O’Brien & Partners has made a substantial statement to the Welsh business community by merging with over 260 accountancy partners to best serve clients through additional expertise, specialisms and new services and products.

The Xeinadin Group first approached the ‘multi-million’ turnover Welsh firm after discovering the firm’s significant investment and use of digital technology across its client base. O’Brien & Partners believes that digital technology now presents a real opportunity for businesses to gain greater efficiencies and visibility over their day-to-day accounting function.

The firm has developed its expertise in cloud-based accounting over the years, using fully certified team members in driving the main cloud accounting packages. In addition, the practice has invested in recruiting specialists to assist local businesses to best understand, prepare and implement their transition to digital accounting. O’Brien & Partners has enhanced its value proposition by adding the analysis of clients’ key metrics using digital technology as a non-charging advisory service.

Lewis Van Emden has been Managing Director of O’Brien & Partners for 10 years and is known in the Welsh business community. He gained his professional qualifications with Deloittes, based in London, and then developed his experience at national practices. He brings over 30 years of expertise in areas such as business development and commercial advice, including profit improvement and succession. Lewis said: “Within Xeinadin it is known that we’ve been one of the most motivated of all 150+ firms in joining this substantial movement. It’s a brilliant concept. The vision is world-class and the industry will embrace this disruptive movement. For years I’ve been saying that the market needs a substantial consolidation of independent firms who all embrace technology. Xeinadin is special as it’s a real community of like-minded partners, allowing us all to support each other through the pooling of our knowledge and our specialisms. We may be based in Wales, but we have the ability to seek advice from partners in all regions across the UK and Ireland jurisdictions. Our presence is very widespread. As a group, we have specialists managing clients in over 50 different industries.

For accountancy practices willing to grow through more enhanced service lines, this movement is ideal. Having worked in a top 6 firm, it is evident to me that Xeinadin will form major disruption within the accountancy market. Xeinadin’s ‘ongoing movement’ will change the attitude of many smaller practices outside the top 100 firms. They will either join a consolidator like Xeinadin to give them a real competitive advantage in their communities or they may face working longer hours for lower return.

We’ve made provisions to ensure our clients don’t outgrow their accountant. Instead, we are primed to be able to compete with the top 6 accountancy practices. Businesses can now receive big firm expertise, service by a small natured firm specialising in SME businesses and prices at a fraction of the leading 6.

We act more like a Federation than a Consolidator. We operate as a union of self-governing accountancy practices, under a central governing XGL board with a mandate we all bought into.

I can see another 100+ progressive accountancy practices racing to Xeinadin within the next 24 months.”