RSM Tenon

Tenon was one of the first accountancy firms in the United Kingdom, not wholly owned by its partners, being a public limited company (PLC) listed on the Alternative Investment Market. It was formed as a "consolidator", inviting existing small local accountancy partnerships to join it and become part of a national company.

It acquired five firms in April 2001 for £60 million, making it the 15th largest and the first PLC in the United Kingdom league table of accountancy firms.[2] In practice, the company found it difficult to integrate these businesses, and its share price dropped to 6.25p in 2003, following the dot-com bubble.[3]

When Tenon was launched, financial audit could not be carried out by a PLC, so the auditors from the predecessor firms formed an associated partnership known as Blueprint Audit.[4] The rules requiring strict separation were relaxed in March 2005.[5] Tenon's public image was characterised by Accountancy Age magazine in April 2010, as "quirky but recognisable entrepreneurial based branding".[3]

RSM Bentley Jennison was a British firm of Chartered Accountants, founded in 1984 by David Bentley and John Jennison. It had over 1,000 staff in fifteen offices around the United Kingdom in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Harrogate, Leeds, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Solent, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon and Telford. It was ranked #14 in the accountancy league table of 2007, of chartered accountants and business advisors.

Bentley Jennison secured a place in the RSM Global network when the original member, Robson Rhodes, merged with Grant Thornton in April 2007. The weekly industry journal Accountancy Age noted that Bentley Jennison had beaten larger rivals to gain this position.[6]

Tenon announced in December 2009 that it was merging with RSM Bentley Jennison in a £76 million deal.[7] Andy Raynor, chief executive of Tenon, initially headed the enlarged firm. The former national managing partner, Tony Stockdale, and other senior staff at RSM Bentley Jennison joined the PLC Board as Executive Directors.[8] RSM branding replaced Tenon's. The firm announced some rationalisation of offices, but planned to expand in Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds.[3]

In February 2010, the Financial Services Authority imposed a £700,000 fine for mis selling of structured finance products by Tenon.[9] RSM Tenon's shares moved up from the AIM to the main United Kingdom London Stock Exchange in May 2010. It is the first accountancy firm to be listed there.[10]

At the end of June 2010, RSM Tenon paid £6.8 million to acquire several offices from rival consolidator Vantis, when the latter entered administration and was broken up. The acquired businesses had a turnover of £27 million in the preceding year,[11] and contributed to a 31% increase in turnover for the year ended June 2011.[12]

PwC, as the auditor of the company, was fined in August 2017 for misconduct in the course of approving the accounts for the accounting year 2010/11, failing to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence and [...] to exercise sufficient professional scepticism.[13]

In January 2012, the firm warned of losses "due to pricing pressures amid a difficult economy". Raynor, and the firm's chairman Bob Morton, stepped down.[14] Adrian Martin became Chairman, and Chris Merry was appointed CEO in February 2012.[15] At the end of that month, the firm released half year results showing a loss after a £60 million goodwill write off.[1]

In the aftermath of the company's administration, former finance director Russell McBurnie was excluded from the accountancy profession for five years and fined £57,000 for his part in the listed accountancy firm’s downfall. He was also required to pay £825,000 towards the Financial Reporting Council’s investigative costs.[16]