Profile: Lynette Lackey, BDO Stoy Hayward

Building on her ten years with BDO Stoy Hayward, Lynette Lackey has joined its specialist property unit as partner. Shelving plans to open a shoe design shop, Lackey qualified as a chartered accountant in 1986 and joined BDO Stoy Hayward after 18 months with an Arab investment bank. Lackey has worked closely with clients advising on financial issues, the raising of finance, acquisitions and Stock Exchange listings.

‘I have always had a fascination with buildings. Property is central to our economy and lives,’ she says. ‘I am fortunate enough to work with some dynamic and challenging clients. The Stoy’s culture is fundamentally like our clients – the fast-moving, assertive, entrepreneurial types who know what they want and don’t suffer fools gladly – not everyone is comfortable in such an environment but I find it motivating.’

Membership of the management committee of the Property Valuation Forum and her position as chair (South-East region) of the Association of Women in Property has allowed Lackey ‘to develop our common aim’ with property companies, valuers, bankers, lawyers and analysts. Lackey says: ‘Chartered accountants need to build on relationships with other professions to appreciate where other advisers are coming from. Given our historic expertise in property tax and accounting and that we audit more of the quoted property companies than our competitors outside the Big Six, I see incredible opportunities to develop this area.’