KPMG UK has announced that Chris Stott will take on the leadership of its Manchester office, as Warren Middleton retires after 27 years with the firm.
In his new role as Manchester Office senior partner, Stott will lead 1,500 employees in the firm’s One St. Peter’s Square office.
Stott is a transaction services partner and has been working with clients in the North for nearly 30 years, including the last 13 as partner. He is also UK lead for the food and drink sector at the firm.
He will start the role on 1st January 2024, ahead of Middleton’s retirement in the Spring. Middleton has been with KPMG for 27 years, 17 of which has been as a technology partner.
He has been KPMG’s Manchester office senior partner since 2019 and has led the firm’s Emerging Giants business in the UK for the last two years.
“Manchester is a large, fast-growing market with an enviable mix of businesses, organisations and professionals, so I am extremely excited to start leading our team in the region and build on Warren’s great work,” said Stott.
“Our teams in Manchester are brilliant and incredibly talented so I am looking forward to working closely with them as we continue to deliver high quality advice and solutions for our clients in the region.
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“As businesses evolve and adapt to macroeconomic conditions, we play an important role in helping them through these challenges, advising them on changes that can help their businesses to not only survive but thrive.
“Warren has played such a monumental part in not only our office, but the region more broadly, and he will leave behind a long-lasting and positive impact on the business community here in the North West.”
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Middleton said: “Leading the Manchester office has been the highlight of my career at KPMG. Getting to work with so many fantastic and enthusiastic people to support our clients in the region has made it the most enjoyable role I’ve ever done, so I’d like to thank everyone in our office for that.
“Since I’ve been office senior partner, I’ve watched and helped our office grow both financially and in size. We’ve sponsored UA92’s social mobility strategy since the beginning and I am very proud of the work we’ve done to support the students.
“It was fantastic to see the journeys of the first cohort from when they first started to their graduation last year, and I love welcoming the students into our office for work placements.
“The growth of tech and digital in the region has been remarkable and I’ve seen many tech businesses go from strength to strength. I was particularly proud to see Inovus Medical named as this year’s UK Tech Innovator in our competition, and they will be representing the UK and the North West in the global competition in Lisbon next week.
“I’ve also been involved in KPMG Acceleris since its inception and it has been great taking that unique offering to the market. Finally, I had the honour of opening our new Ignition Centre with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, in September. It was great to see our vision for Ignition in the region come to life and I’m proud of how many businesses we have already helped by having the centre here in Manchester.
“I’d like to wish Chris the very best in the role and I know he’ll do a fantastic job. His experience, network and energy will be an important asset to the region as we look to continue to play an integral part in its growth and success.”