Monday, April 18, 2011

Robert Kerr Passes the Baton to Corporate Finance Chief

Graeme Finnie is in line to take over as managing partner of French Duncan, when Robert Kerr steps up to the role of chairman on 1 May after 11 years in the post.

Finnie has been a partner at French Duncan for six years and currently leads its corporate finance advisory team, and says he plans to continue the strategy which has seen the firm more than double its turnover to £8.5 million over the past few years.

Finnie said: “Robert has turned French Duncan from a relatively modest-sized Glasgow-based operation into one of Scotland’s largest independent accountancy firms. He has done that by a shrewd combination of growth, both organically and by acquisition, and merger. As such, he has bequeathed me an excellent platform on which to build.”

Kerr added: “Graeme is the right man at the right time to take the firm forward. His experience both within and outside the accountancy profession, where he successfully ran two service sector companies for a period of time, gives him an additional understanding of the needs of entrepreneurs who form the greater part of our client base.

“In the short-term, I want French Duncan to break the £10 million annual turnover barrier and, within five years, £15 million and to be perceived as an attractive, indigenous alternative to larger national and international practices.”