ECOVIS / Wingrave Yeats
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Ecovis
Our International Network
Wingrave Yeats joined Ecovis on 1 January 2007. Ecovis is an International Network of like-minded accounting and consulting firms. Of course we still remain financially and legally independent and we remain owned and run by the current partners in London.
The Network is young, hungry and enthusiastic and was formed only four years ago. It grew out of a merger of several small firms in Germany which realised that, to satisfy the Europe-wide ambitions of their clients, they would have to have world-wide reach as well.
After just a few years, Ecovis is now represented in over 20 countries worldwide, primarily in Europe, but also in the US and China, and is expanding fast. We can now count over 2,000 partners and employees operating in over 120 offices within the Network. According to a study published by the International Accounting Bulletin (IAB) in late 2008, Ecovis is now ranked no. 17 in the list of International Networks in the world.
Why did we choose to join such a young Network rather than queuing up to join an established one? Unlike the attitude that successive UK Government have taken to the EU, we at Wingrave Yeats have decided to dive in and be a key player in Ecovis in Europe. As inveterate builders, we want to be able to influence the development of the Network and have it grow in the way we want it to grow. Our partners regularly attend Ecovis conferences and meetings, and we are a member of the supervisory board.
Read the Ecovis corporate blurb and yes it will sound very much like other International Networks. But the other key driver for us to join was that the member firms of Ecovis share a common heritage and outlook as Wingrave Yeats in London. Most firms within the Network are made up of ex Big 4 partners and therefore have a similar culture to ourselves.
Where then does Ecovis position itself in the market? Well we are not trying to build a Big 5 Firm and we are not trying to compete with the 4 that exist. The Network’s market positioning is in line with that of Wingrave Yeats in the UK. Ecovis aims to work in tandem with the Global accounting firms where conflict can throw up significant opportunities, where the Network will be able to provide tax and audit support work at reasonable price levels in conjunction with, as opposed to in competition to, the Big 4 Firms.
Ecovis will offer work that the Global Firms have not developed the appropriate skill sets to be able to deliver. For example, we can provide Multi-Territory e-accounting solutions which are needed for US and South American inbound clients, many of which can be co-ordinated from London.
And who exactly is Boris Wöpple? Well, Boris arrived in London last year and was welcomed as the first example of a short term placement within the Network. Membership of Ecovis will give all our staff in London increased opportunity to work abroad and we are actively encouraging such swaps within the Network.
By the way we won’t forget the Professional Firms that we already have as friends around the world, particularly Camphin Boston in New Zealand (We recently completed a swap with Paul Cartwright from over here and Rodney Wagner from over there) and Sturn Wagner Lombardo a firm on the East Coast in the US where Ecovis is not currently represented.
We are proud of our association with Ecovis and we are excited to be in a key position to help build a new and thriving international network of firms. Watch that space…
Client News: IQ
Congratulations to Lee Robertson who has just been listed as one the UK’s top 50 High Net Worth Wealth Managers in the influential Spear’s 2010 Wealth Management Survey
