BDO hires 37 new employees from Grant Thornton - a strategic coup?

‍

BDO is strengthening its position in the Next Six competition: a 37-strong team, including five partners, is moving from Grant Thornton to Düsseldorf - a clear move in the battle for market share and expertise.

BDO expands international tax consulting

BDO's Düsseldorf office is gaining a 37-strong team, which will primarily work in the Tax & Legal department. This includes five partners, all of whom are joining BDO from competitor Grant Thornton. "It's great that we can look forward to this concentrated support," explains Dirk Elbert, Partner at BDO and responsible for the aforementioned business areas. With this step, BDO is expanding its expertise in international tax advice in particular - a field that is becoming increasingly relevant in the wake of global tax reforms such as Pillar 2.

Grant Thornton loses key personnel

For Grant Thornton, the move is a bitter loss, as the team has expertise in key areas of the company. Christina Busch, the previous head of the Düsseldorf office and the International division at Grant Thornton, is also joining BDO. The experienced commercial lawyer and tax consultant can look back on more than 15 years at Grant Thornton, where she led the US desk and the International Tax Steering Committee, among other things. Her focus is on international tax issues and the implementation of Pillar 2 requirements.

Another new addition is Harald Müller, who is making the move to BDO after almost three decades at Grant Thornton. The transfer pricing specialist has been a partner since 1997 and has focused on advising global corporations.

Ira Rave, who has worked at Grant Thornton for over 22 years, is also moving to BDO. She brings with her extensive knowledge of advising medium-sized companies on income tax and VAT, particularly in the areas of transportation and logistics. At BDO, she will take over and further develop the "Transportation & Logistics" industry group.

BDO consolidates position as Big Four chaser

The change is a further step for BDO to establish itself as a leading auditing firm beyond the Big Four. Andrea Bruckner and Parwäz Rafiqpoor have led the company since 2023 and were able to achieve a turnover of 404 million euros in the first financial year under their leadership - a record. With the addition of the Grant Thornton team, BDO is not only strengthening its expertise, but also its position in the highly competitive Next Six market.

For Grant Thornton, on the other hand, the departure is a setback. The firm had already lost a partner and team to RSM Ebner Stolz in January. Although Grant Thornton has also been able to gain new teams in recent months - including a 19-strong team from Rödl & Partner - the loss of long-standing partners and their networks is a heavy blow.

Conclusion: A strategic move with a signal effect

The move of the 37-strong team from Grant Thornton to BDO is more than just a change of personnel - it is a strategic coup that shifts the balance of power in the Next Six competition. BDO is once again demonstrating its ambition to position itself as an alternative to the Big Four. For Grant Thornton, on the other hand, it is a wake-up call to rethink its own position and arm itself against further departures.

‍