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Saffery Champness

Who are Saffery Champness?

Headquartered in London, Saffery Champness is a chartered accountancy firm that acts as a member of Nexia International, a global accounting and consulting network of firms.

The group was founded in 1855, when Joseph John Saffery established an accountant’s office in London’s Guildhall chambers. 

Following this, Saffery acted as a founding member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) in 1880, becoming president of the organisation in 1889 and 1891.

The firm was directed into its current form through the merger of Safferys and Champness, Cowper and Co in 1982, then merging with the London office of Armitage and Norton five years later.

As for the group’s international operations, it founded SC International in 1986, which proceeded to merge with Nexia International in 2007.

Matthew Burton is the current managing partner at Saffery Champness, having taken over the position from Rob Elliott in April 2018.

Overall, Saffery Champness operated with 768 staff members, including 96 directors, at the end of FY20, up from its 708 staff members and 88 directors in FY19.

What do they do?

Saffery Champness works with clients across a range of sectors, including but not limited to private wealth, landed estates and rural businesses, not-for-profit, entrepreneurs, sports and entertainment, and international.

The group claims that it provides “a fresh perspective, an independent voice, and a long-term view” of how obligations and aspirations can be partnered together. It says that its expertise lies in the complex range of issues involved in “amassing wealth, protecting it, using it to best effect, and passing it on”.

Moreover, it offers a range of accountancy, tax, business advisory, and fiduciary services, focusing on eight sectors that cover a wide selection of business, individuals, and organisations.

Recent financials

Saffery Champness saw its turnover for the 12 months to 31 March 2020 rise 8% year-on-year from £70.8m in FY19 to £76.4m in FY20.

However, the group’s operating profit for the period remained steady at £21.6m, as staff costs and other operating expenses offset the rise in turnover.

In the news

To commence 2021, Saffery Champness expanded its operations in Guernsey through the appointment of Matthew Gilligan as an associate director, as well as eight internal promotions, at Saffery Champness Registered Fiduciaries.

Recently, the group has further extended its senior teams in the UK with the promotions of Margi Campbell and Hannah Mazrae to partners at the firm’s Inverness and Bournemouth offices respectively.

Finally, Saffery Champness in Manchester has relocated to a larger building in order to accommodate its recent growth. The new “state-of-the-art home in Manchester’s thriving business district” is a direct result of the area’s combined total of partners and staff members increasing by over 50% in the last two years.

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