BDO announces national office expansions, starting with Sydney

After experiencing strong growth in recent years, BDO Australia is kicking off a series of national office moves, beginning with the Sydney office this month.

The firm revealed it would expand its Sydney CBD presence this June as the office had seen a doubling of revenue over the past five years to more than $188 million, with over 800 partners and staff, up from below 500 in 2021.

Tony Schiffmann, BDO chief executive partner, said the new office would grow the office footprint by 69 per cent in the Sydney market and would be followed by a national office increase of nearly 50 per cent when BDO’s Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide offices move later this year.

“Our office moves signal our commitment to both our clients and our people as we continue to make significant investments as part of our growth agenda,” he said.

“BDO’s standout people-centric culture is becoming well-understood in the market, leading to a surge in interest in BDO, an influx of lateral hires, and higher retention rates even as market conditions continue to change. This growth is perfectly complemented by our new office spaces, designed to foster collaboration, connectivity, and innovation.”

Along with the firm’s growth, it reported that while flexible working arrangements would remain in place, there had been an uptick in staff attendance, further driving it to upgrade its office spaces.

The new Sydney office was noted to have been selected based on its connectivity for both clients and employees, which was a key factor in the decision-making process.

Grant Saxon, BDO NSW managing partner, said it was important that the new premises had collaborative spaces and premium amenities to supplement the firm’s culture and success.

“The design of the office is also critical in ‘earning the commute’ so that staff have an incentive to come together and collaborate in a sustainable environment with amenities that encourage agility and a positive work culture,” he said.

“We understand that the benefits that come with flexibility and face-to-face contact will only be realised if we create an enticing destination, so we have invested in quality amenities that will make our workspace unique.”

The Sydney office expansion was set to be followed by BDO’s Brisbane office, which was projected to grow by 15 per cent once it relocated, the Melbourne office was projected to almost double and Adelaide would grow by over 40 per cent.