Professionals: RSM, Gordons, Schofield Sweeney
AUDIT and consulting firm RSM has become the sixth largest global network in its industry.
The firm, which rebranded from Baker Tilly last year, announced a 6% increase in global fee income.
Fee income for RSM’s international network rose to $4.64bn for the financial year ending 31 December 2015.
Turnover rose by 10% in the USA, 10 per cent in Europe, 6% in the Middle East and North Africa, 1% in Asia Pacific, and 9% in Latin America.
Kevin O’Connor, regional managing partner at RSM in Leeds said: “Our rise in the global ranking underlines the strength and depth of our international network.
“More firms across Yorkshire are looking for support to operate in an increasingly complex and changing global environment. Being able to draw on expertise from across RSM’s global network is proving to be invaluable for our local clients.’
In 2015, RSM appointed eleven new member and correspondent firms in Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Italy, Mali, Niger, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Zimbabwe.
RSM now comprises more than 38,000 staff working across more than 760 offices in over 120 countries.
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LAW firm Gordons has partnered with the chairman of brand design consultancy Elmwood, Jonathan Sands OBE, to help promote its retail offering.
Mr Sands has worked with Asda for nearly 30 years, having sat on their international strategy council, as well as having clients including Iceland, Pets at Home, Ann Summers and B&Q.
Elmwood has offices in Leeds, London, Melbourne, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong, with clients including Canadian supermarket chain Loblaws, Australia’s Coles Supermarkets and Morrisons.
Mr Sands will work with Gordons on an ongoing basis, to create additional opportunities within the retail secto
Mr Sands will also work with the firm’s head of operations and compliance, partner Victoria Davey, to continually enhance the firm’s service-focused approach in order to generate additional client benefits.
Mr Sands said: “My objective is to achieve for Gordons what we do for retailers, whilst simultaneously bolstering its existing powerful retail proposition.
“The retail specific legal service we are going to create will mean Gordons will not only be the best at what it does in the retail sector, but also the only firm able to deliver it.”
The firm’s current retail clients include B&M, Buy it Direct, Costcutter, Iceland, Morrisons, Nisa, Original Factory Shop and West Cornwall Pasty Co.
Gordons managing partner, Paul Ayre, said: “Our retail offer is going from strength-to-strength and its continued momentum is seeing us consistently secure new clients within the sector.
“Our ultimate objective is to be the retailers’ law firm of choice. Jonathan’s appointment is all about achieving that goal as quickly as possible. It will allow us to engage with retailers on multiple levels, with legal services providing the basis for us to deliver ongoing business performance improvement.”
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COMMERCIAL law firm Schofield Sweeney is partnering with Aspire Development, to provide a leadership skills programme for their partners and associates.
West Yorkshire management training consultancy Aspire are a registered training provider with the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Schofield Sweeney were successful in their application for a grant of 50% of the cost of its leadership programme.
Aspire’s managing director Trevor Wheatly said: “following the recent merger between Schofield Sweeney and Armitage Sykes, we are looking forward to developing a programme that will enhance the leadership capability of this successful and growing business.”
Graham Sweeney operations director at Schofield Sweeney said “investing in our people is an essential part of developing and growing the firm”. Graham went on to say “we’re looking forward to working in partnership with Aspire Development who are supporting us with our people development plans.”
