Accountancy practice says its North West operation in Liverpool and Manchester has taken on 64 graduates and 18 apprentices in the year to June 30. Tony McDonough reports
Accountancy firm EY’s North West practice in Liverpool and Manchester has seen staff number rise by 4% over the past year and has hired 64 graduates and 18 apprentices.
The firm, which today reports a 2.7% rise in annual fee income to £2.41bn in its UK operations, has already pledged to double staff numbers at its Liverpool office in 20 Chapel Street.
EY, which employs more than 14,500 people and has 681 partners in the UK, said distributable profits before tax increased by 1.7% from £464m in 2017 to £472m in 2018 for the 12 months to June 30.
Its 655-strong North West practice grew staff numbers by 4% during the year. The firm has set up a new Global Trade team in the North, with the appointment of Onelia Angelosanto as director of the team in response to growing demand for support and advice from businesses involved in international trade.
The North West Transaction Advisory Services team enjoyed another very strong year with a number of high profile private equity and corporate transactions. During the period to the end of June the firm made five senior manager and director promotions.
The North West practice took on 64 graduates during the year and welcomed 18 apprentices to EY’s Business Apprenticeship programme, which offers young people an alternative to university – a 50% increase on the previous year.
Bob Ward, North West senior partner at EY, said: “Our strong performance is underpinned by EY’s strategy of investing in growth across the regions and I’m proud to be able to say that we have invested significantly in ensuring we can support businesses across all our service lines using people who are based in the North.
“Ongoing investment in senior talent, alongside our graduate and apprentice recruitment, reflects not only our growing ambition for and commitment to our offering to North West companies but also our confidence in the long-term outlook for this region’s economy.”