My accounting career began in 1995, straight from school, when I joined a firm of chartered accountants in Liverpool as a trainee. Over the next three years I trained on the job and studied for my Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualification. I then moved to a firm of Chartered Accountants in Chester city centre, where I spent the best part of two decades building my career, qualifying first as a Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) and later as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant (ACA). I joined Hall Livesey Brown in February 2024.

Having started out as an apprentice myself, I know first-hand what a difference the right training and support can make early in your career. It is something I feel strongly about and I enjoy nothing more than developing and training the people I work with – helping them build the same grounding that shaped my own path into the profession.

I love that HLB is an independently owned business – being able to give clients advice that is genuinely tailored to them, not dictated by a corporate rulebook. My particular enjoyment comes from working with small, owner-managed businesses. Over the years I have worked with a real mix of trades and professions – electricians, plumbers, joiners, consultants, transport and courier businesses, doctors and other professionals among them. I like getting to know each business well enough to give advice that actually reflects how they operate day to day.

Outside the office, I spent ten years volunteering as a Special Constable, which gave me a strong sense of community and, alongside it, I completed my Chartered Manager qualification – something that’s shaped how I think about leading and supporting a team.

I am proud to be a Partner at HLB, a firm that has stayed independent and personal, being able to bring that same hands-on, straightforward approach to every client I work with.

Contact Michael on +44 (0) 1829 733333