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Sumer has appointed Ellie Dignam as national head of accountancy and business advisory services.
The appointment comes as the group continues to expand its national leadership team and invest in its small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) advisory network across the UK and Ireland.
The appointment coincides with operational changes across the accountancy profession, driven by advances in artificial intelligence, digital finance, and regulatory updates such as Making Tax Digital.
Through its regional hub model, Sumer provides accounting and advisory services to around 60,000 SMEs.
Dignam joins the national leadership team from BHP, an accountancy firm that forms part of Sumer.
She joined BHP in 2012, working her way up to partner and head of digital finance, where she focused on operational transformation and client data systems.
In her new role, she will oversee the group’s broader business advisory proposition across its regional hubs.
Dignam said: “SMEs want advisers who understand their ambitions as well as their pressures, and who can turn that understanding into clear, practical support that helps them move forward with certainty.
“We have exceptional talent across the group, and the opportunity now to bring that capability together in a way that elevates the experience for every client we work with. I’m excited to help shape how we continue raising the bar for SME accountancy and business advisory services and ensure business owners feel supported, informed and confident at every step of their journey.”
Warren Mead, chief executive, added: “This is an important appointment for Sumer and for the future of our ABAS offering. Accountancy and business advisory services are going through one of the most significant periods of change the profession has seen in years. Technology, AI and evolving client expectations are fundamentally changing how services are delivered.
“Ellie brings exactly the kind of forward-thinking, collaborative and innovation-led leadership we are building across Sumer. She has already demonstrated at BHP how technology and digital finance can improve outcomes for clients and teams alike.
He concluded: “Our regional hub model gives us a unique opportunity to combine deep local relationships with national capability and innovation. Ellie will play a key role in helping us continue evolving our services to support SMEs right across the UK and Ireland.”
