Change at the top at ForrestBrown as it aims for more growth in R&D tax market shake-up

Bristol research and development tax relief consultancy ForrestBrown has shuffled its senior management team – with founder Simon Brown becoming chairman – as it prepares for extensive changes in the sector. 

The  firm has grown rapidly since Simon, pictured, launched it as a disruptor in 2013 after identifying an acute need from innovative companies for highly targeted R&D tax credit advice.

It now has more than 120 staff and has delivered £500m-plus to enable research-heavy firms to continue to develop.

The management changes see Sara Brigden replace Simon as managing director with Lisa-Marie Smith becoming the new vice-chairman.

Sara, pictured,  will lead the business, handle day-to-day operations and drive performance to deliver its strategy to 2024 and beyond while Simon moves into an advisory role that will allow him to split his time between working closely with ForrestBrown’s US parent company alliantgroup, guiding the management team and building new external relationships with key opinion-formers and clients. 

ForrestBrown was acquired by alliantgroup, the premier provider of tax credits and incentives in the US, in 2018.

Sara joined ForrestBrown in 2016 as marketing manager and quickly progressed to head of marketing, before becoming a director in the leadership team.

She had previously accumulated considerable experience working both client-side and agency-side, including a role at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, working on its prestigious annual meeting in Davos-Klosters.

Sara said: “It’s a real honour to be taking the business forward at a time when there’s a real sea change underway in the sector. The new leadership structure at ForrestBrown coincides with the changing market conditions for the wider R&D tax landscape.

“As a result, I’m looking forward to leading the charge as we not only navigate HMRC’s new approach to R&D tax relief, but also continue to champion a very necessary level of increased professionalism in the industry. I think that being at the forefront of this is really powerful for ForrestBrown.”