Anderson Anderson & Brown (AAB) will have a former chairman at high performance bicycle brand Planet X in the saddle for future boardroom meetings.
The Aberdeen-based accountancy and business services group is today announcing Ken Beaty as its non-executive chairman.
Mr Beaty, 53, is a seasoned chairman, with both private and publicly quoted companies.
He also devotes much of his time to working as trustee and chairman with charities in healthcare, education and the arts.
His depth of experience, strategic vision and extensive network will be invaluable to the board as we identify new opportunities to continue to fast-track our growth.”
Graeme Allan, chief executive, AAB.
Educated in Greenock and at St Andrews University, where he studied mathematics and theoretical physics, his long list of boardroom roles includes a stint as chairman of video game developer Sumo Group.
He also spent six months as a full-time endurance athlete, competing in events including a 466-mile, seven day bicycle race across the Pyrenees from Barcelona to Biarritz.
Mr Beaty was in the top 15% among 400 elite cyclists from all over the world.
He launched his career with energy giant Shell, as a graduate management trainee.
And over a 20 year period he held a variety of executive and partner roles with international private equity investor 3i Group.
Newly created role
He becomes AAB’s first chairman – filling a role created to support the company’s growth plans.
Mr Beaty said: “AAB Group is flourishing and has a clear vision to continue to accelerate its growth in the coming years.
“With an exceptionally talented team, and strong backing from private equity investor August Equity, AAB has a clear commitment to deliver real value to clients and is focused on building a leading tech-enabled, business critical services group which is highly differentiated in the market.”
AAB chief executive Graeme Allan said: “It is fantastic to have Ken join AAB Group at what is an incredibly exciting time for our business.
“His depth of experience, strategic vision and extensive network will be invaluable to the board as we identify new opportunities to continue to fast-track our growth.”
AAB recently acquired Leeds-based independent accountancy firm Sagars to further expand its UK regional presence.
The deal completed a hat-trick of acquisitions by the group last year, with it also snapping up a majority stake in Edinburgh firm Purpose HR and Glasgow-based accountancy firm Hardie Caldwell in a strategic expansion push into the central belt.
AAB Group is flourishing and has a clear vision to continue to accelerate its growth in the coming years.”
Ken Beaty, chairman, AAB.
AAB was founded in 1990 by retired senior partner Mike Brown and two former Ernst & Young colleagues, Bobby Anderson and Sheena Anderson.
It now boasts 450 staff, including 28 partners, across offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and London.
Last October, it emerged the group had sold a majority stake in its business – for an undisclosed sum – to fast-track plans to become a UK regional market leader in the accountancy and wider business services market.
Sagars continues to operate under its own name, with the enlarged group expected to notch up revenue of more than £40 million in its current trading year and £70m by 2026.
