Q&A with Gunhild Dam Private Client Partner

We sat down with Gunhild Dam, Private Client Partner, to delve a bit deeper into her new role, what’s new , what makes us special, what the future holds as part of AAB Group, and more…

Congratulations on being promoted to Private Client Partner earlier this year! What has your career looked like to date?

Thank you! Well, I joined about five or six years ago as a Senior Manager after working at one of the ‘Big Four’ for a long time. At first, I was dedicated to servicing clients in aspects of complex tax advisory, and then in the years following I gradually took on an increased role in the leadership of the Private Client & Trust team and in Leeds and, from there, progressed to the stage where I’m at now.

What are the key responsibilities of your position?

My main responsibility is overseeing our large Private Client team here in Leeds.

I ensure that we deliver outstanding service to our clients and work continuously to widen the offerings that we can bring to them – really making use of the capabilities we now have as part of AAB Group. Being part of the Group has really expanded the depth of our expertise and capacity, particularly when it comes to servicing international clients, as well as larger clients/business owners, and private clients through the AAB Corporate Finance team and AAB Wealth respectively.

The addition of the US tax practice is also a huge plus for a number of our clients in terms of both compliance and advisory capabilities.

What aspect of it are you most enjoying?

One of the things I’m enjoying the most is developing the team to widen their capabilities and broaden the type of work they do.

Being able to access and harness the expertise across the Group is a fantastic benefit for the team, and will help them to develop and be able to take on more challenging roles and opportunities.

Leveraging the strengths of each business unit within the Group means we are all able to service a bigger group of clients from all locations. So, naturally, it’s a very exciting time!

Is there anything new or different that you’re introducing in your role as Partner?

Some of the real strengths we have in Leeds lie in the work we do for Trusts and Family Investment Companies. We have quite unique expertise within these areas and being able to offer a broader and deeper level of service means we’ve been able to attract even more clients over the last 18 months, which we’ll keep building on.

Additionally, with the access to wider expertise that AAB Group offers in mind, I think one of the most important things that I’m helping introduce is the ability for us to work much more seamlessly across offices. Doing so gives team members the opportunity to see something a bit different to what they’ve done before and affords more of a chance to learn from each other.

What’s the most important thing you do for your clients?

The most important things I do for clients are: enable them to develop and plan for their future; help them understand how their tax affairs affect those plans; and provide for them that peace of mind that everything’s in order and their affairs are well looked after. We make sure there are no nasty surprises for our clients – they can trust us to always stay ahead of the curve on any changes that might affect them, so that they don’t have to worry about it.

What do you think it is that makes The team special?

The cornerstone of the firm has always been to look after the clients as well as possible, and to do the same for the team. People – both clients and our team members – are at the heart of everything we do, and I think that really shows. We have an amazingly long service record; team members and clients alike stay with the firm for a really long time. It’s a testament to the level and consistency of care and attention we give to our clients.

We’re about to enter a new year! What do you think lies ahead over the next 12 months? And beyond?

Post-merger and the integration efforts that have been put in in the last couple of years, I think the key focus now is really for us to ensure that both the clients and the team understand and utilise the additional benefits that the group offers.

This is both in terms of those areas that we can now help advise clients on, and building on what we were already doing. Collaboration is going to be key to the continuing expansion of what we can offer, and for the team to make the most of the increasing career development opportunities.

We are increasingly working across the other AAB offices, which brings more opportunities to work and collaborate with different people across various fields and sectors. It also allows more chances to increase efficiency around processes and systems, freeing up our people to spend more time exploring more interesting work.

It’s exciting to be part of a group where we can directly influence decision making and help shape the business going forward.  AAB Group values its people above all else, so we contribute to the direction and growth of the Group as a whole, and we all move forward together.

Visit Gunhild’s profile to find out more about her.