DJH appoints new Director to drive Altrincham expansion

One of the North West’s fastest growing accountancy and professional services firms has announced a major new hire.

DJH, which is backed by private equity firm Tenzing, has appointed Colette Lennon to help drive growth at its Altrincham office, with the focus on creating stronger local networks and delivering additional services, such as specialist tax and estate planning and dedicated HR support.

The experienced accountant has already set the target of increasing revenues by 10% to £2.4m in her first twelve months and is keen to explore how she can help business owners and SMEs grow in this difficult climate, as well as supporting the host of academy schools the firm has worked with for years.

She is also hugely passionate about ‘people’ and ensuring there is a culture in place that gives individuals the chance to continuously learn and reach their full potential, whilst having a positive impact on the local community.

“There is so much more we can be doing in Altrincham and Hale and we’re relishing the opportunity to become part of the business fabric of the area,” explained Colette, who spent four years in Brussels working with a large American company using her bilingual French skills.

“As part of DJH, we have access to so many more specialist services in tax planning, capital allowances, R&D, estate planning and wills, and corporate finance under one roof. This not only enhances the service we offer our existing clients but will hopefully help us attract new ones.”

She continued: “I’m a firm believer in taking time to understand exactly what businesses and individuals need from us. We were good at this before, but we’re now going to be even better, and the reality is companies and organisations need a professional services partner they can really rely on to cut through the complicated maze of government policy changes and economic uncertainty.”

Colette has been involved in accountancy for nearly 30 years, starting her career in Brussels before returning to Ireland to complete her professional qualifications and work at the family practice for over a decade.

Born in County Cavan, she relocated to South Manchester in 2015 and, prior to joining DJH, was Client Director at Bennett Brooks for eight years.

“I really want to raise our profile in the local area, and we are encouraging our team to play an active role in community events, volunteering and using their skills to benefit others,” added Colette.

“This isn’t just empty rhetoric; it’s already starting to happen. For instance, we’ve become one of the first organisations to agree to pilot ‘Wise Up’ mentoring programme in the region, a programme where we will provide five young people with special educational needs access to work experience and developments opportunities.”

DJH has completed thirteen acquisitions in four years, with the firm growing to a multidisciplinary team of 640 people across the North West, Yorkshire, Midlands and the South East.

The Altrincham office, which is based on Ashley Road in Hale, has been in the group since September 2023 and currently provides audit, accounting, tax, estate planning and specialist business advisory services to SMEs, large companies and private clients.

From here, a team of twenty-eight experienced professionals are known for specialising in education, property, manufacturing, education and the wider not-for-profit sector.

James Beardmore, Chief Operating Officer at DJH, concluded. “It is great to have Colette on board. She has a real passion for delivering the best possible service for clients and creating the best possible working environment for our team.

“This, I’m sure, will position our Altrincham office as go-to partners for business owners and private clients in South Manchester, playing a key role in our expansion across the North West.”