Transparency report 2008
Click here to download the full
report in .pdf format.
At Grant Thornton, honesty and integrity have always been at the
heart of our business. Dedicated to conducting our work in a
responsible fashion, we are proud of our high quality audit
reporting and robust independence.
Our Transparency Report for the year ended 30 June 2008 has been
produced on a voluntary basis this year to meet the requirements of
the EU 8th Directive by providing a clear view of how we operate,
the values that underpin who we are and how we maintain public
trust in our audit capability. With the emergence of six credible
international networks, Grant Thornton has and will continue to
retain its own identity and culture. However, we believe strongly
in the value of cooperation with the other leading firms in the
profession where it is in the public interest to do so.
Our merger with RSM Robson Rhodes created a firm that offers
greater resource, deeper expertise and enhanced credibility.
Similar strengthening of Grant Thornton International member firms
has taken place in a number of jurisdictions as part of a global
strategy to continue to enhance a genuine international capability.
This global strategy has enabled us to work closely with Grant
Thornton India, where we have now been involved, in one capacity or
another, in almost every corporate listing or admission of Indian
companies on the main market or AIM over the past year.
We continue to go from strength to strength in Audit. We have
increased the number of our FTSE 250 audit clients from one to six,
we currently audit more AIM-listed companies than any other firm
and we are the third largest auditor of the UK's top 2500 private
companies. This year we were also awarded Auditor of the Year Award
(Outside the Big Four) 2008 – RealFD Excellence Awards.
We are also one of the principal providers to the Audit
Commission, Audit Scotland and the Wales Audit Office, of external
audit of public sector bodies. Our major clients include Manchester
City Council, Bristol City Council, a number of London Boroughs and
a range of significant healthcare trusts, all of which are large
and complex organisations. We also work with the National Audit
Office and the Northern Ireland Audit Office, as well as auditing a
number of NHS Foundation Trusts.
In non-audit services, our standing is equally positive. We work
with one in six of the FTSE 100 and many other high-profile
organisations, and our people have recently won the ‘Best High Net
Worth Team’ and ‘Lifetime Achievement’ at the LexisNexis Taxation
Awards. Our annual review of corporate governance in the FTSE 350
has become a standard reference document in the market. Our
Recovery and Reorganisation team continued its track record of
growth as demand for our services began to grow on the back of the
economic downturn.
With 300 corporate finance professionals nationwide, Grant
Thornton is the number one mergers and acquisitions adviser in the
privately-held middle market for deal values up to £50 million and
we completed 88 transactions last year. Our Government
Infrastructure Advisory team has also been leading the way among
the industry's top rated financial advisers. It ranks first place
in a number of league tables.
In addition, our specialist Forensic and Investigation team has
conducted investigations and provided expert evidence in connection
with very large, high profile international audit negligence
assignments.
We continue to focus and develop our expertise in a wide range
of sectors, from renewable energy to financial services, within
which we demonstrate a real depth of industry knowledge.
United by our core values and our passion for building strong
working relationships, we constantly seek to exceed the
expectations of our clients and our people. We'll achieve this by
continuing to develop the depth and breadth of our expertise which
is enhanced through our sector focus, by investing in the quality
of our people, and through our commitment to technical excellence
and the high standards of independence and objectivity to which we
work.
All of this is in line with our strategy, in the UK and
globally, to achieve leadership in our chosen markets; leadership
based on distinctive client service delivered by a willingness to
speak out on issues that matter to business and the wider
public.
Awards
- Auditor of the Year Award (Outside the Big Four) 2008 – RealFD
Excellence Awards
- Best Tax Team in a Large Firm, LexisNexis Awards 2008 – Grant
Thornton's Manchester Tax team
- Best High Net Worth Team in a Large Firm, LexisNexis Awards
2007 – Grant Thornton's Birmingham Private Client team
- Automotive Services Solutions Company, Institute of Transport
Management 2008, for offering the highest level of customer
service
- Best Adviser, Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) Awards
2008
- Team of the Year for London and the south-east at Business in
the Community (BITC) Community Impact Awards