Frederik Vinten has been appointed as chief commercial officer (CCO) at Grant Thornton to drive commercial growth and strengthen client engagement across its service lines. He brings a strong consulting background and was previously at FTI Consulting, where he was EMEA chief operating officer (COO), overseeing the firm’s corporate operating model for the past three years.

Vinten replaces partner Darren Bear, who is currently chief commercial officer and a long-term member of the firm’s strategic leadership team. Bear announced late last year he would be stepping down at the end of March after two decades with the firm and over a year as CCO, where he played a critical role in the Cinven private equity deal.

This is a strategic appointment for Grant Thornton and signals plans to leverage the private equity funding. It follows major investment from private equity firm Cinven last year which saw the business become the largest UK accountancy firm taking PE backing. It also comes hot on the heels of the announcement of a major £500m three-year investment plan to drive technology adoption across the firm and overhaul current systems and processes.

Vinten has more than two decades of leadership experience spanning global consulting, financial services, strategy and business transformation. Grant Thornton said he ‘offers a rare combination of commercial acumen, operational expertise and senior advisory experience that will play a pivotal role in strengthening Grant Thornton’s market position and accelerating its growth ambitions’.

As CCO and a member of the strategic leadership team, Vinten will lead UK commercial strategy, drive integrated go-to-market initiatives and strengthen client engagement across all service lines.

Malcolm Gomersall, chief executive officer at Grant Thornton UK, said: ‘Frederik’s commercial acumen and global experience will be instrumental in our next phase of growth. His ability to transform strategy at pace will be a major catalyst as we accelerate our momentum and strengthen the impact we deliver for clients across the firm. Frederik’s appointment reflects the firm’s continued focus on building strong commercial leadership for the future.’

Commenting on his decision to join the firm, Vinten said: ‘Grant Thornton truly stands out as the most dynamic and forward-thinking firm in professional services. The exceptional quality of its work, distinctive culture and ambitious plans to redefine the modern profession make this an incredibly exciting journey to be part of.’

The strategic leadership team is the firm’s day-to-day executive management body, and has a rotating partner team, reporting directly to the CEO.

When Bear leaves the firm at the end of March, he will be signing off on a 20-year career at Grant Thornton, including seven years on the board. He is moving into a portfolio career and is already signed up as a non executive director at Bidwells, the property consulting and real estate advisory firm.  

Gomersall said: ‘Darren’s contribution over his 20-year career with the firm has been significant, playing a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s growth, guiding the firm through its transaction with Cinven and strengthening key client relationships. We are deeply grateful to Darren for his dedication and wish him continued success as he embarks on the next stage of his career.’

The announcement builds on a spate of senior hires at Grant Thornton designed to strengthen its leadership team including a new chief people officer Abigail Fisher, CFO Chris Stefani and several new board members, alongside hugely ambitious plans to recruit 160 partners over the next two years.

Before his three-year stint at FTI, Vinten was a partner at consulting firm Spencer Stuart, executive board member at Danske Bank, and head of strategy and M&A at Maersk Line, shaping long-term growth strategies and driving transformation programmes. He began his career in consulting at McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group.

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Pictured: Frederik Vinten