Eagland, who was elected following a vote of the 227 UK BDO partners, will take office on 1 October 2016. He has been at the mid-tier firm for 29 years and has been a member of the leadership team since 2008, most recently as head of national professional services. Previous key positions include head of national tax and head of national audit.

‘BDO has a great track record of championing and serving the needs of the UK mid-market and ambitious businesses. This is all down to our people who anticipate the needs of our clients, provide valued expertise and create strong entrepreneurial relationships,' said Eagland. 

‘The mid-market falls in a “policy and profile” gap: too large to benefit from policies tailored to small business, but too small to win the attention that a relatively small number of large global businesses command from the media and policy makers. 

‘Under my leadership, BDO will continue to serve and champion the UK mid-market.  We will also continue to take the opportunities presented by the recent regulatory changes particularly with public interest entities.’

BDO currently works for one third of the FTSE 350 in an advisory capacity. UK revenues have grown by some 40% in the last three years to £400m. There are 3,500 employees and partners in 18 UK offices.

Simon Michaels, current managing partner, said: ‘I’m delighted that Paul will take over as the new BDO managing partner. He is passionate about empowering our talented people and promoting our values and has the experience, knowledge and vision to lead this firm successfully.’

For further information about the UK accounting market, read the Accountancy Top 75 Accounting Firms Survey 2016