The plan is to expand the Manchester arm of the firm rapidly with a full service offering in the city with around 200 staff based out of the new office in the landmark No.1 St Michael’s development.

AAB said the new office will ‘combine partner-led relationships with expertise from across its wider UK and Ireland business to support leadership teams as they grow and their needs become more complex’.

The Manchester office will be led by Chris Harland, head of the north west at AAB, who is currently managing partner and head of AAB’s Bolton office, and has been with the group for 12 years and brings decades of experience.

Other key appointments in the Manchester team include in audit, Gary Harding as head of audit, alongside partners Muhammad Sharif and Alison Cornes, and Sarah Frith as director. Business advisory partners Adam Woodward and Dominic Grimes, and office of the CFO director Joanne Waddicker will also be based at the Manchester office.