A case study of collaboration and prosperity
UHY Ross Brooke joined the UHY Hacker Young Group in April 2021, making them one of our newest member firms. This case study delves into their decision to become a UHY firm and explores some of the tangible benefits the firm, its partners and teams have experienced in the three years since joining.
One of UHY’s key differentiators in the UK is our national structure. We are quite unique in that we are not one firm across the UK, but a network of 13 independent firms who collaborate together under the UHY brand, connected by a common purpose of helping you prosper.
This independence allows both financial and cultural autonomy within each of our firms, many of which have operated in their local markets for decades, but ensures a collective commitment to helping our teams, clients and local communities prosper.
Thames Valley accountancy firm Ross Brooke joined our UK Group in April 2021, rebranding to UHY Ross Brooke and bringing four new offices and a team of around 100 professionals under the UHY umbrella. As a full-service accountancy firm offering audit, accounting, tax and business advice services, the firm’s clients range from private individuals, charities and not-for-profit organisations to family owner-managed businesses, corporate groups and large multinational organisations.
UHY Ross Brooke has a rich history in the Thames Valley, with roots tracing back to 1988 when founder Michael Brooke acquired a small practice in Newbury. He went on to merge with long-established local firm, Ross Smith, in 1994, forming Ross Brooke. Over the years, a number of strategic acquisitions and expansions shaped Ross Brooke into a prominent player across the Thames Valley, with offices in Newbury, Swindon, Hungerford and Abingdon.
The leadership team at UHY Ross Brooke always had ambitious growth goals and, with an expanding client base with diverse and increasing needs across the UK and internationally, they recognised a need to join a network that would allow them to take the business to the next level.
This led to a meeting with UHY’s Group Chairman, Colin Wright, and Marketing & BD Partner and Executive Director, Zoë Paradine, to discuss the possibility of becoming a UHY member firm. With conversations taking place in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, this was easier said than done and the initial in-person meeting had to be postponed due to a new lockdown. However, conversations continued over Teams, and it quickly became evident that UHY Ross Brooke was a perfect fit for the UHY family.
Emily Ness, who jointly leads the firm in collaboration with fellow managing partner Caroline Webster, explains they were looking for a collaborative network where there would be mutual support and referrals, and one where there was a strong international presence. “UHY seemed to tick the boxes” she says, “and the meetings we had prior to joining gave us confidence that this would be the case. We also wanted to join a network that we felt would strengthen our firm’s presence both locally and nationally, and the UHY name was one that was well known and respected by us. We felt that UHY would be a good fit with our existing structure and values, and it was good to see that all firms in the network appeared to work together to portray the same image.”
Commenting on joining UHY, founder Michael Brooke said “It’s exciting for our firm and our team to be entering the next stage of growth by becoming UHY Ross Brooke. We have a loyal, hardworking and committed team, with more joining each month, whose ambitions we want to meet in the future. Being part of a bigger group with greater resources and reach is fundamental to our plans. That made joining UHY Hacker Young a simple decision.”
Having joined UHY during the pandemic, it took a while before respective UHY teams could meet in person rather than simply over Teams. So it was no surprise that our 2022 national conference achieved record attendance levels, with partners and managers from across all UHY member firms taking full advantage of the opportunity to celebrate being together again, getting to know our new UHY Ross Brooke colleagues and working together to shape the future strategic direction of UHY. It was a fantastic event and one that cemented UHY Ross Brooke’s position as a key firm in our UHY family.
Fast forward to 2024 and UHY Ross Brooke’s decision to join UHY has proven fruitful. Access to global capabilities and a supportive network has enabled the firm to bid for and win audits that were previously deemed unreachable, as well as work together with other UHY firms to determine solutions to challenges and explore ways of seizing other opportunities on the horizon.
Another tangible benefit has come from the close support of the national marketing & business development team, who work with UHY member firms to support on pitching opportunities and continually drive the profile of UHY across the UK and in our key markets.
Reflecting on UHY Ross Brooke’s journey since joining UHY, Emily Ness said: “The network is really friendly and supportive. Since joining in 2021, we have been able to tender for audits that we would potentially not have been invited to do before and we have also won more of those tenders. Being able to refer work to UHY International is a great advantage and we have already been able to do this on numerous occasions. The shared use of resources within the UK is also really useful. We have been provided with valuable technical documentation and pro-formas together with ad-hoc technical help.
The marketing & BD team also have been really supportive of us, assisting us with tender documents and guiding us where needed. This has been invaluable and the presentation of all the documents has been of a really good standard. We have won a number of bigger clients since joining UHY and I really don’t think we’d win some without the support we receive from the marketing team.”
With impressive year-on-year growth since joining the UHY group, UHY Ross Brooke has exciting plans for the future. Strengthening each office through marketing initiatives and potential mergers, the firm recognises significant opportunities in the Thames Valley and anticipates continued growth. Ambitious recruitment plans and a partner-led approach align with leveraging the UHY brand to reach a broader client base.
“We are very much a partner-led firm with partners knowing all of their clients and working closely with them,” Emily says, “we believe that the UHY brand gives us the opportunity to get in front of more potential clients to explain the expertise and services which we can offer.”
UHY Ross Brooke's journey with UHY exemplifies the power of collaboration and a shared purpose in achieving growth. As they continue building a prosperous future, the firm stands as a testament to the success that comes from being part of a collaborative and globally connected network.
Become a UHY firm
We are always looking to find strong, growth-focused firms to join UHY as part of our strategy to build and enhance our network. Our ultimate goal is to work proactively and effectively together to enable our member firms, our own talent and our clients to prosper.
We are actively looking for new member firms in areas where we currently have geographic gaps - Scotland, Cumbria, Newcastle and the South West - in our efforts to become a truly national network. But we are always open to starting a dialogue with firms in other locations where we do not already have representation.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a UHY member firm, please visit our dedicated web pages or get in touch with Zoë Paradine at z.paradine@uhy-uk.com