Azet Announcement

Azets, the UK top 10 accountancy and advisory firm, has appointed Yorkshire-based Chris Butt as its new UK head of audit.

 

Based in Leeds, Chris joined Azets through acquisition in December 2021. He was partner – head of audit for Azets’ Yorkshire region before being promoted to regional head of audit for Yorkshire, the North East and North West.

 

He succeeds Lindsey Tyler as Azets UK head of audit, with his promotion from within representing an example of Azets’ commitment to investing in its people as a key pillar of its growth strategy.

 

Chris is a highly-experienced professional with a 15-year career at KPMG, where he progressed from trainee to director, before joining Garbutt & Elliot where he became a partner and played a key role in the firm’s growth and success.

 

Chris Butt, UK head of audit at Azets, said: “I am thrilled to be appointed UK Head of Audit.

 

“Lindsey has been an inspirational leader and I am excited to have the opportunity to build on her significant achievements and growth of the audit service line.

 

“I will continue to seek good quality growth across our entire audit footprint and aim to expand our service offering further across the UK while maintaining the highest quality service levels and outcomes that are at the heart of all we do.

 

“I look forward to working closely with Azets’ recently acquired audit businesses in Europe as well as fellow UK service line heads and regional managing directors to ensure our strategies complement each other and can be implemented effectively with our people and clients at the core of all key decisions.”

 

Peter Gallanagh, Azets UK CEO, said: “Chris brings a wealth of experience and an in-depth understanding of Azets.

 

“We are thrilled to welcome him to this leadership role and are confident that his extensive expertise and strategic vision will help us continue delivering exceptional audit services. We look forward to the continued success of the audit team under his leadership.”

 

Previously, Chris grew the headcount of the Yorkshire audit team from 25 to 85 people, where Azets has three offices in Leeds, Bradford and York, before taking wider regional responsibility in the north.

 

In his new national role he will lead more than 1,000 people in the audit service line across more than 40 offices in Azets’ five regions.

 

Chris will focus on continued investment in in graduate and school leaver programmes alongside experienced higher level recruitment to boost growth in certain geographies and specialisms. 

 

Azets’ audit offering for financial services both within and outside London is also expected to drive growth.

 

The firm’s highly localised footprint combined with its national scalability means it can build trust and provide extra value in expert support across Azets’ service lines for its core SME client base.

 

Chris said Azets’ risk appetite strategy is aligned with its local client base and it also has the scale to deliver nationally and internationally for clients.

 

He said that his leadership ethos is to be fair in all he does.

 

“It is important to be absolutely open, honest and transparent in everything with our people and clients. It gives a genuineness that people understand and believe.

 

“I want to take people on the journey and keep them keep them inspired. That's always the way I've worked since I moved into more senior positions and will continue be the case in the future.”