Thought Leaders

Wendy is head of global private clients at BDO, as well as being on BDO’s leadership team. She enjoys helping others succeed and recently won a Mentor of the Year Award at Management Today’s Inspiring Women Awards. Wendy assists UK and international families with complex tax issues. She particularly enjoys handling the interaction between corporate entities, individual shareholders and their trusts. Wendy works with her clients to develop tax solutions that ensure their tax risk is managed, and supports her clients’ overall family wealth and succession objectives.

What do you enjoy most about working in the private client market?

The differing personalities you meet and work with while building long-term relationships.

What do clients look for in an effective private client practitioner?

Practical advice, ideas and solutions, as well as technical excellence – a given.

What type of matters are clients currently seeking advice on most frequently? What would you say is driving this?

Succession planning and protecting wealth for the next generation. The current pandemic has driven this.

How does BDO distinguish itself from the competition?

By building long-term, trusting relationships while giving practical advice – advising clients what to do – alongside having a global private client practice.

How has covid-19 affected clients? What do you predict to be the long-term effects of the pandemic on your private client practice?

I think covid-19 has made us all stop and think about what is truly important to us. It will be interesting to see the long-term effects of the pandemic, but we have all been able to adapt quickly, and work more flexibly and with more agility. This will hopefully lead to longer-term resilience for the business and for us all.

What are the key challenges that the next generation of private client practitioners may face?

The current pandemic has taught us lots of lessons in a very short space of time – the use of technology, global transparency, ways of working and personal wellbeing are some of the challenges.

What is the best piece of career advice you have ever received?

To believe in myself, go for it and enjoy what I’m doing.

In which direction would you like to steer your practice in the next five years?

As we grow I would like to retain our culture, which is special.