Shaw Gibbs welcomes White Hart Associates acquisition as it further strengthens specialist offering for clients
Shaw Gibbs, the top 35 accountancy, tax and business advisory group, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Richmond-based White Hart Associates (“WhiteHart”), a specialist professional services firm with particular expertise in the travel sector.
The deal brings one of the UK’s leading specialist travel advisory firms into the Shaw Gibbs Group as it continues its strategy of combining strong local client relationships and specialist expertise with the capabilities and scale of a growing national group.
The acquisition follows ECI Partners’ investment in Shaw Gibbs, announced in September 2026, which marked the beginning of Shaw Gibbs’ next phase of growth. Prior to WhiteHart, Shaw Gibbs now has 21 offices across the South of the UK and in Ireland, with 82 Partners and nearly 900 people.
A specialist with deep roots in travel
WhiteHart combines audit, accountancy and tax services with corporate finance and specialist travel regulatory advisory expertise. Its teams advise travel businesses on areas including ATOL, ABTA, ABTOT and IATA requirements, financial and risk analysis, consumer protection arrangements, and regulatory implications arising from changes of ownership.
The family-owned and managed firm took on its first travel client in 1979 and rebranded as White Hart Associates in 1996 when it obtained its audit licences. Today it supports more than 300 travel businesses and describes itself as one of the UK’s leading specialist travel advisers.
The combination significantly strengthens Shaw Gibbs’ expertise in the travel and leisure sector, while giving WhiteHart’s clients access to the wider capabilities and technical specialisms of the Shaw Gibbs Group.
Keeping the team, investing in its leaders
White Hart Associates will continue to operate as WhiteHart, part of the Shaw Gibbs Group, with the existing team and client relationships remaining central to the business. Shaw Gibbs’ plans are focused on retaining and developing the WhiteHart team while supporting existing clients and the future growth of the firm.
Peter O’Connell, CEO of Shaw Gibbs, said: “We want Shaw Gibbs to be the natural home for specialist practices that want to flourish. WhiteHart is exactly that kind of firm: real expertise, strong client relationships, and a culture – aligned with ours – built around high-quality, personal service.
“That depth of sector knowledge is exactly what Shaw Gibbs looks to protect and grow. The WhiteHart management team have built an exceptional position in the travel sector, and we are committed to investing in them as they take WhiteHart forward.
“I’m delighted to welcome Nikki, Chris, Luke, Mark and the whole WhiteHart team to Shaw Gibbs.”
Nikki Spoor, managing director of WhiteHart, said: “Finding the right long-term home for WhiteHart has been extremely important to us. We wanted a partner that understood the strength of our client relationships and our specialist position, particularly within the travel sector, while being able to provide the investment and wider expertise that will help us continue to develop.
“Joining Shaw Gibbs enables us to retain the personal service and specialist knowledge our clients value while giving them access to a much broader range of expertise across the Group. It also creates exciting new development opportunities for our people.”
Chris Photi, head of travel & leisure at WhiteHart, said: “Travel is a highly specialist industry. Our clients value advisers who understand both the financial fundamentals of their businesses and the regulatory environment they operate in.
“Joining Shaw Gibbs means we retain our travel experts and the wider team with their sector knowledge, while drawing on the scale and wider expertise of the Group. It gives us a strong platform to support travel businesses as they grow, transact and navigate an increasingly complex market.”
Part of a growing Group
The acquisition builds on Shaw Gibbs’ rapid expansion across the UK and Ireland. The Group supports over 25,000 clients, combining local relationships with specialist technical expertise across audit, accounting, tax, and advisory services.
Michael Butler, partner at ECI, said: “This acquisition is a great example of the strategy we are backing at Shaw Gibbs: giving high-quality specialist businesses a home where they can flourish, and investing in their people, leadership, and client relationships.
“WhiteHart brings an impressive sector-specialism, a strong management team and a clear cultural fit with Shaw Gibbs. Its capabilities will broaden the Group’s proposition and create opportunities to support clients across the combined business.
“We are delighted to support Peter and the team as Shaw Gibbs continues to build a differentiated, client-focused accountancy and advisory group.”