Saffrey Champess bolsters audit offering with new partner

Saffery Champness has strengthened its audit offering through the appointment of Stuart Macdougall as a partner in its London office. Macdougall joins the firm from PwC, where he has been leading audit engagements as a responsible individual (RI) for over six years. Since qualifying in 2008, he has spent his career providing audit, assurance and advisory services to entrepreneurs, owner-managed businesses, private equity backed companies, and large international groups across a variety of sectors and industries. He works with clients on all aspects of their information transparency obligations and across business life cycles through to successful exit. In his new role, Macdougall will join the firm’s Business Advisory Group, which supports entrepreneurial, high growth companies, including private enterprises and AIM-listed entities and across sectors that include recruitment, manufacturing, transportation & logistics, real estate, life sciences, financial services and technology. Macdougall has twice been named as one of the top 35 Chartered Accountants under the age of 35 by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) and this included being shortlisted in the leadership category. Matthew Burton, managing partner at Saffery Champness, said: “Stuart combines outstanding technical expertise in audit, assurance and accounting with a perceptive understanding of business risk, strategy, and regulatory requirements. He brings with him a track record of providing the highest standard of advice and services to clients navigating significant commercial challenges. We are delighted to have him on the team.” Macdougall said: “Saffery Champness has a well-earned reputation for providing a truly bespoke service based on trusted relationships and a deep appreciation of its clients’ businesses – something that I am passionate about. For me, this is what makes a good service become a great one – and why I am excited to be joining a firm with exactly those values and an outstanding culture. “The level of scrutiny that businesses face has never been greater, and this is set against a backdrop of increasingly complex reporting requirements in terms of both financial and non-financial information. Further change is on the horizon and the direction of travel is towards greater transparency and a growing compliance agenda.” He added: “This can be a significant headache for companies and business owners alike, who are rightly focused on realising their strategy, delivering growth, and building a legacy. One of the reasons I’m thrilled to be joining the Saffery team is to help our clients manage these issues whilst supporting them on their growth journey.”