Keith Underwood

Keith Underwood

Keith Underwood is managing director of Foulger Underwood UK, a business consultancy and M&A lead advisory service. He specialises in strategic planning and financial/business development, both in the UK and in Asia. He has instigated and managed many mergers and acquisitions, and has implemented changes in business models, in both the consumer and professional service sectors, to initiate improved market positioning and profitability.

With a wealth of experience, he has been a non-executive director of a public company, run an international company with over 700 staff operating in 10 countries, and sat on the board of a number of international network groups in the service sector.

Insight / Underwood: over-reliance on practice partners?

New year plans fall by the wayside as accounting firms return to the comfort of client service rather than focusing on a long-term strategy, but all businesses need to know where they are going, says Keith Underwood
6 Feb 2020

Insight / Underwood: cry for help from accountants

Growing an accountancy practice in a highly competitive business environment requires a strategic vision and the desire to shake off the comfortable status quo. Keith Underwood, managing director of Foulger Underwood, gives some useful tips on how to future-proof your business
14 Nov 2019

Insight / Underwood: should accountants mix compliance with advisory services?

As younger accountancy practitioners start up new practices and turn to technology and automation to provide compliance services for SME clients, does it make sense to offer additional advisory services or is that a sure way to damage profitability? Keith Underwood, MD at Foulger Underwood looks at the figures  
28 Jun 2019

Insight / Underwood: should accountants branch into wealth management?

Faced with increasingly predatory consolidators, should accountancy firms look to grow their practice by branching out into wealth management and independent financial advice services. Keith Underwood examines the pros and cons  
1 May 2019

Insight / Underwood: accountants must be commercial with their own businesses

Despite advising clients on how to be more commercial, accountancy firms often fail to use the same analysis and tools on their own practices, especially those that want to sell up, says Keith Underwood, managing director, Foulger Underwood
7 Mar 2019

Tax / Underwood: no winning tape in sight with Making Tax Digital

Keith Underwood, managing director of Foulger UnderwoodKato, discusses how accountancy firms can plan for Making Tax Digital investments as well as how to get clients to move onto a default system
26 Oct 2018

Insight / Underwood: a taste for consolidation in accounting firms

The latest mergers and acquisitions are being funded by new money but service consolidation is vital to make them work, explains Keith Underwood, Managing director, Foulger UnderwoodKato 
24 Aug 2018

Insight / Underwood: accounting practices toying with consolidator model

Consolidation is alive and active in the accounting sector with a number of recently completed deals looking not too dissimilar to the consolidations of the early 2000s. Keith Underwood, managing director of Foulger Underwood, considers various consolidator models
4 Jun 2018

Insight / Underwood: profiling an accounting practice

Understanding the way accounting practices are run, the priorities for the year ahead and the costs of services on offer is critical for growth, with regulatory pressures such as Making Tax Digital playing a key role in the future, says Keith Underwood, managing partner of Foulger Underwood
23 Feb 2018

Insight / Managing your accounting firm: lifestyle versus commercial approach

Choosing the optimimum way to manage and run an accounting practice is not a pure science, but there are two distinct approaches, either the commercially driven, revenue-led firm where fee income is a key driver to those who are looking for a more balanced lifestyle with shared responsibility for the business, says merger expert Keith Underwood
22 Dec 2017

Insight / Tips and advice: preparing your accounting practice for sale

When accounting firms look to sell their business, it is essential to profile and prepare the business ready for a sale, from the critical financial data to softer information about management structure, client base and staffing splits, advises Keith Underwood, managing director of merger experts Foulger Underwood
20 Oct 2017

Insight / Underwood: cavalier HR approach at smaller accounting practices

Accounting practices with fees of on average £500,000 through to £2m are encountering difficulties in managing, developing, recruiting and retaining employees and also in providing a good working environment for their employees. Keith Underwood, managing director of Foulger Underwood, looks at the reasons for an HR vacuum at smaller firms 
18 Aug 2017

Insight / Underwood: equity and profit share issues when selling accounting practice

Keith Underwood, managing director of Foulger Underwood considers the problem of diverging partner aspirations when merger multi-partner accounting practices and offers tips and advice on issues to consider when partners decide to sell out
27 Apr 2017

Insight / Future proofing your accounting firm: tips and advice

The accounting profession is facing a crossroads and 2017 marks a year of unbundling and testing accounting models as succession and merger pressures escalate for firms. Keith Underwood, MD of Foulger Underwood considers survival techniques for accounting practices
26 Jan 2017

Tax / Underwood: HMRC digital tax plans will cut fee income for accountants

The rapid move towards a fully digitised tax reporting landscape for businesses with the introduction of digital personal tax reporting will have serious repercussions for the value of tax-based fees at accountancy firms, warns Keith Underwood, managing director of Foulger Underwood Assocates
29 Nov 2016
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