S&W: A trusted partner on the business journey

Newcastle’s High Level Bridge is seldom silent, the rumble of multi-liveried rolling stock providing a near-constant bassline to the city’s wider symphony.

Accountancy and advisory firm S&W, from its offices tucked among the greenery above the Quayside, enjoys an exclusive vantage point of the daily performance.

Today, though, the line stands idle, a red signal light piercing a leaden sky as an orange- jacketed worker, hard hat bobbing above the crossing’s ornate parapets, inspects the rails.

It’s all very fitting.

Business – like life – is a journey, its route often punctuated by delays, diversions and the occasional unexpected stop.

S&W, though, through market-leading audit, tax, advisory and business outsourcing services, helps remove such obstacles, its trusted team steering organisations toward their destinations with clarity and confidence.

A golden thread throughout is the firm’s deep geographical and sector-specific knowledge, which tailors support to clients’ unique needs, from the countryside of Northumberland down to the heavy industry of Teesside and across Cumbria’s multi-faceted economy.

“We want to be the go-to professional services firm for dynamic businesses and private clients with complex needs,” says audit partner Chris Vaulks, who joined S&W from KPMG in late summer.

He says: “Our local knowledge and personal touch are very powerful parts of our offering.

“The North East and Cumbria represents a big and unique geography, with varied businesses and high-growth sectors like technology, energy and advanced manufacturing.

“And our Newcastle-based team really understands the region,” says County Durham- born Chris, who is drawing on 18 years’ experience of supporting large and complex mid-market businesses, including FTSE and AIM-quoted organisations, across the North to help S&W serve more firms of similar standing in sectors such as technology, construction, manufacturing and retail.

He adds: “Relationships are the foundation of our business.

“We spend a lot of time with clients on site and value regular face-to-face meetings.

“Those close relationships are built on trust and really help us understand and support organisations to make the right judgements at each step of their journey.

“As a team, we are exceptionally motivated and driven to help clients, and that consistency translates into the very best service.”

A big proposition

Such provision, he says, is augmented by S&W’s national network of 16 offices, which includes a second Newcastle base in the city’s Collingwood Street and delivers wider support encompassing the entire advisory spectrum.

Crucially, it also builds on the regional legacy of S&W’s forebear Haines Watts, which the business acquired shortly before launching as an independent practice in early 2025 after formally separating from Evelyn Partners with Apax Partners’ backing.

Chris says: “We have a fantastic team here in the North East, which can be supplemented with specialists from outside the region.

“That is an important point of difference, because being part of a large national firm strengthens our ability to offer clients a full suite of services, and allows us to support more complex and geographically diverse set-ups, including international group structures.

“Businesses are facing complex scenarios, and they want to work with one trusted advisor across audit, assurance, tax and advisory services.

“We represent that joined up and collaborative partner.

“We also have a brilliant foundation on which to build, thanks to the work of Haines Watts, the relationships the team developed and the clients it supported.

“With the investment following S&W’s acquisition, we can now supercharge the Newcastle office and provide clients with an ever-broader range of services.

“The team has very quickly integrated and adopted S&W’s methodologies, values and ways of working, which means clients are receiving the best support.

“It is an incredibly powerful proposition.”

The human touch, says Chris – whose KPMG tenure included spells in its audit technical group and ESG assurance team – will be supplemented by a continued embracing of digital means to strengthen client services.

He says: “A fundamental part of our mission is to ensure clients remain up to date with changes to the regulatory and accounting landscapes, and to provide insights into controls, governance and process improvements as their business grows.

“Audit and assurance is an important part of that.

“It is much more than a compliance exercise, and we are constantly exploring how we can evolve our offer to deliver the best for clients using technology.

“Through artificial intelligence, automation and data analytics, we can make the auditing process more efficient but also provide clients with valuable, fresh data insights around their transaction flows, processes and controls.”

He adds: “We have a clear vision and an overwhelming sense of ambition to build on our strong foundations.

“With a passion for the region, we’re committed to seeing North East businesses thrive.”

 

S&W

For more information about S&W and how its expert services could help your business, visit www.swgroup.com

LinkedIn: S&W Group