Jonathan Walton
Director
FCA, FCCA
My experience
I have been a director for over 25 years, helping mostly SME enterprises grow and reach their aims, including several business sales and acquisitions along the way, where knowledge, skills and understanding the emotions of deals from both buyer and seller perspective is key. Like many of my clients, I also own my own business, which adds to my understanding of the challenges they face. I’m also an RI for audit purposes, having done audits all my working life. My knowledge of tax is exceptionally high having recently completed an MSc in Taxation from Oxford University.
As well as being a chartered accountant and chartered certified accountant my other academic achievements include two degrees from Oxford University (Oxon)2, an MA from Exeter University and MBA from Reading University
- BA undergraduate degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE)
- MSc Faculty of Law
- MBA
- MA in Leadership Studies
At firm wide level, it is people that matter to me – we have thousands of clients here at WS, and we can only delight them if we have happy and engaged people, with the knowledge and desire required to give clients confidence that we are their chosen advisor. I’m definitely a people person.
Describe what you do at Whitley Stimpson
I took up the position of whole firm Managing Director in April 2017 where I oversee the smooth running of the firm, but as the firm is run very democratically, I spend most of my time advising clients, many of whom I have looked after for years, and also meeting potential new clients – where I love finding out about what they do, and where they want to be, so we can build a trusted advisor relationship. My client retention levels are exceptional, as anyone who knows me will tell you. My team look after by far the biggest portfolio of clients held by any director in the firm, which I think is testimony to the direct team around me, most of whom have been around to help me for years, decades in fact.
Why Whitley Stimpson?
Great people, great clients, great quality, great culture and great satisfaction. We are a big enough firm to have that little bit of expertise in areas where some firms lack, but our clients range from the traditional one person business, to groups turning over just less than £1billion; from local businesses, to subsidiaries of groups all over the world. Most of my client base are SME’s.
What matters to you?
Staff and clients for the reasons above. We want to work together, be happy and get the job done and be rewarded intellectually and financially. Absolutely love challenging work, mergers and acquisitions or business disposals for example, and I have been brought in quite a few times for one-off assignments in this area by other professional advisors.
