Richard Gillan

Experience

Richard joined Grant Thornton in 2014 to lead the Belfast office’s advisory offering. In March 2015 he was appointed Partner in Charge of Grant Thornton in Northern Ireland.

Richard trained as a Chartered Accountant with a Big Four firm and worked in the Belfast, London and Luxembourg offices prior to joining a rival Big Four firm, during which time he was based in Belfast and Johannesburg.

In 2004 he acquired a shareholding in a manufacturing business. As Joint Managing Director, Richard took the business in to new geographical territories, leading to significant revenue and profit growth prior to a successful disposal in 2007.

In 2008 he led the acquisition of a Northern Ireland-based outsourcing company out of administration. As Managing Director, Richard was responsible for restructuring the business and returning it to healthy profitability prior to a successful exit. Richard combines this personal experience of owning and managing companies with his significant experience in helping clients transact.

He is currently Vice Chairman of the Confederation of British Industry and is a former Chair of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society.

Sector experience

Richard has extensive corporate finance and commercial experience, specialising in the following:

• advising on acquisitions/management buy-outs;
• advising on corporate disposals;
• liaising and negotiating with banks, venture capitalists and Invest NI;
• advising on strategic planning issues and feasibility studies;
• advising on family and succession plan issues;
• advising on finance raising;
• business reviews and transaction support assignments;
• investing, and creating value, in both growth and distressed businesses;
• managing the growth of a business in to new geographical territories; and
• managing the restructuring of a business and making it profitable.