Expanding accountancy firm brings in new shareholder as it gears up for further growth

The firm, which also has offices in Belfast, Dublin and London, has welcomed Brian Stewart to the board of directors of Ross Boyd Belfast Ltd, one of four newly-created subsidiaries operating under the parent company. Mr Stewart becomes the first shareholder in the business other than its founder, and will be the Resident Director in Belfast.
 
“This is the Belfast team maturing, which will allow me to focus on expansion beyond NI in Glasgow and Dublin,” Mr Boyd said.
 
“We have a great team of 12 in Belfast that will soon grow to 15, and with Brian at the helm on a day-to-day basis locally in NI I know they will continue providing our SME clients with the best technology-driven service that retains personal attention at its core. That is the sort of foundation we need to build out our business across the UK and Ireland.”
 
Mr Stewart joined the firm in 2012, two years after Ross Boyd Ltd was first established, and was its fourth employee. Prior to that he was working in a senior corporate adviser role at KPMG.
 
Mr Stewart commented that “I am excited about the further opportunities we now have to bring our successful SME proposition to wider markets after demonstrating its success in Belfast.”
 
Mr Boyd said he intends to take the winning business template created in Belfast and replicate it in Glasgow and Dublin on an accelerated scale. Plans include the addition of a business development director based full-time out of each city before the end of the year. With Glasgow and Dublin within the international group Brexit and further UK devolution has been planned for in the client service model developed.
 
The Chartered Accountancy firm opened up in Glasgow in October, and already has a roster of more than 20 clients from the West Coast of Scotland, ranging as far north as Oban. The move into Scotland is expected to boost group turnover by 50 per cent within the next 12 to 18 months.
 
Mr Boyd graduated from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow with a degree in Naval Architecture and worked in the shipbuilding industry before progressing into accountancy. He first met Mr Stewart in 1999 when the two were training together at the same firm.
 
“We have very similar backgrounds,” Mr Boyd said. “We both understand how businesses work, their needs and we are both corporate advisors – I worked in Deloitte, Brian worked in KPMG, both at senior levels.
 
“We understand that in the rapidly-changing world of accountancy, it is no longer enough to just keep clients compliant and safe. Of course we do that, but our bigger goal is to make our clients wealthier through our advice and insight.”
 
Mr Boyd added: “This re-organisation of the business will allow us to achieve our growth ambitions. It is something I have talked to people about for many years, so now that it’s actually happening, I am keen to press on.”