profile 13
From trainee to top job as Fenn takes the reins
May 1 marked a milestone for David Fenn as he was appointed managing partner of Wilkins Kennedy, the chartered accountancy firm he joined as a trainee aged just 17
David Fenn
Over the past 40 years, the past three spent as the firm’s financial partner, he has seen the firm evolve from a relatively small practice with 10 partners into a multi-million pound firm and a network of 12 offices throughout the south east.
As a result, today Wilkins Kennedy can boast a place in the top 25 UK chartered accountancy firms, some 56 partners and almost 400 staff, together with a £27m turnover.
Fenn takes over the role from Colin Wiseman, who has been appointed as head of business development of WKRR, the restructuring and recovery arm of Wilkins Kennedy.
Appointed the youngest ever partner at the age of 26, Fenn believes the secret of the firm’s success has been ”keeping it local” and it is an ethos he will continue to subscribe to as he oversees plans to strengthen Wilkins Kennedy’s offering in the Thames Valley and Solent areas.
These received a major boost last month with nine new partners appointed across the firm, and the news that the practice had merged with Reading-based insolvency specialist Nortons Recovery, enabling it to expand the range of corporate recovery and restructuring services on offer at its new London Street- based Reading office.
Last year saw the merger of Heathrow-based chartered accountancy firm Charles Stuart with Wilkins Kennedy adding new partners to the Egham office. The creation of a new ’Solicitor’s Club’, attracted 50 law firms from the Thames Valley, North Hampshire and Surrey regions to attend regular law seminars and updates carried out by WK’s Lexcel accredited consultants.
With offices in Kent, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Essex, together with a London Bridge headquarters, it is to the west of the M25 where Fenn sees the greatest potential for future growth.
”We already have a strong presence in the Thames Valley and south coast areas, both of which have been growing quite substantially and I believe they will continue to do so,” he said.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2011
”Our loyal clients really like our personal approach of a partner-led practice and we are keen to identify other practices and other partners as part of our expansion plans.”
The merger with Nortons Recovery is a successful example of the type of venture he is keen to pursue. Not only has it enabled Wilkins Kennedy to build on its insolvency offering for clients, but insolvency experts David Tann and Matt Waghorn, both ex- directors at Nortons Recovery, have now joined as partners.
With expansion plans afoot in both the Thames Valley and Solent areas, he is also absolutely determined not to lose the personal touch which has been an integral part of the firm’s growth.
”Our philosophy is no matter how large we become, we want to remain close to the local communities in which we operate,” he said. ”We have always believed our strengths lie not only in our wide ranging service offerings, but in our local, friendly, personal service, and that’s what clients around the country find appealing about us.
”Clearly we will always provide the highest level of service and the best value for money, but being part of the local community is at the core of our values, not least because we like to give something back, such as supporting local charities and working with schools through Young Enterprise schemes.”
”Most of our partners tend to live in the areas where they are based, they understand the way local businesses work and the issues they face, and they are extremely well connected, which clients appreciate.”
The practice’s key business sectors include professional services and the public sector, charity and not-for-profit, and property and construction, while its services include tax and corporate finance, financial management, outsourcing, human resources, forensic accounting, audit and assurance, as well as restructuring and recovery.
Clients range from small family-run businesses through to multinational listed companies with overseas interests and, while the partners in each office have a wide range of experience and meet regularly
www.businessmag.co.uk
to exchange views, the firm has dedicated specialist groups to support specific client sectors and service areas where required.
It’s a formula that works well for the team and Fenn is also keen to emphasise the firm’s commitment to ongoing training, something he believes helps retain the highest calibre staff who can always offer the best service.
Looking back to the time when he joined the Southend office as a trainee himself, he says he could never have expected that one day he would find himself in charge of managing the firm.
Fuelled by ambition, he describes his career as ”goal-driven” and is justifiably proud of his achievements, which have included developing his own particular area of expertise and substantial client base within the construction sector.
As he takes his seat at the top – visiting each office at least once a week to liaise with regional managing partners Kevin Walmsley, John Kirkpatrick and Ian Talbot – he is determined to ensure he keeps in touch with clients, while knowing that the day-to-day activity on their portfolios remains in safe hands.
Having weathered the recession ”very strongly” and having helped many clients do the same, Fenn is now looking firmly to the future. A top 20 ranking is one objective he aims to achieve within a relatively short period, while his satnav promises to be kept busy as he explores new opportunities to strengthen the Wilkins Kennedy brand across our region.
Details: David Fenn 020-7403-1877
dave.fenn@wilkinskennedy.com www.wilkinskennedy.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44