January 2026 marks HaysMac LLP’s 25th anniversary, marking a quarter-century since the merger of Hays Allan and MacIntyre & Co on 1 January 2001. The milestone reflects not only the firm’s growth over the past 25 years, but also a professional heritage that can be traced back to 1866.

Victorian origins

From its origins in Victorian London when George Broom founded Broom, Son & Hays, the firm evolved through generations of change. Known for much of the 20th century as Hays, Akers & Hays, it established itself as a respected London chartered accountancy practice before merging with Allan Charlesworth & Co in 1974 to form Hays Allan.

In parallel, the firm that would become MacIntyre & Co was established in 1880 and was a founding member of ICAEW. They demerged from a wider accountancy group in 1991, before joining forces with Hays Allan to form haysmacintyre in 2001.

The merger was driven by George Crowther and Bernie Watson, with Watson becoming haysmacintyre’s first managing partner from 2001 to 2007. While the merger proved transformative, a defining early focus was establishing the culture of the newly merged firm – a principle that continues to shape HaysMac today.

As the dotcom era gathered pace, the firm entered a period of rapid expansion supported by a series of strategic office moves, that culminated in its relocation to its current home at Queen Street Place in 2017.

As its client base evolved, the firm developed a laser focus on sector specialisation, identifying five core sectors in 2011: creative, media & technology, financial services, hospitality, social purpose, and property.

This strategy has underpinned strong performance, delivering double-digit growth for a decade, more than 81% organic growth over the past five years to reach annual fee income of £67.5m for FY25. At the same time, headcount has grown from 175 in 2001 to over 650 in 2025, with 38 partners, led by managing partner Natasha Frangos.

The firm’s continued progress has been shaped by strong and consistent leadership. Simon Wilks served as managing partner from 2007 to 2013, and he led the change to a sector focused strategy. His successor Ian Cliffe led a period of continued expansion and investment, and the firm’s transition to LLP status in 2019.

Next up was Jeremy Beard, who built on this momentum, embedding new technology to enhance the quality of service delivery, strengthening the governance structure of the firm with the appointment of two independent non-executive directors to reflect its growing size and complexity, and navigating the unprecedented challenges of the covid pandemic.

A new era in leadership

Today, the firm is led by Natasha Frangos, the first female managing partner, who has ushered in a new chapter focused on reinforced culture, brand, growth, infrastructure and innovation.

Under her leadership, HaysMac has strengthened its brand presence through a major rebrand, opened an office in Cape Town, South Africa, and continued to champion diversity, equity and inclusion.

The firm has also made significant investment in technology and operational infrastructure while continually investing in its people and leaders, and strategically expanding the team through the recruitment of lateral hires.

Reflecting on the anniversary, Frangos said: ‘Turning 25 is about far more than longevity – it’s about evolution with intent. Over the past quarter century, HaysMac has grown by setting ourselves high expectations and ambitions, embracing a growth mindset which seeks continuous improvement, investing in exceptional people and building genuine depth in the sectors and markets we serve.

‘Our 2024 rebrand to HaysMac was a defining moment. It reflected who we have become as a modern, evolving firm, while staying true to the values and heritage that underpin our work.

‘It also reaffirmed our commitment: For Business. For People. For Good. This supports our clients’ ambitions, creating an inclusive and empowering environment for our people to thrive, and building a firm that is here to stay for decades to come.’