PKF Cooper Parry ramps up headcount across the Midlands

Fast-growing Midlands accounting and consulting firm PKF Cooper Parry has added three new hires and a wave of promotions in the East and West Midlands offices. The news comes as the latest in a hiring spree at the firm, which has seen numerous internal and external appointments to strengthen its executive team and focus on ambitions of long-term growth.

PKF Cooper Parry has bolstered its offering across the Midlands with the five new hires, as the company attempts to fill the 68 new positions created by the opening of its innovative ‘Google-esque’ office in the region in January 2017. The Accounting and consulting firm has also been reshuffling its senior management since then, with a total of 18 promotions at time of writing.

Peter Raybould has been appointed as a Director, bringing over three decades of experience, to the role. Most recently he had been employed for three years as a Director at ThreeSixty Commercial Finance, however he also spent a 14 year stint at an Associate Director with Barclays Bank, having also spent time with key consulting industry players including KPMG, BDO.

Simon Moult joined the firm as Business Finance Manager of PKF’s Restructuring Team, meanwhile. Boasting over 25 years’ experience in the industry, Moult was the Regional Director of Asset Finance for Ultimate Finance group prior to his appointment.

Tom Summers was meanwhile picked up as Senior Manager of Cooper Parry Corporate Finance. Before stepping into that role, Summers was most recently at fellow consultancy RSM, where he spent seven years in various roles within the company’s M&A and Private Equity divisions.

Fellow new hire April Bembridge meanwhile joined from the Casual Dining Group as the firm’s new People and Culture Director, utilising over 14 years of HR experience which saw her most recently working as Head of HR operations for restaurant chain Bella Italia. Former PwC and Korn Ferry employee Fiona Holland meanwhile crossed over to PKF from law firm Gately, where she had been Client and Market Development Director, to become the firm’s Sales and Marketing Director.

Promotions elsewhere meanwhile saw room created for James Parnell, a new recruit drafted in to the newly vacated Chief Financial Officer position. Parnell, who is also a Regional Councillor for the Confederation of British Industry, was most recently the Finance Director for Retail Operations from drugstore company Boots. He also becomes a Partner at PKF.

Regional expansion

Welcoming the new team members, PKF’s CEO Ade Cheatham said, “Our business continues to grow at an incredible rate. We have some really exciting times ahead, and we now have the right senior team in place to drive the business forward in its next stage of stepped growth.”

However, while stating the company’s pleasure at seeing a broad array of new talent arriving at PKF however, Cheatham was also at pains to note that helping current staff realise their potential was also a key company goal, concluding, “Staff retention is also important to us and the promotions, as well as being well deserved, are recognition of the loyalty, hard work and commitment all have shown to the firm.”

Among the most recent promotions within PKF, Ben Rookes, who joined as a graduate 15 years ago, has been elevated to partner in Cooper Parry Corporate Finance. Paul Hayes was meanwhile promoted to Partner of the IT Solutions team. Steve Brooks meanwhile was used to fill Hayes’ former role, as he was promoted to the role of Director of the team.

The firm also promoted Sally Spencer, who ascended to the rank of Partner and COO of PKF Cooper Parry’s chief operating officer. Elsewhere, the reshuffle saw Jeremy Bowler – chairman of the firm since 2013 – take on the new role of head of client services.

The Midlands have seen a boom in the consulting industry over recent years, with firms in the West Midlands particularly witnessing a strong post-recession revival. The net profits of the top 200 companies growing in the region hit an increase of 52% according to the most recent data available, while international sales doubled over a two years period, according to a study by BDO.

PKF Cooper Parry, who have also seen a number of mergers over recent years further boost their expansion efforts, seem to be on course to increase annual growth rates this year by over 50%, while anticipating surpassing its own target of a £30 million turnover. The Midlands firm already employs a 400-strong team at its offices in Derby and Birmingham, and is aiming to break a turnover of £150 million by 2027.