The news comes after a long period of sustained 20% or above annual growth for the 120-people strong organisation. In the final quarter of 2018, Accordance VAT opened an EU operation in Amsterdam to complement its Brighton headquarters. The opening weeks of 2019 have continued and confirmed the strong trend of growth for the organisation, which plans to expand simultaneously in the UK and the Netherlands.
Franklin has been with the company for six years and brings a wealth of experience in business development, growth strategy and people management. A former business owner, she has extensive experience in shaping and leading organisations, and is focused on putting a progressive people strategy at the heart of the company’s expansion.
The trends towards the increased use of technology and mandatory digitisation in international finance promise to continue throughout 2019. Likewise, the impact of Britain’s exit from the EU will be increasingly felt as the year progresses. Franklin’s appointment is part of wider strategic development for Accordance, enabling the company to proactively manage the changes to international trading frameworks while continuing to support businesses to thrive, trade to be enabled and people to prosper.
Lucy Franklin, MD of Accordance VAT says: “Accordance has a rich and unique workforce—the multinational talent we boast is what sets us apart. One of the fundamental aspects of my role will be to harness and empower the skills of our people at every level, so that they in turn can excel for our clients.
“The Accordance offering brings together our unparalleled expertise as a team with the latest in tax technology, to make the experience of trading in Europe as positive and secure as possible for our clients. I’m delighted to be in a position to lead Accordance in the next phase of its journey, and to create the best possible environment for our team to flourish.”
Nicholas Hallam, Chairman of Accordance VAT says: “With Brexit as-yet unresolved, there is clearly a great deal of uncertainty for businesses trading in the EU. Lucy is the perfect MD for Accordance, because she wants our clients to feel at home in Europe. She is driven by the intention to increase the resilience and reach both of our client base and of Accordance itself. She is exactly the right person to deliver for our clients, staff and stakeholders.”
Franklin’s appointment is effective immediately.