Alistair
Walshaw

Business Advisory Group Manager

LinkedIn

WHO I HELP

Business owners who are looking to grow their business but also grow their individual remuneration package by improving profits the business is driving out.

HOW I HELP

Year End accounts. Tax computations. VAT returns. Management accounts. Forecasting.

SECTORS/SUPPORT

Member of the Professional Practices team and the Digital Advisory team.

“BEING A TRUSTED ADVISOR TO CLIENTS MEANS FAR MORE THAN JUST THE NUMBERS.”

Alistair Walshaw is a Business Advisory Group Manager, based in our Leeds office, with a portfolio of clients that he looks after day to day. He has a number of solicitor firms in his portfolio, for whom he provides year end accounts, tax computations, VAT returns, management accounts and forecasting work.

He is also a member of our Digital Advisory team, which helps to improve the offering we can give to our clients from a digital standpoint. Alistair also has working relationships to help his clients get funding for varying aspects of their business, using forecast data to facilitate this.

Alistair works with business owners who are looking to grow their business but also grow their individual remuneration package by improving profits the business is driving out. Some clients have aspects of their personal life that take precedent, and that’s where Alistair comes in to help them focus on what is important. Providing clients with a different viewpoint, Alistair is passionate about supporting clients to achieve their goals – both professional and personal.

BEING A TRUSTED ADVISOR

“The ideal relationship with a client for me, is one that is built on trust and reliability going both ways. It’s so important that my clients feel like they are able to trust me that I’m going to do everything I said I would do, and that their affairs are in a safe pair of hands. Equally, for an ideal relationship, I know that clients will always give me any information or documentation I may need to support them. It’s key that there are open and clear communication lines between us, on any relevant subject or issue that may arise. Being a trusted advisor to clients means far more than just the numbers.”

WATCHING CLIENTS & COLLEAGUES FLOURISH

“For me, the most satisfying aspect of working with clients is watching clients’ businesses flourish so they can enjoy their personal lives. The most satisfying aspect of working with colleagues is similar – I love training and helping colleagues, as well as watching them grow into fantastic accountants.”

THE ADVANTAGES OF TECH

“There is a lot of tech out there, but as long as it’s safe and effective, I am very much ‘pro’ using any tech that helps me improve the service we offer to clients, but the tech is nothing without having a ‘hands-on’ approach to explaining how it benefits clients.”

KEEPING UP TO DATE

“One of the challenges in my area of work is just the continual change in software we use, as well as the software we provide to clients – but it’s worth it, because it means we are continually improving our quality of service. I make sure I keep up to date with any changes that I feel would benefit clients.”

INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES

“What excites me most about the future is definitely gaining more experience to help facilitate more productive conversations and create lasting relationships both personally and professionally. It’s an exciting time of growth for AAB – AAB has always been a brilliant platform to help me grow into the accountant I would like to be in the future, and the firm is only getting stronger with our increasing integration with AAB Group. There are more and more opportunities for growth and development.”

NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUR PEOPLE

“I think one of the massive strengths of AAB is the trust we put in each person working here to do their job (no matter how long they have been here). It helps people focus on their day to day with a support network there should they need it.”

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS

“Definitely one of the greatest strengths that I bring to the team and to the wider AAB Group is my in-depth knowledge of the digital solutions available to clients and how they can improve their digital systems.”

A COMMON MISCONCEPTION

“There seems to be a perception of my profession that we sit behind a desk on excel all day, when actually I couldn’t think of anything worse! Thankfully our work is far more varied and interesting.”