Ed Warner tasked with overseeing Grant Thornton governance
Grant Thornton appoint UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner OBE as chair of its partnership oversight board
ACCOUNTING network Grant Thornton has announced the appointment of Ed Warner OBE as the new chair of its partnership oversight board, becoming the first-ever independent chair of a major accountancy firm in the UK.
The role will involve Warner overseeing the organisations governance, which is similar to how a public company is run.
Warner is taking over from current chair Steve Maslin, who will have served his maximum term in the position in July 2016.
He holds a number of different roles at present, serving as chairman of investment bank Panmure Gordon, non-executive director for shipbroker Clarksons and is the chairman of UK Athletics, the sport’s national governing body.
He was also one of Grant Thornton’s first independent non-executives, joining the organisation in that capacity in 2010. Warner will take on this new challenge from April 1 2016.
Commenting on the appointment, Warner said: “Working with Grant Thornton over the last five years, I have seen the firm really carving out a unique place for itself within the market and a step-change in the way the business thinks and works with its clients to deliver value. I am looking forward to working with the strong leadership that is already in place to help accelerate this.”
Sacha Romanovitch, CEO of Grant Thornton believes that Warner’s appointment signals their intention of leading the way in modernising the profession.
“On a personal level, I’ve found Ed’s external market perspective, ability to cut through to the heart of the matter and practical approach to dealing with issues most valuable. I’ve seen Ed working closely with our elected members, and feel this dynamic means we have the best of both worlds as we work to fulfil our ambition of becoming the go-to firm for growth.”