Today we can announce the appointment of the founder of The Corporate Finance Network, Kirsty McGregor, as our Accountant-In-Residence. This engagement marks a significant expansion as we move beyond funding.
McGregor, who has been a trainer for BPP, Mercia and ICAEW and has facilitated training for the ICAEW/SII CF qualification, subsequently formed The Corporate Finance Network, a network of regional independent accountancy firms almost fifteen years ago. She will now work alongside the team to build additional CPD-accredited training courses to assist subscribers to become skilled in offering more corporate finance services.
The largest firms have increased their fee income and client numbers over the years as they have been able to support business’ corporate finance activities alongside their core offerings. Typically for smaller and medium sized accounting firms a complete corporate finance function team often does not exist - rather advice is provided from within the general practice - or referred elsewhere. In recognition of the upcoming increased demand for corporate advisory services, we have expanded beyond funding to provide a platform plus services and training to support their 3,000 accountants. McGregor states “We know there will be an increase in business transfers, as some entrepreneurs decide that this is their final crisis. To boost our economy we need to encourage other SMEs to acquire these businesses, rather than losing the employment potential if they wind up.
CEO and co-founder of Capitalise, Paul Surtees, explained “We have worked alongside Kirsty and the member firms of The Corporate Finance Network for several years and have witnessed firsthand how she has built a knowledgeable and loyal community of accountants, who have grown their corporate finance teams as a result of their membership. We saw how our subscribers could certainly benefit from similar expertise and I am looking forward to developing this aspect so that we can continue to assist accountants to build healthy balance sheets with their clients.
Kirsty McGregor added “I selected Capitalise as our preferred funding portal several years ago, as they were the clear leaders in this area, partnering alongside the skilled accountants of our country’s owner-managed businesses. We both recognise that business and finance education is core to developing a stable SME economy and moreover, accountants are best placed to offer that coaching to the business owners. So, by combining our expertise with their plans for how they will develop the use of their technology, I am very excited by this opportunity to join them to help their mission to strengthen accountants and businesses.”
For more information or for interview requests, contact marketing@capitalise.com.
