Ernst & Young has promoted Simon Allport to take the reins in Manchester as office managing partner, at the end of February.

He will succeed partner Jan Gregory who has led the practice through a period of growth over the last two years, including the appointment of four new partners in the last seven months and the addition of a series of new service-lines.

Allport, a leading E&Y partner, will be the youngest head of a big four practice in Manchester. He joined the firm as a restructuring partner from Andersen in 2002 and has strong links with the local private equity, banking and legal communities, corporates and fast growth businesses.

Gregory, a partner of 20 years, will focus on driving growth in the firm’s audit client base which E&Y regards as a key priority in the UK. He will now dedicate his time to further developing his relationships with the North West’s fast growth, entrepreneurial businesses.