In our latest ‘meet the expert’ feature, James Barrell, Audit Director based in our Bristol office, answers a few questions about his role and shares the importance of a strong client relationship.

Tell us about your experience

I have gained a wide range of experience within medium sized firms in Bristol, having worked at Grant Thornton, RSM and Evelyn Partners over the past 15 years. What I have really enjoyed is working closely with clients to ensure that the audit is delivered effectively and efficiently, whilst identifying opportunities for companies to improve their processes and controls.

This experience has been gained working with local companies and international groups, with turnovers of up to £400m and net assets of over £1bn. I hope to use this experience to help Milsted Langdon deliver effective audit and advisory services to its growing client base and contribute to the development of the team within the Bristol office.

What is one piece of advice would you share?

Whilst we operate in a numbers orientated business, my experience has shown me the importance of maintaining strong client relationships.

I firmly believe in the importance of meeting, or ideally exceeding, clients’ expectations, ensuring deadlines are always met, being proactive in identifying opportunities for improvement, and delivering work to a consistently high quality.

Getting to know clients and their businesses personally makes a huge difference in the tailored advice that can be delivered to suit their needs now, and in the years to come, to reach their goals. This ethos is shared by Milsted Langdon and its mission of ‘helping you thrive’.

Outside of work, what are your hobbies?

Away from work, I enjoy ‘hanging out’ and travelling with my two teenage kids, watching almost any good quality sport, and sampling good food and wine.

When taking a career break some years ago, I was lucky enough to visit over 70 countries, and constantly encourage others to take all opportunities to travel more!