Baker Tilly enters Aberdeen with Simpson Forsyth merger

02 September 2014 Consultancy.uk

Accounting and consulting firm Baker Tilly has entered the Aberdeen market following the merger with local professional services firm Simpson Forsyth. With the new base in Scotland’s third city Baker Tilly aims at growing its market position in Scotland and the Aberdeen the region.

Established in Aberdeen in 1990 by Andrew Forsyth, Simpson Forsyth provides business and professional services to a wide range of companies, partnerships and individuals from its offices in Queen’s Road. The firm, which has 3 partners and 30 staff, has a turnover of around £3 million.

Baker Tilly - Simpson Forsyth

Baker Tilly is with around 3,500 employees the 7th largest UK firm of chartered accountants, tax and business advisers. In Scotland the firm already has a presence – with offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Grangemouth, and Lerwick – yet it to date lacked an on-the-ground presence in Aberdeen. As a result, the firm considered either setting up and growing its own operations or merging with an existing firm. Following internal alignment the partner team opted for the latter, and after green light was given by the due diligence process the firm has now merged with Simpson Forsyth.

“We have made no secret of our intention to enter the market in Aberdeen given its importance to Scotland’s economy and the increasing demand for our services in the area. Simpson Forsyth is a fantastic firm with great people who are highly respected in the Aberdeen market, and the merger provides us with the perfect platform for further growth,” says Robert Ross, Managing Partner for Baker Tilly in Scotland. David Gwilliam, Baker Tilly’s Chief Operating Officer, adds: “This merger signals our intention to play a key role in this market. We are hugely excited by the growth prospects the combined firm can realise, and importantly how we can satisfy the needs of our clients and their local, national and international ambitions.”

Robert Ross - David Gwilliam - Andrew Forsyth

In addition to the merger, Baker Tilly has also announced that it plans to invest in the new office, including boosting the service portfolio and growing the employee base. “Over the coming year, we will be building resource in the office to strengthen and expand our offering to current and future clients,” says Ross.

According to Andrew Forsyth, Founding Partner of Simpson Forsyth, giving away independence to the hands of a larger counterpart will prove beneficial to stakeholders of the nearly 25-year old firm. “Our merger with Baker Tilly will enable us to maintain our focus on excellent client care and take this proposition to another level for the benefit of our clients. Combining the complementary skill sets of partners and staff from both firms will give additional breadth and depth to our overall service offering.”

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