Rayner Essex appoints new partner and head of audit

Rayner Essex, a leading UK accounting and advisory firm, has appointed Lucy Ghawss as partner and head of audit.

Ghawss joined Rayner Essex in 2008 and is very much ‘home grown’ in the firm, having commenced her career as a placement student and then returning as a graduate in the audit department going on to qualify with the ICAEW as a chartered accountant within the firm.

She brings a wealth of expertise, as a seasoned professional. She is a general practitioner with extensive experience in working with various clients ranging from startups to SMEs and large corporations, from various industry sectors.

As a young female leader and professional in a traditionally male dominated industry, Ghawss has been able to push boundaries with her fresh and innovative strategic thinking and client centric approach, wanting to transform audit to a pleasurable and meaningful experience for both clients and her team alike, this really is her passion and drives her success.

She enjoys building strong relationships with clients, making the audit process as smooth and efficient as possible, this being of utmost importance to her and her team. 

She is also an advocate for mental health and wellbeing and her main focus whilst managing her team is to create a happy working environment, where people can feel comfortable and authentic. She strongly believes that having a motivated team really does drive performance and is a leading factor in providing excellent customer service.

Ghawss, as partner and head of audit, also has overall responsibility of the firm’s ACA graduate training programme and is president of the ICAEW Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire District Society.

Commenting on her appointment, Ghawss said: “I am delighted with my promotion to partner, and I’m very proud to have begun my career with Rayner Essex and now to be working alongside such senior and experienced professionals and in an agile working environment where they believe in me.  

“With the recent growth seen at Rayner Essex over the last few years, I really look forward to continuing to bring fresh ideas to the firm, to our clients and to my fellow colleagues, making every client and team touchpoint a meaningful and knowledgeable experience.”

Partner at Rayner Essex, Antony Federer, added: “We really are thrilled to appoint Lucy as partner in our firm. She’s a testament of our commitment to continuously grow, develop, and retain our home-grown talent. Lucy is a dedicated and talented individual with commercial acumen, strong leadership skills and has a breadth of knowledge in audit services.

“We are very keen to create opportunities and promote talented employees who demonstrate their potential. We will continue to further develop and support our senior leaders, enriching them with the expertise and tools that they need to flourish and achieve their career goals. We are confident that Lucy will excel in her new position and look forward to working with her to reach new heights in her role as partner and head of audit.”