Dains appoints new chief client officer

Dains Accountants has announced the appointment of Fiona McSwein to the role of chief client officer, as the group continues its growth across the UK and Ireland. 

McSwein joins the firm following a period of rapid expansion and private equity investment from IK Partners. 

The firm has grown to more than 1,000 staff following strategic acquisitions and organic growth over the last 12 months.

Prior to joining Dains, McSwein served as chief customer officer and vice president of strategic programs at insurance provider Simply Business. She previously held senior leadership roles at Euromoney Institutional Investor, lastminute.com and European Directories.

McSwein has experience working with private equity partners to scale businesses through customer insight and organic growth strategies.

In her new role, McSwein will be responsible for leading digital transformation and developing data-driven teams across sales, marketing, product and customer experience.

McSwein also serves as a trustee of Whizz Kidz and has mentored at the Cambridge University Judge Business School.

Richard McNeilly, chief executive at Dains, said: “As we move into 2026, Dains continues to build on the progress of recent years. We’ve strengthened our capabilities, continued to integrate across the Group and invested in the leadership required for the next stage of our growth.

“Fiona brings an exceptional track record in customer-led transformation, digital innovation and building high-performing teams, alongside valuable experience working with private equity partners in scaling businesses. Her appointment reinforces our commitment to putting clients at the heart of everything we do and ensuring we continue to deliver consistently high standards as we grow.”

McSwein added: “Dains has a clear sense of purpose and a culture that puts clients at the centre of every decision. The Group is ambitious and is committed to delivering real value for clients of all sizes.

“I’m looking forward to building on the strong foundations already in place and to delivering meaningful, measurable results for clients. My focus will be on strengthening alignment across teams, digital transformation, and supporting colleagues in delivering successful outcomes for the businesses we support.”