Grant Thornton UK has announced the appointment of Fred Brown as its new South West England & Wales location leader.
He takes over from Lauren Carlyle who moves into a new national role as Head of UK Pensions.
Fred will lead and grow Grant Thornton's South West England & Wales practice, a regional team of nearly 300 people across the firm's Bristol and Cardiff offices.
Fred has been with the firm for 25 years and is a Partner in Grant Thornton UK's top-ranked national Forensic and Investigation Services practice. He typically reports as an expert on business valuation and quantum, including in commercial and high-net-worth private client disputes. He is part of a growing national practice with new partners joining across its disputes, investigation and financial crime teams.
Fred Brown, South West England & Wales location leader at Grant Thornton UK, said:
“I'm really proud to take on the role of South West England & Wales location leader. This is a region with growing momentum and significant opportunity, and our teams in Bristol and Cardiff play a vital role in supporting organisations across the local economy. I have to thank Lauren, whose leadership has played such a key role in strengthening the firm's regional presence and laying strong foundations for continued growth.
“I'm looking forward to building on those foundations, continuing to invest in our people, our culture and the quality of service we provide to our clients.”
In her new role as Head of UK Pensions, Lauren Carlyle takes over from Neil Knights, who will remain with the firm and continue to support its audit offering and wider strategic priorities.
Lauren Carlyle, Head of UK Pensions at Grant Thornton UK, added:
“As I step into the role of Head of UK Pensions, I'm excited to help shape the next chapter of our UK pensions offering. With increasing regulatory scrutiny, evolving accounting requirements and heightened expectations around governance and quality, I'm energised by the chance to help ensure our pensions audit work continues to be robust, consistent and trusted by clients, regulators and stakeholders alike.”
In February, the firm announced five senior appointments across the region, strengthening its leadership capability to meet accelerating growth and rising client demand across the region.
The firm recently announced an ambition to recruit 160 new partners over the next two years to support its continued growth.
