Member Article

New head at KPMG Manchester

Accountancy and business services firm KPMG has announced that Jonathan Holt has been elected head of its Manchester office.

Mr Holt, who is 41, will become its new office senior partner from November 1.

He replaces Jonathan Hurst, who has held the role for five years. Hurst will remain KPMG’s chairman in the north, continuing to operate from its Manchester office.

Mr Holt is currently head of the firm’s financial services team in the north. Prior to this role, which spans the entire north, he led KPMG’s financial services team in Manchester.

Mr Holt said: “It is a privilege to be given this opportunity to lead one of KPMG’s largest regional offices in the UK which employs more than 700 people, and has over 50 partners and directors.

“With signs pointing to an upturn in confidence amongst the region’s businesses, the enormous breadth of services that we offer from Manchester puts us in an excellent position to help clients embark on renewed plans for sustainable growth.”

Mr Holt joined KPMG’s Leeds office in 1994, training as a chartered accountant in the firm’s newly-formed financial services audit department, specialising in insurance and banking.

In 2001, he was appointed an HM Treasury Investigator, looking at the management of insurance companies, and then spent two years in London and Brussels, dealing with reputational issues facing the accountancy profession.

Mr Holt returned to KPMG’s audit practice in 2005 and was made a partner in the Manchester office in 2006.

He said: “We will continue to strengthen our risk and management consultancy teams in the region, investing in high growth areas such as technology, digital and information protection, and in alliances between the private and public sectors.

“As we look forward to the move to our new office at One St Peter’s Square in 2015, there are undoubtedly exciting times ahead for KPMG in the city.”

Mr Hurst said: “Jon’s new role is testament to his leadership of the northern financial services practice during one of the most challenging economic periods in history.

“His experience of expanding and strengthening the team, in addition to his commitment to delivering client work of the highest quality, will stand us in good stead as we look to maintain our position as one of the dominant providers of professional services in the region.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .