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BISHOP FLEMING ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP CHANGE

South West‘s top-three accountancy firm appoints new CEO and launches a growth-plan, including acquisitions

The South West accountancy firm with the region‘s widest spread of offices, Bishop Fleming, has announced a change of Chief Executive – and a new business plan for further growth within the region.

National “top 50” accountancy firm Bishop Fleming has appointed Jerry O‘Sullivan, head of the region‘s largest insolvency practice, to replace Brian Payne, who is retiring from the firm.

Having joined Bishop Fleming in 1984, Jerry O‘Sullivan has built the South West‘s largest corporate recovery and insolvency team, and 20th in the UK‘s national league-table.

He replaces retiring Brian Payne as Chief Executive, who has held the post for the past nine years.

Jerry O‘Sullivan shares the business-management of fast-growing Bishop Fleming with Managing Partner, Matthew Lee, who has held that post for the past 11 years, having joined the South West firm in 1990.

With 18 partners and 183 employees, Bishop Fleming has offices in Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay, and Truro, and is one of the South West‘s largest full-service accountancy firms.

In recent years, the firm has doubled its operations to an annual turnover above £11 million, and is wholly focused on serving the region‘s owner-managed businesses, including specialist sector teams for charities, tourism & leisure, and care-homes.  The firm also has a portfolio of individual clients, providing both tax and financial advisory services.

According to Jerry O‘Sullivan:  “Matthew and I have agreed on the firm‘s business-plan for the next five years:

“We are dedicated to growth within the South West, and our expansion plans do not include anything outside this region.

“We remain dedicated to our strategy of providing focused services for South West business owners and individuals, and our special focus on such key sectors as tourism, care-homes, and charities – and a growing number of other regional industry sectors”, said Mr O‘Sullivan.

Bishop Fleming was the nation‘s first accountancy firm to win “Investors in People” accreditation for its staff-policies, which it has retained at every re-assessment.

“We are determined to sustain this leadership”, said Mr O‘Sullivan.

“More recently, we have won ISO 9001 quality accreditation, and have been recognised as a Platinum Employer by our professional body.  We are now seeing our trainees achieving international acclaim in their exam successes.

“Our growing reputation within the profession has also boosted our ability to attract some of the country‘s top specialists, including our technical tax director and our new VAT expert, who relocated from Leeds to join us”, he added.

While Bishop Fleming has “practiced what it preaches” to clients in managing its business through the current down-turn, the firm retains strong growth plans.

“We aim to build our business from £11 million turnover to £15 million”, said Mr O‘Sullivan.

“The next twelve months will see many accountancy firms entering into mergers and acquisitions: Bishop Fleming is monitoring this process very closely, with a keen interest in acquiring like-minded firms with offices and clients in our South West territory”, he added.

Ends 21st January