Ad Valorem’s joint Managing Directors Nikki and Nigel Adams win Practice Pioneer Award at the prestigious Accounting Excellence Awards 2021.

The Accounting Excellence Practice Pioneer Award is arguably the most sought after, prestigious accolade in the accounting industry, having been judged by past winners, industry leaders and regulatory body figure heads. The judges look for individuals who have led ground-breaking initiatives in their practice, contributing to strategy, innovation, process changes and service excellence. The initiatives are reviewed by the judges in line with evidence of the impact they have had on both clients and the profession as a whole. The judges look for a Practice Pioneer who not only has expertise in their field but who also shows a genuinely innovative approach to the wider challenges facing the accounting profession.

“People traditionally think of accountancy as a numbers business, but in the SME market, it’s really a people’s business”

_{-Joint MD Nikki Adams}

It is therefore a great achievement and huge honour that Nikki and Nigel have won this award jointly, being recognised for their contribution at Ad Valorem and how this has impacted the wider accounting profession.

Nikki and Nigel are huge advocates of technology, whether it’s using Xero with our clients or Salesforce to streamline internal processes. The use of technology has enabled Ad Valorem to become a truly digital practice, utilising the best tech available to provide insight and advice to clients through enhanced collaboration. Although advocates of technology, Nikki and Nigel put enormous emphasis on the importance of humanising customer interactions. They have championed the development of our team, even in difficult times over the COVID period, to enable them to grow, build and support each other, whilst encouraging a collaborative approach across departments. This has led to a rounded customer experience where clients benefit from dealing with one point of contact, who liaises with specialist service areas internally.

Alongside their technology and internal process contributions at Ad Valorem, Nikki and Nigel also work closely with young people on their career development, working with students where they may not have been recognised for their academic performance, drawing on Nigel’s own background and experience. Nigel didn’t come into accountancy an easy way and it was only after being personality profiled that his abilities were revealed, and accountancy was suggested as a career path. Nigel spent 11 years juggling full-time employment and achieving his ACCA qualification. This start gave Nigel experience in many different areas: running his own gardening business, working in small and large practices, and gaining international experience while working in industry. Always challenging the accepted, Nigel has become a leading innovator in the small business sector and enjoys sharing his background across industry forums.

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Being a small family business ourselves, our culture and having a family feel is extremely important. Nikki’s focus on culture, passion for people and ability to build teams has created a dynamic workplace, inspiring collaboration and development. Nikki and Nigel have championed a new structure that enables career progression, that unlike the traditional “partner” based format, utilises a 6-member pod system with a clear pathway for individual development and growth. The pod system also enables us to keep the small family team feel, which we believe is key to our team and clients in the micro/SME sector.

All at Ad Valorem Group would like to take the opportunity to congratulate Nikki and Nigel for receiving such prestigious recognition.

 enquiries@advaloremgroup.uk  . 01908 219100 . advaloremgroup.uk . @AdValoremGroup