Steve Ashworth is a seasoned professional with extensive expertise in accountancy and business advising. Currently serving as Director at PKF-Francis Clark Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers since July 2019, Ashworth also chairs the Rural & Food Sector Group at the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, focusing on key business concerns in rural areas, which encompass 11% of the workforce and 70% of the land in the West of England. Prior experience includes roles as Associate Director and Senior Manager at Smith & Williamson, specializing in employment tax for a diverse client base, and a significant tenure at HM Revenue and Customs, where Ashworth held various strategic and training positions. Educational background includes attendance at Burnley College and Mansfield High School.
PKF-Francis Clark Chartered accountants & business advisers
PKF Francis Clark is a firm of chartered accountants and business advisers based in the South West. Established in 1919, the firm has grown to over 900 staff and 57 partners across nine offices (Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Poole, Salisbury, Southampton, Taunton, Torquay and Truro). We are passionate about the client being central to everything that we do and are constantly trying to exceed their expectations. Our vision is shared ambition – we take time to understand a client’s business and will work with them to achieve their goals, making sure that we provide the right specialist advice for their individual needs. We are renowned for our range of expertise across multiple specialisms and sectors. Our clients have one point of contact but enjoy the peace of mind that should they need advice on a specific specialist area, we have the expertise in-house to be able to help quickly and efficiently. We offer a supportive and flexible culture, taking your career seriously to enable you to be the best you can be. In September 2022, PKF Francis Clark was certified as a Great Place to Work. In February 2023 we were ranked as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces for Wellbeing (40th out of 79 among large organisations). We work hard to ensure that ours is a culture where our people can be themselves, develop and be part of a forward-thinking team that makes brilliant things happen. We are a member of PKF UKI, which is ranked 11th in Accountancy Age's 2022 ranking of the UK's largest accountancy firms. Membership of the PKF Global network, covering 150 countries, allows us to better support our clients both here in the UK and around the world, especially those with international and cross border interests.