James Bird joins Moore Kingston Smith as a partner in non-profit team
Moore Kingston Smith has appointed James Bird as an audit partner in its non-profit team. Matt Meadows, managing partner at Moore Kingston Smith, commented, “It’s brilliant to welcome James to the firm.”
Meadows went on, “His extensive experience and understanding of the charity and education sectors will be invaluable to our clients and further bolster our award-winning non-profit team. James’ commitment to client success reflects our commitment to working alongside organisations to best help them realise their ambitions.”
Moore Kingston Smith is UK professional services firm, which recently received private equity investment to fund its M&A programme. However, unlike many others, it has kept its coveted partnership status.
As a partner at the firm, Bird brings extensive experience across the charity and education sectors, having worked with a variety of large and complex charities, universities, independent schools and membership bodies, both domestically and internationally. He is recognised for delivering audit services, leveraging technology and innovation to tailor approaches to his clients’ unique needs. Beyond audit, Bird works closely with his clients, proactively sharing his sector-specific insights on areas such as risk and governance, digital transformation strategies and navigating emerging challenges specific to the sector.
He brings more than 15 years of experience to the firm. This includes 13 years with Grant Thornton, where he was latterly an audit director in the firm’s own non-profit team.
He said of his appointment, “I’m delighted to join Moore Kingston Smith, a firm well known for its non-profit sector focus and team of passionate specialists. With over 18 years of audit experience, most of it dedicated to non-profit organisations, I’m eager to contribute my expertise. I look forward to collaborating with the team to expand our client service, particularly in areas such as higher education, and helping our clients succeed in navigating the sector’s complexities.”
Charities in the UK have endured tough times in recent years. A decade of austerity saw direct grants from the government stifled, and the heightened spending pressures on consumers the country’s economic policy wrought also hit charity donations indirectly. Amid this, a growing number of charities have sought out security, by merging. The number of charities consolidating by merging with others in the field rose from 174 in 2023 to 331 in 2024 – a jump of 90% – driving demand for support from external experts, specialising in the sector.
