Matt Buckingham to lead commercial audit for Grant Thornton in Birmingham
Matt Buckingham has become a new Head of Commercial Audit with Grant Thornton’s regional West Midlands wing. He will lead the firm's 120-strong team of auditors from its Birmingham office.
Grant Thornton’s recently opened office at 103 Colmore Row is the latest in a string of arrivals of the consulting industry in Birmingham. The new locale enabled the firm to expand its previous headcount of 400 in the city, as it sought to meet with heightened demand in the West Midlands.
Buckingham first joined Grant Thornton as a Partner in 2019 – and his promotion to Head of Commercial Audit in Birmingham will have him oversee the expansion of the firm’s practice at a time of major change for the market. The West Midlands hosts a wide range of dynamic and interesting businesses, and those firms are keen for auditors to help them grow and explore new ideas and ways of working.
“We are proud of the agile, people-focused working environment that we are growing every day at Grant Thornton and I’m looking forward to helping make this an even more creative and supportive place for our team members in my new role,” Buckingham stated. “Thanks to our expertise and similar willingness to explore new approaches, we’re well placed to provide the advice and insights that the Midlands’ businesses need. For example, we’re investing in digital audits and new technologies to ensure that the quality and efficiency of audits is as high as possible.”
Looking ahead, he will lead a team of approximately 120 auditors working across a wide range of different business types and sectors. This will see him put to practice some 27 years of audit experience in Birmingham, working closely with the city’s businesses and supporting a wide range of private-equity backed companies, mid-market and family owned businesses. As well as supporting such clients, Buckingham will also hold people focused responsibilities, such as supporting a strong office culture and fostering an environment for young talent to develop.
Sue Knight, Partner and Practice Leader at Grant Thornton in the Midlands, noted, “We know that while the world of work has changed over the last two years, the office still has a fundamental role to play in attracting the best talent and nurturing the career development of our people. This is one of the reasons why I’m so excited to work with Matt in his new role, as not only is his significant amount of experience in the local market ideal for providing our clients with highly valuable insights but he has a clear commitment to supporting our team and ensuring that we provide a vibrant, inclusive and collaborative space.”
Buckingham’s appointment also comes as Grant Thornton, and other leading competitors of the Big Four, attempt to pick up contracts from challenging former clients of KPMG, Deloitte, PwC and EY. Recently, this also saw mid-market auditor BDO add two new partners in London financial services wing.
