Head of employee benefits promoted to partner at Grant Thornton
Leading business advisory firm Grant Thornton UK LLP has promoted its head of employee benefits to partner.
Ben Rowntree heads up the national consultancy team supporting 120 clients and has more than 20 years’ experience in people advisory roles, four of which have been with Grant Thornton.
Previously situated in London, Ben will be moving to join the firm’s Bristol office as part of his recent appointment.
During his career, Ben has advised clients with regard to both UK and global employee benefits, having historically worked for large multinational advisory and brokerage businesses.
His team recommends innovative solutions across the marketplace that supports organisational goals by creating employee benefits packages that seek to attract, motivate and retain talent in a tax-efficient way.
The move from London to Bristol reflects the dynamism and potential of the South West economy.
Ben said: “I am incredibly proud to progress to partner at Grant Thornton and continuing to head up the employee benefits side of the business. It’s an incredibly exciting time for the firm as the scale of investment by businesses in the South West continues. Business leaders have proven themselves to be resilient, agile and innovative where we’ve been helping clients focus on moving forward with confidence – ensuring a level of flexibility in their plans to allow them to respond quickly to market changes as needed.
“As head of the employee benefits consultancy practice I work with a group of exceptional benefits professionals, all with a wealth of experience and dedication to providing excellent service and outcomes for our clients. Our team works collaboratively with business owners to deliver the best options for their employees and lockdown certainly had an interesting impact on this as people’s working patterns shifted.
“Because of this, we’ve dedicated research into understanding what people want. We realised that previously there was a trend to select benefits for middle-aged senior managers such as life insurance and income protection, but the modern workforce is diverse. We have seen an increase in interest in perks such as tech insurance, menopause cover and fertility treatment to cater for the changing needs of employees.
Jonathan Riley, partner and practice leader for Bristol and South West, said: “We are thrilled for Ben as he progresses to partner with Grant Thornton. His extensive years of experience in the sector as well as his understanding of the shift in focus of employee needs means we will continue to offer our clients in the South West and Wales advice on a wide array of people matters to help their businesses thrive.”
Ben’s promotion to partner coincides with a record number of new starters at the Bristol and Cardiff office this year, with two school leavers and 19 graduates joining the team, reinforcing Grant Thornton’s commitment to developing the next generation of talent.
On the supportive and innovative culture at Grant Thornton Ben said: “During my time at Grant Thornton, the firm has encouraged us all to take ownership and drive our own careers and I’ve had the freedom to mould and structure our consultancy with constant support along the way. It’s a very entrepreneurial surrounding which inspires you to encourage the next generation and that’s something I plan to do from the Bristol office.”
