Simon is the founder of ForrestBrown and has been a major driving force behind much of our success so far.
Having started his career working with Deloitte London and then PwC Bristol, Simon was appointed to senior tax roles in a boutique tax consultancy and then a regional accountancy practice. Simon spotted the opportunity to positively disrupt the R&D tax relief industry and deliver targeted advice to innovative companies in 2013, and the ForrestBrown journey began.
Simon was keen to build a business that took a fresh approach to delivering both client satisfaction and employee engagement. His founding values were difference, opportunity and excellence, and these values remain as important as ever to ForrestBrown.
Over the next five years, Simon built a talented, multi-disciplinary team of chartered tax advisers, accountants, lawyers, industry sector specialists and former HMRC inspectors.
This took the business from a disruptive industry startup to a full service, specialist R&D tax consultancy, covering all aspects of the incentive. ForrestBrown became renowned for its technical expertise, excellent service and commitment to innovation – a reputation we still proudly uphold.
Under Simon’s leadership and after a strong period of growth, ForrestBrown was named Best Independent Tax Consultancy at the Taxation Awards in 2016 and again in 2018. In the same year, ForrestBrown was acquired by alliantgroup, the largest tax incentive consultancy in the US.
Simon remained in the role of managing director until July 2021 when he handed the reins over to Sara Brigden. Simon continues to work closely with alliantgroup and remains a vocal champion of R&D tax relief, having witnessed first-hand the positive impact it can have on helping innovative companies grow.
