Bishop Fleming appoints Giles Derry as inaugural non-exec chair

Bishop Fleming has appointed Giles Derry as its first non-executive chair, a newly created role designed to support the firm’s “Better Growth” strategy. 

Derry, a chartered accountant and former president of risk advisory at Kroll, brings extensive experience in scaling professional services firms through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

The appointment follows a landmark 2025 in which Bishop Fleming secured a minority private equity investment from Synova to fuel its transition into a national mid-tier player. 

The firm, currently ranked among the UK’s top 30 accountancy practices, reported a record turnover of £48.25m for the year ending May 2025, a 15% year-on-year increase.

Derry previously served as CEO of Blackrock Expert Services Group, where he oversaw a three-fold increase in revenue before its acquisition by Kroll in 2020. His background also includes 15 years as a private equity investor, including a partnership at Dunedin, where he specialised in scaling technology-enabled business services.

Andrew Sandiford, CEO and managing partner at Bishop Fleming, said: “His track record of scaling people-focussed professional services businesses, and working with private equity backed organisations, brings valuable breadth of experience to our board.

“As we execute our growth plans, Giles’s perspective will help ensure we continue to deliver trusted, personal service while scaling our business for the long term.”

Derry added: “Bishop Fleming is a firm with strong values, impressive momentum, and clear ambition. I’m excited to support Andrew and the leadership team as the business grows, deepens its capabilities, and extends its reach.”