DFK UK and Ireland has welcomed a new member firm in Staffordshire which is experiencing continued growth after becoming independent in April this year.
Validera, based in Burntwood, has been announced as the 16th member firm of DFK UK and Ireland (UKI). By joining DFK UK & Ireland, Validera will benefit from the resources, expertise and collaboration of the association, which has 16 member firms across the UK and Ireland, and is part of DFK International, a global association of over 200 accounting firms in more than 90 countries.
The leading internal audit firm is the association’s very first member based in Staffordshire.
The firm was established in the 1990s as part of the Haines Watts Group, originally specialising in providing internal audit services to government and local government bodies before diversifying in 2015 to expand its service offering and broaden its client base.
It became independent on April 1 this year and re-named to Validera.
Today the firm offers services including auditing and assurance covering internal audit, grant audit and external quality assessment, as well as IT services including cyber security, data privacy, IT assurance, attestation and IT project management.
It also specialises in risk management, governance, compliance, supply chain, process improvement and fraud awareness, training and investigation.
Validera provides services across the public, regulated, private and not-for-profit sectors.
Lee Glover, of Validera, said:
We’re very pleased to join DFK and look forward to getting to know the wider association members.
“We became independent in April this year and have already been successful in terms of growth, which we now want to continue as part of DFK.
“DFK’s focus on internal audit was a particular draw as it’s an area we specialise in, so the association very much aligns with us as a business.
Being part of the association will provide us with an opportunity to share knowledge, ideas and best practice, while offering additional benefits to our clients.
Steve Connors, of Validera, added:
We have a number of clients which have subsidiaries overseas in countries including Spain, Germany and Portugal, and being internationally affiliated will provide us with the opportunity to refer them to likeminded firms across the world.
“Equally, we have experience in working with subsidiaries of US companies, so can offer our expertise and knowledge to support other member firms.”
Mark Ashfield, Chairman of DFK UKI, said:
“We’re extremely pleased to welcome another great firm to the association.
Validera is highly specialised in what they do and their unique skillset is an exciting addition for the rest of our members.
The relationships between firms within DFK UKI are extremely strong and the level of collaboration, knowledge sharing and general support is constantly improving which is fantastic to be a part of.
