McKeith relishing new challenges
DAVID McKeith, one of the region’s most popular and respected figures in professional services, told friends and colleagues last night he has no regrets over his planned retirement.
Mr McKeith, North West senior partner at Big 4 accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers for the last seven years, is retiring at the end of the year after more than 20 years with the practice.
He told professionals at a farewell drinks event at Harvey Nichols in Manchester last night that he would still be active in the business community.
“I am getting increasingly to dislike the word retirement. I see my move as a shift in career direction. I’m far too young to retire and those in business in Manchester will continue to see me around the place.
“I am looking for one or two interesting non-exec roles, and of course I have agreed to chair the Halle.”
He quipped that in the light of the current economic outlook he would have to do a lot of due diligence on the companies he agrees to work with.
The former tax inspector, who has recently stepped down as President of Greater Manchester Chamber, said the professional services sector had changed hugely in the last 30 years.
“We have moved from typewriters and telexes to the era of Blackberries and 24 hour client service.”
He said his decision, taken 12 months ago, to retire was one of his best three career decisions, along with joining “the best professional services firm” in 1987, and five years ago persuading his successor Nick Boden to move to Manchester.
Mr Boden, who takes over a North West senior partner on January 1, joked that Mr McKeith’s timing was “impeccable” and paid tribute to him as an excellent friend and colleague.
Guests at the event included senior bankers, lawyers, corporate financiers and business people.
Among them were: Richard Bailey from Rothschilds; Neville Richardson chief executive of Britannia Building Society – who used to work with Mr McKeith at Price Waterhouse; Helen Ridge and Stephen Levy partners at law firm Pinsent Masons; Malcolm Buchanan from Royal Bank of Scotland; Andrew Holt and Roy Beckitt from DLA and Michael Shaw and Paul Johnson from Cobbetts and Joel Heap from DWF.
