Grant Thornton appoints former PwC UK tax specialist to Director role
Private equity tax specialist Tom Klouda has been hired as a new Director at Grant Thornton’s growing Yorkshire practice. The professional services firm’s North East clients will expect to benefit from the ex-PwC man’s substantial corporate and transactional tax advisory experience.
Former PwC UK employee Tom Klouda has spent the bulk of his professional career at the Big Four firm, rising to become Senior Manager at the firm’s Leeds office. The Newcastle University graduate specialises in providing tailor-made advice to private equity investors on a broad range of tax structuring questions.
In his new role as Director at Grant Thornton, Klouda will now work to grow the corporate and transactional tax service offered by Grant Thornton to its clients in the North of England, providing tailored tax advice to businesses and their owners across the region. Grant Thornton’s Yorkshire wing has been involved in some of the region's biggest deals, including the floatation of Sumo Digital and the recent acquisition of Sigma Group, adding significant value through tax on transactions.
Commenting on his appointment, Rachel Engwell, Tax Partner at Grant Thornton Yorkshire, said, "It's been a fantastic year for us and I'm delighted to welcome Tom to the team to support the next stage of our continued growth.”
She added, "With his experience of private equity and shareholder transactions, Tom will be integral in developing this specialist service working closely with our local Transactional Advisory Services teams."
Klouda himself said, "Grant Thornton is a firm that is really going places and one which has a clear growth purpose. I have been impressed by its active profile in the deals market and its focus on making investments into regional teams, at a time when other firms are pulling back. I'm thrilled to be joining the Yorkshire tax team which is well-positioned to serve the dynamic business market across Yorkshire and the North East."
On a nationwide level Grant Thornton UK recently raised eyebrows when it announced it would no longer bid for FTSE 350 audits. Despite being the UK’s fifth-largest accounting firm by revenue, CEO Sasha Romanovitch said in March 2018 that it was impossible to succeed in a space dominated by the top four players.
