angelosanto as head of a new global trade team, based in Manchester.
Elsewhere, the transactions advisory services team has been strengthened with Rob Jones, who relocated from London to lead and grow EY’s debt advisory business in the north.
The team was also bolstered with the appointment of Paul Stott, who joined from ENER-G, as director.
The changes helped the team to a strong year, with a number of high profile private equity and corporate transactions. During the period to the end of June, the firm made five senior manager and director promotions, as well as promoting Anne Wong in EY’s Manchester tax team to associate partner.
It promoted Hilary Heap and Mark Clephan, both in the transactions advisory services team, to equity partners, further underlining the strong demand in the transactions market.
Since the year end, EY has appointed Graham Wright and Stephen Littler as equity partners, while Alex Williams and Richard Barnes have been promoted to associate partner.
The north west practice took on 64 graduates during the year and welcomed 18 apprentices to EY’s Business Apprenticeship programme, which offers young people an alternative to university – a 50pc increase on the previous year.
Ward added: “I’m particularly proud of our business apprenticeship programme and the investment we are making in our people and the talent line we are nurturing.
“We believe apprentices are key to our business – they help to drive creative thinking and bring us into the future of work.”