INTERVIEW: Ian Borley – at the centre of it all

One year on from his promotion to senior partner for KPMG in the East Midlands, we spoke to Ian Borley and asked him how he intends to position the firm.

What have you learned since taking responsibility for both the Leicester and Nottingham offices?
I’ve taken charge of a larger team, and it’s opened my eyes to the strength we possess in the East Midlands. We know we can deliver locally, and smaller businesses need to have trusted advisers in city centres.

It might also get overlooked at times, but we also do a lot of great CSR work, and this is something I’ve definitely come to realise – and am very pleased about. We’ve got over 250 people in the East Midlands, and a decent amount of them get involved in local charities.

What’s your opinion on your rivals who have moved out of the city centres?
We’ve just extended the lease on our Leicester city centre offices for another five years, and our intention is to be there for long term. It’s great for clients and colleagues visiting the office location-wise.

As for Nottingham, our lease is up next year at our current offices and we’re looking at a number of options. We will stay in the city centre, however.

To answer your question: for some of our rivals an out-of-town location fits their client portfolio perfectly. However, our clients are local and expect face-to-face meetings with professionals. It’s also very useful for us to bump into them from time to time.

You’ve got experience now of both the Leicester and Nottingham economy – which is doing better?
Leicester has come on a lot during the last five years, and has seen substantial investment from the likes of IBM and Hastings. Spearing Waite has also spent a lot of money committing itself to the city centre. There have also been significant improvements to public realm areas, and of course the football club is at the top of the Premier League which doesnt hurt the profile of the city. There seems to be more civic pride than before.

Nottingham has the advantage of critical mass in that it’s a much bigger city for professional services and world class universities, which are critical for a successful city. Transport in and around the city is excellent and travelling in and out of the city is now a lot easier since the improvements to the A453. I think Nottingham tends to play to its strengths.

Derby just goes to prove that the three East Midlands cities are different. For any devolution deal to work it’s imperative that all three work together. I was pleased to see that the North Midlands deal was put together, but it was a shame Leicester and Leicestershire couldn’t be included. There remains a real danger that the two deals will be two small and could become irrelevant.

What’s next for you?
More of the same. I’ve no intention of going anywhere, and I’m really enjoying the challenge – I’m working with a great bunch of people. There are so many opportunities in the local marketplace and I’m looking forward to driving the company forward in the region.