Head of Not-For-Profit Team at PKF Cooper Parry Appointed Academy Ambassador

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 18 January 2017

UPDATED: 18 January 2017

Simon Atkins, head of the Not for Profit team at Midlands-based PKF Cooper Parry, has been recognised for his work as chair of the Community Academies Trust by being appointed an ‘Academy Ambassador’.

Simon has been welcomed into a growing network of Academy Ambassadors by the organisation, which has been set up to bring inspirational educationalists together with talented business leaders to build better multi-academy trust boards and make a real difference to education in England.

Academy Ambassadors introduces senior figures from the business world to the boards of multi-academy trusts, who go on to support CEOs and business leaders to build better multi-academy trust boards.

Simon was nominated to become an Academy Ambassador by Philip Hamilton, CEO of Community Academies Trust, after Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools, asked CEOs of multi-academy trusts to put forward those board members who had made a significant contribution.

As an Academy Ambassador, Simon will help spread the word about the rewards of being an academy trust board member and encourage potential board members from business, the professions or other sectors to get involved.

The Community Academies Trust is a multi-academy trust comprising 13 schools including both primary and secondary schools.

To celebrate his appointment and welcome him to his new role as an Academy Ambassador, Simon was invited to a special event at the House of Lords, where he met other senior non-executive directors from academy trust boards and other leaders from education and business.

Speaking of becoming an Academy Ambassador, Simon said:

“As Chair of the Community Academies Trust, I have been able to apply the knowledge and experience I have gained working in the business sector and contribute to strategies that have improved schools, raised standards and responded to individual needs.

“As an Academy Ambassador, I hope to share these experiences with other professionals who have the potential to succeed as board members. It is such an incredibly rewarding process to be part of and it can only improve by increasing the number of people involved.

“I am delighted to be part of such a worthwhile organisation and look forward to the experiences and insights it will bring.”

PKF Cooper Parry’s expert Not for Profit team provide high quality compliance, taxation and advisory services to UK and international charities and not for profit organisations.

Its clients include academies, independent schools, care charities, arts and culture, religious orders, conservation and grant making foundations.

ABOUT PKF COOPER PARRY

PKF Cooper Parry is the UK’s fastest growing accountancy firm and recently reported its strongest financial year on record.

PKF Cooper Parry is now the number one accountancy firm in the East Midlands amongst privately owned £5m to £50m businesses and has more than twice the market share of any of its competitors. It is on track to double its market share in the West Midlands within two years.

It is the only accountancy firm to make the 2016 Sunday Times List of 100 Best Companies to work for.

The firm recently scooped the Most Innovative Practice of the Year - Mid-tier firm award at The British Accountancy Awards 2016.

In January 2016, PKF Cooper Parry merged with established Birmingham-based firm Clement Keys to create a £30m group, with a 402 strong team, which spans both East and West Midlands.

It is one of five UK firms to join the international PKF network which enables it to provide global capability and expertise to its clients.

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