Richard Gillan

Experience

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. In January 2024, he was appointed Head of International, with responsibility for the firm's overseas operations.

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.

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.

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

Sector experience

Richard has extensive corporate finance and commercial experience, specialising in the following:

• advising on acquisitions/management buy-outs;
• advising on corporate disposals;
• liaising and negotiating with banks, venture capitalists and Invest NI;
• advising on strategic planning issues and feasibility studies;
• advising on family and succession plan issues;
• advising on finance raising;
• business reviews and transaction support assignments;
• investing, and creating value, in both growth and distressed businesses;
• managing the growth of a business in to new geographical territories; and
• managing the restructuring of a business and making it profitable.