Stuart joined Saffery in December 2022 as a partner from a Big Four firm. Throughout his career he has worked with entrepreneurs of owner-managed businesses, private equity backed companies and large international groups across a wide range of industries.
In addition to his significant experience of working with large, listed companies, Stuart also understands the commercial and financial issues private businesses face. He relishes working with ambitious and dynamic private companies, solving clients’ accounting problems and helping their management teams fulfil their potential or work towards an exit.
His priority is to provide exceptional client service all year round, either through formal meetings or simply by picking up the phone. Stuart prides himself on building trusted relationships with his clients by meeting with them regularly to discuss commercial and strategic developments, as well as identifying and addressing key issues that will help the companies grow and develop.
Stuart is also jointly responsible for leading the firm’s Sustainability and ESG team alongside Richard Collis. They work together with practitioners from all the firm’s service lines across multiple industries with a host of skill sets and backgrounds, such as ESG and sustainability strategy, governance, modelling, integrated reporting, regulation, modelling, and risk to support clients as they respond to the continually evolving sustainability and ESG landscape. His experience ranges from combining his non-financial risk and reporting expertise with his background in audit, assurance and accountancy.
As a proud Glaswegian, Stuart’s interests in the sustainability space were further fuelled following the events at COP 26. He is particularly passionate about nature and the climate and believes it is crucial we achieve Net Zero to preserve the planet for future generations and that this can only be achieved by everyone playing a part and by businesses having sustainability at its core. He is also part of the firm’s Responsible Business Cornerstone and Chair of the Nexia ESG Business Group.
Leveraging his experience, Stuart is able to quickly understand a business’ risks, strategy and how it is structured, operated and controlled, so that an efficient and effective audit can be prepared and successfully executed. He is also called upon to regularly advise and report to senior management and audit committees.
Stuart has been named twice as one of the top 35 Chartered Accountants under the age of 35 by ICAS, and has been shortlisted in the leadership category.
Key experience
- Dealing with a wide range of UK GAAP/US GAAP and IFRS technical issues,
- Assisting companies with acquisitions and disposals of businesses,
- Communicating complex information in an accessible way so that senior leadership teams can fully understand issues and risks,
- Supporting teams and clients with ESG and TCFD reporting as well as ensuring consistency with the disclosures and the accounting for climate change-related issues,
- Leading IFRS 15 and 16 transition teams, and driving the audit and non-audit propositions to large FTSE clients.
Interests
Stuart lives in London and enjoys being out in the fresh air, including cycling or running his daily commute. Outside of work, Stuart is a sports enthusiast, though he is most passionate about golf, football and athletics, particularly running. He represents Fulham running club in distances ranging from 5km to the marathon and has 20 marathons under his belt, with a personal best of 2 hours 34 mins (London 2019 and 2022).
