EY continues growth in Leeds

EY said the strong performance of its UK business has been driven by long-term investments in people, technology, sustainability and audit quality.

Distributable profits before tax increased to £634m, up from £533m in the previous year. The company’s Leeds office also welcomed 32 per cent more student recruits this year compared with 2021. EY brought in 41 new student recruits in Leeds, including 27 graduates and 14 apprentices.

The average distributable profit per partner increased by 7 per cent to £803,000 from £749,000 the previous year and the firm’s total UK tax contribution for 2022 is more than £1.14bn.

Stephen Church, EY’s UK Market Leader for the North, said: “This has been an impressive year of growth for our business in the North of England and across the UK firm as a whole.

"We’ve continued to expand our teams with senior partner appointments and our largest ever graduate and apprentice in-take, as well as supporting our clients across the region through our expanded service offerings.

“I’m particularly proud of the Neuro-Diverse Centre of Excellence which was created in Manchester this year and has proved to be both an incredible asset and a wonderful addition to the raft of talented people we have across all our offices.

He added: “While the economic outlook continues to be challenging throughout the UK, and indeed globally, the investments we’ve made in our business mean we are well-positioned to continue our growth, support our clients across the North of England, and meaningfully contribute to the businesses and communities we work with.”

Hywel Ball, EY’s UK chairman, commented: “This has been a record year of growth in the UK, driven by the long-term investments we’ve made in our business and strong client demand.

"The decisions we’ve made in recent years, whether that’s continuing to recruit during the pandemic, expanding the partnership, or the significant financial investments we’ve made in acquisitions and new technologies, have underpinned the extraordinary growth we’ve seen this financial year.

“With companies facing a convergence of challenges, from climate change and the pandemic to economic uncertainty and shifting consumer habits, we’re investing in the talent, skills and services needed to help our clients transform, grow and build trust with their stakeholders.

“Over the last financial year alone we’ve recruited over 5,500 people across all parts of our business, with 37 per cent of roles based outside of London, and appointed 120 new equity partners.

"We’ve expanded our range of services in areas including technology consultancy and sustainability through acquisitions and the launch of EY Carbon.”