McCranor's people

McCranors People - Accountants YOU Can Talk to

At McCranors our culture and our values are embodied by our staff.

We understand that working with your accountant is more than just about the numbers; it's about people and relationships.

Our firm's culture of approachability and personal service runs through every member of our team, and makes us refreshingly different from our competitors.

We only recruit and train the best people, with excellent academic qualifications.  At McCranors it isn't enough just to be a brilliant technician, our team also have to have personality and listening skills. We nurture and support our team and embed within them our core values of listening to, and caring more, about our clients.

As a quality firm we place rigorous demands on our staff to ensure that they deliver the highest quality service to our clients.

We have very robust internal controls in place to ensure that our clients receive a superior level of service on which they can rely.

We support our staff with comprehensive training, stimulating careers with room for progression and a friendly and happy environment.  Our staff retention figures are extremely impressive.

This means our clients get the benefit of continuity from their McCranors team.

All of our staff are experts who specialise in what they do for instance:

• Our tax experts focus solely on tax.
• Our audit team focus on audit.
• Our payroll team focus on payroll.

This means that you get expert guidance from advisers who provide the best specialist advice.

Our Directors:

McCranors has five Directors supported by a team of specialist staff:

Paul Chapman BSc, FCA - Managing Director

Paul joined Kirby Smale & Co in 1995, becoming a partner in 1997 and a director of McCranors on the merger of the firms in 2002.

Education:

• Rugby School (academic scholarship)
• Bristol University

 Paul has worked for both local and international firms.

Sector expertise:

Expert in audit and in the legal, charity and insurance broking sectors.

Paul comments:

"As managing director I work to ensure that the McCranors team are delivering on our firm's core values of quality, approachability and personal service. Communication and client relationships are paramount in my view. I take pride in adding value for my clients, be it saving them some tax, assistance with strategic planning or just being a friendly and accessible adviser whenever needed"

Personal interests:

When away from the office Paul enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter and is a fitness enthusiast, having recently completed his first marathon.

Richard Perry BA (Oxon) FCA - Director

Richard joined Kirby Smale & Co in 1975, becoming a partner in 1985. Richard was appointed a Director of McCranors following the merger of the two firms in 2002.

Education:

• King Henry VIII School, Coventry
• Oxford University
• Qualified as Chartered Accountant in 1981

Richard holds the position of Audit Compliance Principal and has specific responsibility for the firm's administrative and compliance matters.

Specific Expertise:

Richard has a particular interest in tax planning project work and deals with a wide range of different types of client.

Richard comments:

'I enjoy the stimulating variety of the business situations I am involved with, the people I meet and the challenges of different types of business or tax problems that need a solution. There is a great satisfaction when you are able to solve a problem for a client in an effective and timely manner, cutting through the red tape which often seems to hamper progress in the UK.

Accessibility and consistency is vitally important; clients need to know they can get hold of you quickly and not have to deal with a different person each time they email or phone.'

Personal interests:

In his free time Richard is heavily involved in music as a singer and conductor. He lives in Napton with his wife Shirley and both find time to get involved with their son's and daughter's varied careers as research geneticist and literary theorist respectively.

Adrian Hall (ICAEW affiliate) - Director

Adrian joined McCranors in 1977 and became a director of the firm in 2002.

Education:

• King Henry VIII Grammar School in Coventry
• Training under articles to Jim McCranor.

Adrian works with a wide variety of clients from small owner-managed businesses to large multi-million pound trading companies. Adrian has specific expertise in the wholesale, travel and building maintenance sectors.

Adrian comments:

"I get immense satisfaction in building strong business relationships with my clients often advising from initial start-up through the growth process and on to the successful sale of a business. I pride myself in always making time for my clients and enjoy being involved in the broader aspects of the business."

Personal Interests:

In his spare time Adrian enjoys motor racing, music, gardening and spending time with his wife and their menagerie of pets.

Colin Squire FCA, CTA - Director

Colin qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1980 and went on to become a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation being promoted to Partner in Hill Blythe in 1982; the firm merged with McCranors in 2006, whereupon Colin was appointed one of the firm's Directors.

Education:

• Caludon Castle School
• Training Contract with Hill Blythe (formerly Alec Hill and Co)

Colin is responsible for a wide range of clients covering a multitude of business sectors. 

Colin comments:

"I enjoy the personal relationships that develop naturally from acting for clients over a number of years. I consider accessibility and response times to be very important in client relationships, and I enjoy the variety of work that arises from my involvement in owner-managed businesses".

Personal interests:

In his spare time, Colin enjoys walking and is also a talented part-time musician.  

Peter West - Director

Peter first joined McCranors in 1982 and after a short spell in industry rejoined the firm in 1988. He was appointed a Director of McCranors in 2002.

Education:

• King Henry VIII Grammar School, Coventry

Peter has a varied general portfolio with the major emphasis on owner managed businesses that require more than just an accountant. He acts as an adviser providing practical support to clients in addition to supplying and translating financial information into a format that is meaningful to the circumstances of individual clients. He also has acquired considerable VAT knowledge and provides advice and guidance for all the firm’s clients including issues on property, construction, charities and partial exemption.

Peter has expertise in retail, manufacturing, property, construction and professional services such as veterinary surgeons and surveyors. He also has extensive experience in succession planning for family businesses to facilitate retirement and passing the baton on to the next generation.

Peter's comments:

"The key to providing good advice to clients is to understand both their businesses and their aims both short and long term. I consider myself to be a solution provider whether that is mitigating tax liabilities, achieving the successful acquisition or disposal of a business or providing timely financial information to enable clients to run their businesses more effectively and profitably.

I often get involved in the strategic planning by using the experience gained over nearly 30 years of advising many different clients utilising not just the financial, taxation and accounting knowledge acquired over that time but also the things I have learnt and continue to learn from my clients.

One of the key long term aims for many clients is to pass the business to the next generation whether that be family or internal management and I have numerous clients that are now second generation. I believe that we have a key role to play in the successful transition by achieving a tax effective exit for those retiring whilst ensuring that the ongoing business has sufficient funding to move forward. It also requires the ability to adapt as client needs change and to be open to new ideas."

Personal interests:

Peter is a keen sports enthusiast (more of the watching variety) and tries to play golf with varying degrees of success, being a member of Lutterworth golf club. He also owns a Springer spaniel that enjoys taking him and his wife for a walk!

All of our directors are totally committed to offering you an outstanding level of personal service and accessibility. 

 That's why we say: McCranors: Accountants You can talk to.