Moore Kingston Smith announces new managing partner
Moore Kingston Smith has elected of Matt Meadows as its new managing partner. He will take on the role from May 2024, as current managing partner Maureen Penfold retires.
The London wing of Moore in the UK, Moore Kingston Smith boasts over 70 partners and more than 700 people based in and around the capital city. In 2023, the firm celebrated its milestone of 100 years in business, but as it looks ahead to its second century, the firm has committed to a major expansion to grow its capabilities – taking on private equity funding from Waterland, and welcoming a number of key hires. That does not mean the firm has lost sight of rewarding its existing talent, though.
Matt Meadows joined Moore Kingston Smith in 1998 as a trainee. Over the next 10 years, he worked his way up to partner. Highly skilled across multiple disciplines including audit and corporate finance, he has led many of the firm’s largest assignments, as well as advising on growth and exit strategies.
Speaking on his latest promotion, Maureen Penfold commented, “I’m delighted and incredibly proud to see Matt elected as managing partner. A natural next step for him and our firm; I’ve seen his career progress over 25 years, and he knows our clients, culture and the principles that set us apart from other firms. Matt is absolutely the right person to take the helm, he’s steered us through some of our most significant milestones, and will successfully and sustainably continue our journey of growth. I look forward to seeing all that Moore Kingston Smith achieves in its next chapter and have every confidence with Matt leading the way.”
The election came after Penfold announced her own retirement as Moore Kingston Smith’s managing partner. She has enjoyed a 40-year career at the firm, 30 years of which were as a partner. Since taking on the firm’s top job in 2016, she has helped guide it to integration within the Moore Global network, while becoming a major challenger firm in the UK.
As an integral member of the senior leadership team, Meadows has recently been working alongside Penfold – and helped to lead the firm's external investment from Waterland. This move made Moore Kingston Smith the UK’s first major accountancy firm to receive private equity funding, while keeping its limited liability partnership status. He was also instrumental in the acquisition of leading Irish firm Moore, which enhanced the firm’s global presence and ability to support its growing client base with international interests.
On his new challenge, he noted, “It’s an honour and a very exciting time to become managing partner at this point in our 100-year history. I’m grateful for the support of Maureen, my fellow partners and colleagues in this next stage for Moore Kingston Smith. My time here has been full of opportunity, and that’s what I want others to feel and experience when they work with us. It’s important that we continue to nurture an environment that helps our people and all who work with us to achieve their ambitions. I look forward to building on the strong foundations laid by Maureen, fostering our inclusive, supportive workplace as we grow, for our people to enjoy what they do, and to continue delivering quality solutions for our clients.”
