Derek has been a Chartered Accountant since 1994. He is one of two partners at Pinkham Blair, a general practice which he cofounded in 2004. The business specialises in assisting “corporate refugees” – those who have left large organisations to set up their own business.
Graduating from Essex University in Accountancy, Finance & Economics, Derek joined BDO in 1990 as an audit trainee, before moving to a small firm, Charles Rippon & Turner, based in Willesden Green, London, where he qualified as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant. From there, he moved to Morgan Brown & Spofforth (MBS) in Clerkenwell as an audit manager and became a partner in 2001, focussing mostly on corporate finance projects. MBS subsequently became the founding firm of Vantis plc, an AIM-listed consolidator, where Derek remained until co-founding Pinkham Blair.
Derek was born in Chester and grew up in the village of Rowton. He holds a keen interest in military history and enjoys touring battlefields. He serves as Honorary Treasurer of the Army Records Society and previously as Honorary Treasurer of the Western Front Association. He is also a member of several military history societies. He is also a season ticket holder to Saracens Rugby Club. He is married to Sue, a GP practice nurse, with whom he has two children. He will serve as ICAEW President from June 2025 to June 2026
