Cooper Parry (CP) has welcomed Neil Norman as Tax Partner and Regional Head of Scotland.
The accountancy firm, which is the fastest growing of its kind in the UK, and the largest B Corp in its sector, has completed 12 acquisitions across the professional services spectrum in the last 22 months.
These deals have seen CP expand beyond its Midlands roots, establishing further ‘superhubs’ in London, Manchester and Thames Valley. Now, after a string of strategic hires at the end of 2024 to bolster the firm’s existing expertise in Scotland, ‘the rebels of accountancy’ have made their growth intentions clear with Neil’s arrival.
Neil brings with him over 20 years’ experience in the Scottish accountancy market, including five years at KPMG and, most recently, 13 years at a mid-tier Scottish firm where he was a Senior Tax Partner.
With specialisms in tax, tech & high growth, international expansion and M&A advisory, Neil will be working with the wider interconnected firm, adding more impetus to CP’s fast-moving creation of ‘the Next Gen Professional Services Group’.
Neil said:
“The culture, values and attitude of everyone I met at CP resonated with my own. The firm is dynamic, brave, adventurous, seeking fun and doing it in the right way. The friendliness of everyone I’ve spoken with speaks volumes about the employee experience. Others talk a good game, CP live it, and that’s fantastic for the business and its clients who get to work with some of the most engaged, talented people in the industry.”
“I’m really excited to continue CP’s growth in Scotland,” he continued, “It’s a huge opportunity for the firm to put its stamp on key markets, from both a geographical and sectoral perspective. Scotland punches above its weight in so many areas and we’re going to bring CP’s drive and quality service provision to its businesses so that can continue. Key parts of my role will be integrating CP’s UK-wide talent into our offering here, hiring highly connected sector specialists, and creating an exceptional joined-up service.”
Ade Cheatham, Cooper Parry CEO added:
“The Scottish market is ripe for disruption. Our deep sector expertise, ever-growing boots on the ground and close links to CP’s specialists across the UK, means we’re well-placed to create something that’s truly unique.”
“There’s been a sharp rise in high-growth companies in Scotland in recent times,” he continued, “And our specialist team’s ongoing success in London, Scotland and the UK gives us the perfect blueprint to scale what we offer and provide new and existing clients with the highest quality of support. The last few years have been transformational for CP and our clients, and as we welcome more and more people of Neil’s calibre, this is another great milestone.”
The CP team has partnered with HSBC Innovation Banking to sponsor the Investor track at Turing Fest 2025 – one of Europe’s biggest tech festivals, taking place in Edinburgh in May. And it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing plenty more of them in Scotland in the coming months.
