Kevin Lamb appointed Restructuring Director at BDO

Professional services firm BDO has appointed Kevin Lamb as Director of its Edinburgh office. Lamb arrives from RSM, where he was also a Director.

Mid-tier accounting and consulting firm BDO grew its revenues by 7% to $9.6 billion in its latest financial year, with its headcount up 10% to 88,100 professionals across 1,800+ offices in 167 countries. 2019 was the firm’s first full year as the UK’s fifth largest professional services firm, following an acquisition deal for Moore Stephens being brokered in late 2018.

As BDO looks to continue growing its position across Britain, it has installed a new Director for its Edinburgh office. Kevin Lamb brings more than 25 years of experience to the role, and as Restructuring Director, his skills will likely be in keen demand, with hundreds of businesses across the country continuing to endure a period of acute financial distress. Lamb’s main role at BDO will work with clients across Scotland, where he will focus on working with businesses with “early signs of distress” and develop plans with investors to secure their future.

The experienced professional began his career with Big Four firm KPMG, working as an Auditor in its Aberdeen wing for four years, before spending a further two as an Assistant Manager in its London office. Following a string of accounting roles, Lamb joined insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor in 2011, working as a Director for three years before being appointed Restructuring and Recovery Director at RSM in 2015. There, he specialised in businesses facing operational and financial difficulties, and has worked alongside companies and their directors in the banking sector and private equity groups.

Speaking on his new challenge, Lamb said, “A combination of BDO’s reputation in the market and its supportive and high-performing culture made the opportunity to join the business a compelling one. It’s our job to provide the support, advice and confidence to make informed decisions.”

With no conclusive end to the UK’s exit from the remaining bloc of 27 in sight, the UK’s economic prospects do not seem to have improved, making the need for restructuring services across the country even larger. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce recently found firms were struggling to grow, amid political deadlock over Brexit. The organisation found Scottish firms were putting off investment because of uncertainty over the UK's future relationship with Europe.

Head of business restructuring and partner at BDO, James Stephen remarked, “Kevin’s turnaround expertise will strengthen our restructuring offering for clients across Scotland, as well as boosting our national credentials. Brexit and the UK political landscape introduced significant uncertainty in recent years creating changes to the marketplace in Scotland and beyond its borders. 2020 will bring a new period of change, creating opportunities but also cause potential stress to businesses.”