Celebrating 120 years of Mercer & Hole; a people-centric legacy 

Paul Maberly reflects on the 120 year celebrations at Mercer & Hole

What do Wembley stadium and Mercer & Hole have in common? At first glance, well, not a lot! However, if you dig deeper in the history of both, we’ve both hosted talent, served our clients, been recognised as a leading brand in our field and brought people together so it made sense to hold our 120 year celebrations at this historic venue. 

It’s not just an opportunity to celebrate a milestone but to look back on how far we have come, reflect on the obstacles we have surmounted, and think about what we value the most about our firm.  

At Mercer & Hole, we have come a long way from our humble beginnings in a tiny office above where the Peahen is now situated in St Albans providing local clients with bookkeeping services. Accounting looked so different 120 years ago. The early Mercer & Hole office will have used the standard double-entry bookkeeping in physical ledgers, some of which have survived today. Now, everything is computerised with real-time data analytics to enable our clients to make shrewd financial decisions. Bookkeeping is still a part of a now wide range of services we offer clients from tax planning and audit and business advisory right through to forensic accounting associated with company mergers and acquisitions.  

When we take the time to look back, perhaps the common theme running through is how the firm has adapted to an ever-changing world to continue to operate and provide our clients with accounting services that serve their needs. To thrive, we have had to adapt, to keep ahead of the game in terms of harnessing new technology and methodology so that we can offer the services our clients want and need. 

We have also changed in terms of reach. Our first office was providing local clients with help. We are now four offices, and we are still very much part of the local community in each area supporting local businesses, charities and football clubs. But our reach is global in conjunction with our alliance with The International Accounting Group (TIAG), and with the international expertise and knowledge of many of our senior members meaning that we can fully serve our clients with international accounting needs.  

It is true that as a firm, that we have a lot to be proud of when we look back at our legacy. However, when asked for their thoughts about the firm and what they feel we have most to offer, our team stated that it is the people that make Mercer & Hole and perhaps this is the foundation for our 120-year legacy. We are most proud of the environment we have cultivated that puts people first. Initially, the way in which we interact with each other at the firm; to support each other in our work and training and also to enable everyone to have a balance between work and home life. Our firm is truly diverse in terms of male/female partner ratio and team members from different backgrounds and life experiences – which is very important to us. 

Our culture within the firm has translated into how we work with our clients. Everything we do is centred around a personal approach which is perhaps even more important now in an age which is fully automated and at times, impersonal. In that first small St Albans office, we would have predominantly spoken face-to-face with clients. We might have come a long way from then, but the personal touch is something we haven’t lost.  

So, what will the future bring? It’s hard to predict what will happen but, judging by our legacy, we will continue to adapt and change to reflect local and global shifts in technology, legislation, and economic development. And the one thing that won’t change is our dedication to providing a people-focussed and supportive environment for the members of our firm, the communities we work alongside and, of course, our clients.  

Watch the highlights from this event below.