About Us
Founded in April 1983 by Reginald and Ralph Wynniatt-Husey, to trade as Wynniatt-Husey Brothers, the firm located itself above a bookshop in Horsefair, Rugeley, Staffordshire. Ralph was a high powered consultant working mainly in the banking world. Reginald’s background had been with Price Waterhouse in London followed by nearly 20 years in industry including a period as financial controller of a plc quoted on the London Stock Exchange.
Sadly though Wynniatt-Husey Brothers had no clients! However, all was not lost as the bookshop owner, who had formerly been employed by Reginald in the gravel industry agreed to take in passing trade, whilst the two brothers worked with new found clients in Saudi Arabia. A small UK practice was acquired from a retiring sole trader in 1985 and Reginald moved back to the UK in 1987 at a time when the Saudi economy went into a sharp decline. Ralph very decently gave financial support during a very difficult period in the late 80’s but then the UK firm found its feet, became financially stable and has never looked back. The firm changed its name to Wynniatt-Husey Ltd in 2000 and Ralph dropped out.
Enter Alan Durose in 1989, with no practical experience but with a strong recommendation from a Mr Mick Worthington, a chartered accountant, to whom the firm looked for all its staff training. Alan soon showed his mettle and impressed Reginald immensely with his enthusiasm on taxation matters, and after a short spell working for another firm, returned to the fold in 2001.
In April 2003 Reginald stepped down as CEO, promoting Alan to that role, stood back as Chairman and reduced his hours as part of his retirement plan. By April 2003 the firm was well established having, at the time of becoming a limited company, bought a local practice from a practitioner who had decided to emigrate to Australia. The practice, under Alan’s leadership has since 2003 bought out two more local firms, continued to grow rapidly and acquired land to build two state of the art offices whose addresses are on our website. At about this time Iain McIntosh, another chartered accountant, joined the Board as a non-executive director.
Sadly none of the original 1983 WHB personnel remain, but now with more than 30 on the firm’s payroll some of our present team have been with us for more than 15 years. The firm is a training office for both ICAEW and ACCA students. All newcomers are encouraged to sit the professional examinations usually starting at AAT level.
Although the number of audits we do has shrunk due to the rise in the turnover thresholds, below which audits are not compulsory, the firm still retains its ICAEW audit licence, with several audits still in hand, and intends to continue specialising in this field. However, assurance reporting has become more of the order of the day in the changing times we live in and it is in this area that the firm is currently concentrating more of its efforts.