Accountants accelerate Birmingham expansion with two partner hires

Audit, accountancy, tax, and advisory firm Bishop Fleming is appointing the first two partners to its new Birmingham office, which it launched only a few months ago.

The appointments will be the first of several planned partner-level hires into the new office this year.

As the firm accelerates its growth in the Midlands market, it will be supported by a team of new people at all levels, including apprentices.

Lucy Fairclough, who will join as a financial reporting partner with the Audit service line, brings a wealth of experience to the role, including nine years at PwC and a further nine years at KPMG.

Having started her career as an apprentice with PwC in Birmingham, Lucy has progressed through the ranks and now joins from accounting and advisory firm Azets.

At Bishop Fleming, Lucy will apply her technical expertise in financial reporting, corporate restructuring, and UK compliance and play an important role in the strategic growth of the service offering in Birmingham and supporting clients across the region.

She said: “I'm delighted to be joining Bishop Fleming at such an exciting time for the firm.

“I’ve long been impressed by the strength of its reputation and brand, and I’m particularly drawn to the opportunities offered as a founding member of the Birmingham office.

“The firm’s thoughtful, strategic approach to growth really stood out to me, and the infrastructure behind the business is impressive.

“It’s also clear that Bishop Fleming invests in its people for the long term, most notably with its outstanding Ofsted rating that demonstrates a commitment to developing its workforce.

“That kind of culture doesn’t happen by accident, and I’m excited to be part of a firm that aligns so strongly with my own values and ambitions."

Muhammad Usman, who joins as an audit partner, brings similar professional experience, having worked in KPMG’s audit team for over 18 years.

Usman’s focus will be on mid-market and entrepreneurial businesses, having predominantly worked with owner-managed businesses, SMEs, startups, and private equity-backed businesses in a range of sectors, including manufacturing, construction, retail, professional services, media, telecoms and IT services.

Muhammad said: “The growth of Bishop Fleming’s Birmingham office presents a huge opportunity, and I’m thrilled to be joining the firm to help establish and grow our presence in such a dynamic market.

“In exploring the firm, I was struck by its recent accolades, strong market reputation, and clear momentum. It’s a business with ambition and purpose, and I’m excited to be part of its next chapter.

“I’m looking forward to helping clients in the region thrive and bringing Bishop Fleming’s trusted expertise to the heart of the Midlands.”

With four internal partner promotions planned in June, Lucy and Usman’s appointments will take the number of new partners to nine this year alone, with the firm reaching 47 partners.

A further 70 apprentices will join later this year, taking its headcount to over 550 people, and the business has plans to add hundreds more people to its headcount over the next few years.

A significant number of these roles will be based in Birmingham.

Bishop Fleming’s Birmingham office lead, Mark Taylor, said: “The matching ambitions of Lucy and Usman, paired with their passion for the region, make them a great combination that will offer an exemplary service for clients in The Midlands and deliver yet more growth for Bishop Fleming.”

Pictured (L-R): Mark Taylor, Lucy Fairclough and Muhammad Usman