INSPIRATIONAL LEADER: DANIEL SOPHER
Daniel leads Sopher + Co
into new territory Daniel Sopher is well qualified to speak about the subject of effective leadership in business. He became managing partner of Sopher + Co Chartered Accountants in 2014 and since then has overseen strong growth at the firm, which has also increased staff numbers from 90 to 150 in that time.
In recent years we’ve grown from a boutique family business to a thriving medium-sized enterprise. One of the key challenges has been to get the right balance between being nimble and agile and having systems and processes in place so that the business can run effectively.
According to Daniel, a good leader should try to give staff as much autonomy to do their jobs as possible, but within a clearly defined framework or structure. He says: “In recent years we’ve grown from a boutique family business to a thriving medium-sized enterprise. One of the key challenges has been to get the right balance between being nimble and agile and having systems and processes in place so that the business can run effectively. “I try to give my staff the freedom to make decisions and do their job efficiently but I’m also careful to ensure that they follow the necessary systems and processes. They’re in place to guide staff and help them do their jobs to the best of their ability. “I trust my staff to do the right things. This trust is vital as I don’t want to spend all of my time micro-managing. Someone who runs a business, particularly one with 150 staff, has to learn to delegate and take a strategic view of things.” Daniel specialises in both corporate and personal tax. His expertise lies within the private client sphere, advising high net worth individuals (HNWIs), non-domiciles, families, entrepreneurs and their businesses across many sectors including the media and entertainment industry.
Daniel’s major strength is his ability to foresee and bring to the table a full range of possible issues and outcomes for clients, providing creative yet pragmatic and commercial solutions to complex matters. Having recognised the changing nature of the role of tax advisor, Daniel most recently trained in mediation, helping clients resolve their differences without causing rifts in family relationships. Within this context, much of his mediation work involves resolving disputes over business ownership and succession issues in relation to how a business will be run by the next generation. Daniel became a partner in Sopher + Co in 2010 and has been running the firm since 2014. Coming through the pandemic was a challenge but he kept staff motivated by running online quizzes and social events, and he ensured that everyone had the set-up necessary to service clients from home. The plan now is to go for further growth and expand Sopher + Co’s range of services, which already include advice on taxation, moving to and from the UK, business planning, and cloudbased or digital accounting solutions. Daniel says: “Our teams of accountants, tax advisors and business advisors pride themselves on our entrepreneurial approach to our clients’ personal and business affairs based on trust and expert advice. We pride ourselves on our ability to offer ‘Big Four’ advice at reasonable prices. “I’d like to think that we’re innovative and forward-thinking. We’ll always be flexible and adapt our services to our clients’ changing needs.”
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