Mid-tier Accountancy Firm · Accounting & Audit

Grant Thornton

The UK member firm of Grant Thornton, a global network of audit, tax and advisory firms. It runs school leaver programmes, degree apprenticeships and paid work experience across the UK.

About Grant Thornton

Grant Thornton UK is a firm of accountants and business advisers. It audits company accounts (checks they are accurate), advises on tax, and offers advisory services such as consulting, deals, restructuring, investigations and cyber security. It is known for working with mid-sized, fast-growing companies as well as larger ones. Its website describes it as "a different kind of advisor" that involves senior people from the start and uses AI for routine work so staff can focus on judgement and clear advice.

Grant Thornton's history combines two older firms. Thornton Baker traces back to a 1904 Oxford firm, Thornton and Thornton, and Alexander Grant and Co began in Chicago in 1924. They adopted the Grant Thornton name in 1986, and the international network was formed in 1980. The UK firm merged with RSM Robson Rhodes in 2007. Malcolm Gomersall became chief executive in January 2024, taking over from David Dunckley. The firm's head office is in London (Wikipedia lists 8 Finsbury Circus). In 2024 it agreed to take investment from private equity firm Cinven alongside its partners. Its website says it has more than 5,000 people and more than 300 partners in the UK.

We found no formal mission statement or list of values. The closest are the firm's own statements: it wants to help clients go beyond what they expect from their advisors, and Mr Gomersall has said "clients don't pay for process; they pay for judgement". In 2026 its chief people officer, Abigail Fisher, said the firm is making a significant investment in its people and wants everyone to "see a genuine path to partnership".

The main service lines are audit and assurance, tax, and advisory. Advisory covers areas such as consulting, deals, restructuring, forensic investigation, financial services advisory, environmental, social and governance work, and work for government and the public sector. In May 2026 the firm launched GT Augment, an internal framework for using AI, and announced in June 2026 that it would roll out Anthropic's Claude to all partners and employees in phases from June to August 2026, with advisers still responsible for their advice.

Early careers are a large part of the firm. In 2019 it took on 80 school leavers, up from 74 in 2018 and around a quarter of its trainee intake. The school leaver programme was then a five-year route where trainees work with clients while studying for accountancy qualifications, starting with higher apprenticeships, and it was described as offering the same opportunities as the graduate scheme. Current vacancies in 2026 include school leaver programmes in business process outsourcing in Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. City AM reported on 29 September 2026 that graduates in London will start on £40,000 from the September 2027 intake, with proportionate increases in the regions, and said school leaver pay would stay market leading. Check the careers site for current dates and entry requirements.

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Website: www.grantthornton.co.uk

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