BDO appoints Jill Halford as Partner for audits in charity wing

15 November 2018 Consultancy.uk

As professional services firm BDO looks to build on its strong position in the UK as an alternative to the Big Four, Jill Halford has been appointed as an Audit Partner in the mid-tier firm’s charities group. She brings two decades of experience in the not-for-profit sector, arriving at the firm from PwC.

As part of a nationwide backlash against the Big Four of the auditing and advisory sector, some of their largest competitors have been seeing rapidly improving results throughout 2018. BDO, the UK’s sixth largest auditing and advisory firm in the UK, is no stranger to this. Over the past two quarters, the firm has expanded its lead on the junior auditing market from a gap of five clients to 23, with 149 clients listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) index, compared to the 126 of its closest competitor, KPMG.

Amid this growing demand, the firm has both had to accommodate the heightened levels of business, and find ways to continue presenting itself as an alternative to the Big Four. In an appointment that manages both feats, BDO has appointed Jill Halford as a new Audit Partner in its charity wing.

BDO appoints Jill Halford as Partner for audits in charity wing

Halford joins the firm directly from a member of the Big Four, having spent almost 20 years at PwC, racking up notable experience in the charities and non-profits sector. During her extensive spell with the professional services giant, she worked on multi-location and complex engagements, as well as with some of the UK’s key visitor attractions such as the National Theatre, Southbank Centre and Zoological Society of London. She was most recently a Director at the firm.

Boasting far-reaching knowledge of reporting under UK GAAP and Charities SORP, she has also taken part in extensive speaking engagements on the topic of building public trust in the charity sector. She remains in a number of positions for charitable entities, including the Treasurer of Seacology and ACEVO, as well as an Advisory Board Member of HighTide. Halford is also a Co-opted Member of Finance and Audit Committee for the School for Social Entrepreneurs.

Remarking on her new role, Halford said, “Charities are the back bone of our society and their societal impact is considerable. The sector is going through a period of significant change, dealing with varying levels of public trust, increased regulation and Brexit uncertainty as well as the recent resignation of the Civil Society minister. I’m looking forward to using my knowledge and passion for the sector to support and advise charities through this changing time.”

Don Bawtree, Partner and Head of the Charity Sector at BDO, added, “We know that we will only sustain our leading position in the charity sector if we continue to invest in talented people and we are thrilled to have Jill on board. Her experience, reputation in the market place and passion for the sector are second to none. Like the not for profit organisations we work for, she has a purpose-led approach and is committed to helping others succeed.”

Related: BDO appoints Ryan Grant as new Partner in the Midlands.

More on: BDO
United Kingdom
Company profile
BDO
BDO is not a United Kingdom partner of Consultancy.org
Partnership information »
Partnership information

Consultancy.org works with three partnership levels: Local, Regional and Global.

BDO is a Local partner of Consultancy.org in Netherlands.

Upgrade or more information? Get in touch with our team for details.