Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has been selected by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and UKTI to accompany Boris Johnson and a number of international trade delegations for mid-market companies over the last few months.
BDO was selected as ‘advisers of choice’ because of the firm’s widespread experience of working with mid-market businesses. Arbinder Chatwal was handpicked by the London Mayor’s Office to be BDO’s official representative at the three trade delegations in Mumbai, Punne, Boston and New York organised by the GLA, and at a fourth in Delhi organised by UKTI.
Chatwal explains: “The events are designed to promote British business opportunities overseas and for UK businesses to understand the importance of effective marketing in these countries.
“Alongside the British consulate, we have managed to secure opportunities for UK businesses to pitch to major firms. So far delegates from the trip to the US sourced $8.5m funding from a US private equity house.”
Gordon Innes, CEO of London & Partners, was a member of the India delegation. He comments: “London & Partners is committed to supporting the Mayor’s Office for Export, as well as our commercial partners BDO and UKTI in delivering this valuable programme for SME’s to gain an insight to operating in the Indian marketplace. Assisting these businesses to improve their export capacity and capability will help deliver valuable jobs and growth for the UK economy.”
“Brand Britain has never been stronger and there is a lot of appetite in the market for British companies at the moment,” says Chatwal. “There is equally a lot of support from the government, and from experienced advisers such as BDO and we invite companies to get in touch with us if they are serious about expanding abroad, so we can signpost them.”
