RSM appoints new Partner in Milton Keynes
Former Big Four accountant Richard Bartlett-Rawlings has been appointed as an Auditing Partner to RSM’s Milton Keynes office. The mid-tier firm is looking to seize upon bullish global growth figures, with a space opening up for firms to challenge the auditing supremacy of KPMG, Deloitte, PwC and EY in the UK.
RSM, the sixth largest auditing and advisory network in the world, reported record global revenues of $5.37 billion for 2018, crowning five consecutive years of growth. While, as with the professional services sector as a whole, RSM’s growth was driven by the boom in demand for consulting services, its global accounting revenues exploded by 13% as well. The UK’s auditing scene is in the edge of a major period of change, meanwhile, presenting a key opportunity for RSM to compound that growth in 2019.
Late in 2018, the Competition and Markets Authority called for a market cap to be put into place, to reduce the Big Four’s dominance in the UK auditing market. This presents the quartet’s key competitors, Grant Thornton, BDO and RSM, with a golden opportunity to make inroads beyond the mid-market auditing scene which they already perform strongly within. As RSM prepares to court the clients of the Big Four, it has appointed a professional from their ranks to help lead the charge.
Richard Bartlett-Rawlings is a chartered accountant with more than 14 years of experience in the industry. He arrives as an Auditing Partner in RSM’s Milton Keynes office, having joined from KPMG where he was a Director and previously a Senior Manager. Prior to this he spent five years with fellow Big Four firm Deloitte, where he latterly became a Senior Manager.
Commenting on his appointment, Bartlett-Rawlings said, “Milton Keynes is a dynamic market with one of the fastest growth rates of any UK city. I'm very excited to be joining RSM's practice here to help local businesses to capitalise on this growth and achieve their ambitions.”
Adam King, RSM’s office Managing Partner in Milton Keynes, added, “I'm delighted to welcome Richard to RSM, who will add further strength and depth to our Milton Keynes team. His appointment reflects RSM's continued commitment to invest in key talent and expertise as we seek to become the first-choice adviser to middle market businesses.”
