We’re delighted to present our second Responsible Business Report. This year has been one of continued focus and momentum for Saffery, and we remain committed to responsible business practices that reflect our core values, purpose, and mission.

In the last year we’ve continued to move forward with our commitments to being a responsible business. The Responsible Business (RB) Cornerstone has been at the heart of our strategy to ensure this is embedded into Saffery’s activities. We’ve welcomed our first RB Director, Nadia Al Yafai, to work alongside our RB Partner and Chair of the Cornerstone, Fenella Martin-Redman, and with our RB Coordinator, Freya Strawson.

We’ve had a lot of action to drive change at Saffery this past year. A highlight for me was becoming signatories to the Race at Work Charter, reinforcing our dedication to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) within our firm and the wider business community. Saffery’s commitment to race equality in the workplace is about ensuring that everyone can belong and thrive with us, regardless of identity or background.

We recognise that ethnic minority groups have historically faced additional barriers in professional services, which are often exacerbated when someone also has a different background or is female. Therefore, I am proud that Saffery is committed to being part of changing this, ensuring that the accountancy profession is open to everyone.

I’m excited about the roll out of our new social impact strategy, and our ambition to drive change by ‘Helping Build Sustainable Futures’ through our community and charity work. This is aligned to our purpose of supporting opportunity and enabling success, for those in our communities and in wider society. This strategy will guide our efforts to make a meaningful difference in the communities we’re part of. I’m also pleased that all our offices now have dedicated RB Groups (our programme champions) and are choosing a local charity.

I'm really pleased with the progress we’ve made in addressing gender pay and bonus gaps, reflecting fairness and transparency in our hiring, promotion, and reward practices. This stems from our ongoing commitment to gender balance and an inclusive, equitable culture.

As I approach the end of my tenure as the Managing Partner (on 31 March 2026), I’m filled with pride at the remarkable journey Saffery is on. Witnessing our firm's transformation and growth has been incredibly rewarding. Despite the many challenges and changes, we have steadfastly upheld our core values, ensuring that integrity, excellence, enthusiasm and collegiality remain at the heart of everything we do.

Our focus will remain on creating a culture of integrity, innovation and inclusivity. The themes of our people-centricity, inclusion and social impact, outlined in this report, will continue to guide our actions. I’m confident that the new leadership of the firm will build on our strong foundations, with responsible business at its heart. It has been an honour to lead such dedicated and talented teams right across the whole firm and I look forward to seeing Saffery's continued success in the years to come. I extend my sincere thanks to everyone at Saffery for their contributions and their dedication to responsible business.”