Azets, the international business advisory group, is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Yerbury to its Executive Committee as Group Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Richard is a seasoned business leader, with 25 years’ experience in senior roles within professional services. He has spent the past decade with insurance specialist Charles Taylor, most recently as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Charles Taylor Claims Solutions – International. He was also Global Chair of Charles Taylor Adjusting and served as Group COO between 2020 and 2022.

Prior to joining Charles Taylor, Richard worked at Bain and Company as a Principal in the Financial Services team, working on growth and transformation strategy for insurers, banks and private equity clients. He previously worked for Lloyds Banking Group and has a Master's degree in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

As Group COO, Richard will lead Azets’ group operations team across the UK, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Romania and Estonia. He will also provide leadership to Azets’ Business Unit CEOs and Nordic COO, Arne Norheim, with a focus on ensuring operational efficiency and continued high performance as the Group keeps growing at pace in line with its five-year plan to double in size to £1bn+ by 2027.

Richard Yerbury, newly appointed Azets Group COO, commented:

“I’m thrilled to join Azets during this phase of its growth journey and to keep building on the great platform the Group has established. My focus is on continuing to deliver efficiencies and operational excellence that enable our people to do a great job for our clients."

"Azets is a purpose-led organisation, and it’s important that as we grow at scale, we have the right strategy in tools in place to ensure we can improve the lives of our colleagues, clients, and communities, in a sustainable way. Azets’ strength is clearly in its people and the quality of its services, and I immediately saw a strong cultural fit."

Richard is the latest senior appointment to Azets’ Group Executive Committee, following Paula Darvell, who joined Azets as Group Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in October 2024, and Neil Martin, whose role as Interim Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) was confirmed as permanent in the same month.

Chris Horne, Azets Group CEO, said:

“We’re delighted to welcome Richard to Azets Group. Richard’s wealth of experience in leading complex operations and driving transformation across international markets will be invaluable as we continue to execute our ambitious growth strategy and deliver sustained outcomes for our clients. Richard’s strong focus on operational excellence and cultural alignment makes him an excellent addition to the leadership team, and I look forward to working closely with him.”

Azets was launched seven years ago in response to the digitalisation of financial compliance processes for businesses and their owners. It is backed by leading private equity investors PAI and Hg. The Group has grown to become one of the largest tech-enabled providers of business advisory, financial and accounting services globally.