Two senior PKF partners join BDO leadership team

TWO OF PKF’S SENIOR PARTNERS have joined BDO’s leadership board following the merger between the two firms, Accountancy Age can reveal.

Martin Goodchild, PKF’s managing partner, and Calum Stewart, the firm’s finance partner will join the board of BDO in addition to their roles as head of regions and finance partner, respectively.

The new leadership team, reporting to BDO managing partner Simon Michaels, will continue to be chaired by non-executive director Lesley MacDonagh, who was appointed to the role in 2008.

The remaining members of the seven-strong team includes Paul England, head of audit and tax; Mark Sherfield, chief operating officer; Gervase Macgregor, head of international advisory, risk and quality; and Jeff Jones, head of national advisory. Mark Bomer will remain as senior partner.

Outside of the leadership team, Martin Gill, previously regional managing partner at PKF, will head the business’ growth in Scotland as its Strategic Business Unit lead partner.

The merger between BDO and PKF was completed in April, creating a firm with nearly £400m in revenues. Plans to merger the two firms were announced at the end of last year, and now completed sees BDO operate out of 24 offices with 300 partners.

Last week, PKF International (PKFI) recruited a new CEO, as the profession awaits news of a replacement for its UK arm. John Sim, formerly international regional director with the network and managing partner of PKF Thailand, will take on the chief executive role.

Speculation has been mounting over the future direction of PKFI following a series of mergers between regional PKF firms and BDO counterparts.

The merger in the UK of PKF and BDO will see the combined firm work under the BDO International network. It is unclear who will replace the firm in PKF’s international network.