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Big four limitations revealed

Business

A partner at an award-winning new firm has detailed the differences between the boutiques and the big four, highlighting agility and flexibility as key advantages of smaller firms.

By Mitchell Turner 8 minute read

Sheridan Farina, partner at Sovereign Private – the recipient of the New Firm of the Year Award at the 2015 Australian Accounting Awards – and former client director at Deloitte Private, spoke to AccountantsDaily about the benefits of working in a boutique firm environment.

According to Ms Farina, moving away from the big four has allowed her to provide diversified services and implement initiatives “far more quickly”.

“It has been so refreshing to be a part of Sovereign – we are far more agile than we were in the big four,” she said.

Her view of where the profession is heading and a desire to “stay ahead of the pack” spurred Ms Farina to help establish Sovereign Private.

“The framework of a big four meant that we were limited in what we could do," she said. "We had our views on where the profession was heading and what we needed to change to stay ahead of the pack.

“Starting our own firm meant that we could not only create our own destiny but be one of the leading pack redefining the profession’s landscape.”

Ms Farina admitted that, initially, she believed operating without a big four name would be an impediment to winning new business, whereas the situation “has been quite the opposite”.

“Not only have our clients been supportive, but prospects have been more open to meeting us,” she said.

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