Richard Gillan

Richard joined Grant Thornton in November 2014 to lead the firm’s advisory function in Belfast, and was appointed Managing Partner of the Belfast office in March 2015. He was appointed Head of International in 2024, with responsibility for the firm's overseas operations, and subsequently Head of Tax across the firm. In January 2025, Richard was appointed to the Grant Thornton US Tax Executive Leadership team.

He trained as a Chartered Accountant with a Big Four firm and worked in their Belfast, London and Luxembourg offices prior to joining a rival Big Four firm, during which time he was based in Belfast and Johannesburg.

In 2004, Richard acquired a shareholding in a manufacturing business. As Joint Managing Director, he took the business in to new geographical territories, leading to significant revenue and profit growth prior to a successful disposal in 2007.

Richard recently completed a year long Leadership Programme at Harvard University. He was Chair of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society in 2019/20 and Chair of CBI in Northern Ireland in 2023/24.

In 2008, he led the acquisition of a Northern Ireland-based outsourcing company out of administration. As Managing Director, he was responsible for restructuring the business and returning it to healthy profitability prior to a successful exit.

Richard continues to lead the Grant Thornton practice in Northern Ireland which has seen a ten-fold increase in revenues in the last ten years.