New directors and new offering at Grant Thornton’s South East team

Tatiana Gullan, Heather Boden, and Tom Harrison will take on key roles in the firm’s South East office to support the area’s dynamic business landscape while helping grow and upskill the regional team of financial experts.

Tom Harrison has become Audit Director for Private Capital Audit after joining Grant Thornton as a graduate in 2016 and building up an extensive knowledge of the South East market. He will be particularly focused on developing the team’s growth strategy and supporting the region’s mid-market businesses.

Tatiana Gullan and Heather Boden have been appointed as Audit Directors in the Entrepreneurial and SME Services team. In these roles, Tatiana and Heather will support privately-owned, fast growing businesses, providing timely, informed advice across a variety of critical areas.

Heather completed her original training with Grant Thornton’s South East team and rejoined the company in 2011, moving back to the Gatwick office in 2016. Over this time, she worked across a wide range of sectors and business types, with clients ranging from London stock exchange listed companies to smaller owner-managed businesses.

Tatiana joined Grant Thornton’s Gatwick office in October last year. Alongside a wealth of experience and passion for the SME business space, Tatiana has also worked extensively with large multinationals and public interest entities, especially in the financial services, real estate and ESG spaces.

The new national Entrepreneurial and SME Services offering will provide entrepreneurs and fast growth businesses with the support they need to achieve their goals. Businesses will benefit from regular meetings with a local Partner to understand their strategic challenges and shape Grant Thornton’s advice accordingly, bringing the full breadth of the firm’s expertise to the client’s benefit to help super-charge growth.

The variety of skills and local expertise in the team combined with Grant Thornton’s connections across its international network will provide fast growth businesses, start ups and entrepreneurs in the South East with access to valuable financial and business advice tailored to their requirements.

This support covers a wide range of areas, such as attracting and retaining talent, leveraging automation and AI, expanding internationally, ensuring global regulatory compliance and working with shareholders to understand and achieve a tax efficient exit, be it a sale or listing.

Jon Oakey, Partner and Head of Audit at the Grant Thornton Gatwick office, said:“The appointments of Tatiana, Heather, and Tom to Directors in the South East exemplifies our commitment to the region and ensuring our Gatwick team has the skills, leadership and knowledge to develop even further.

“The South East is a fast growing and economically complex region, with a lot of creative businesses that need access to a mix of specialties and services. The experiences and capabilities among these three really underlines our team’s ability to make sure they can provide the advice that will solve the challenges local businesses face and allow them to unlock their potential.”

Tom Harrison, Audit Director for Private Capital Audit at Grant Thornton, said:“Grant Thornton has a proud history within the Southeast and we continue to invest in our team to ensure we’re on hand to help businesses right on their doorstep. The heartbeat of Grant Thornton is its people, and I am eager to continue to nurture our high performance and inclusive culture.

“The Southeast is a particularly exciting region, with numerous fast-growing and innovative companies attracting private equity investment. We have an in-depth understanding of what’s important to the market’s business leaders and how they can be guided to achieve their objectives.”

The national Entrepreneurial and SME Services team will be jointly led by Partners Tim Taylor and Gareth Hitchmough. They will work alongside senior colleagues Lynne Bicket, Mike Delf and Rob Thomson, supported by a large team across the UK.

Tim Taylor, Partner and Head of Entrepreneurial and SME Services at Grant Thornton UK LLP, said:“Entrepreneurs and fast growth businesses are at the forefront of the economy, reacting to the quickly changing nature of today’s markets with fresh ideas and innovations. Supporting fast growth and growth potential businesses is therefore vital to driving economic growth as well as the UK’s ability to compete globally.

“To ensure that growing businesses fulfil their potential, it’s vital they receive the advice that will drive value, foster growth and overcome any hurdles. When working with our Entrepreneurial and SME Services team, businesses will have a local relationship partner that understands their challenges and opportunities with the added benefit of access to Grant Thornton’s wider stakeholder, investor and specialist advisor connections in the UK and around the world.”

Tatiana Gullan, Audit Director in the Entrepreneurial and SME Services team, said:“I am proud to have joined Grant Thornton at a very exciting time and am looking forward to helping grow the new team and working alongside the South East’s business leaders. As the economic landscape is evolving at an increasingly rapid pace, it can be hard for businesses without large teams of specialists to navigate potential barriers and stay competitive. This can make it difficult to focus on priorities, whether that’s international expansion, exploring a sale or entering a new market. We can scale and evolve with your business and adapt our approach accordingly, without losing the local, relationship-led approach.”

Heather Boden, Audit Director in the Entrepreneurial and SME Services team, said:“I am excited to support and grow the Entrepreneurial and SME Services business and further develop long-standing relationships with clients. Having access to the multidisciplinary talents and international specialists within our newly launched team is a valuable asset. It allows access to global experts in everything from personal and corporate tax as well as specialist tax services, such as R&D and employment taxes, to sector experts in different industries, technology and digital skills, ESG, M&A, and Consulting. This allows businesses to cope with complex pressures without having to shift focus from their vision.”