When the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced her budget in Autumn last year, there was one surprise. Following a consultation on raising standards in the tax advice market, it was widely expected that the industry would face some form of regulation, but no such announcement was made. The news was disappointing, as poor service standards, especially in R&D tax relief claims, are unfortunately all too common.
At Leyton UK, we believe in raising professional standards to their highest possible level. While formal regulation from the UK Government may still come at some point in the future, we don’t believe clients should have to wait for higher standards. It’s why we support our employees through funding professional qualifications in finance, leadership and project management.
It’s also why we’ve invested time in aligning our consultants’ professional development with internationally recognised standards. Last year, we announced that our Consulting Essentials Mastery Programme had received Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC) accreditation from the CMI, the highest status that can be awarded in the management consultancy profession.
Why Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC) accreditation matters for our clients
As well as offering our employees a route to professional recognition, the accreditation reassures our clients that they are in safe hands, working with highly qualified advisors who care about doing things the right way. It also supports our wider focus on client experience, raising standards, quality and best practice so they can have nothing but confidence in the advice they receive.
“Chartered Management Consultant status rewards consistency, high levels of professional competence and achievement. The accreditation is a testament to both the high standards of our consultant training programme and, of course, our brilliant consultants themselves,” explained Claudia Grant, Head of Consultant Learning and Leadership Development at Leyton UK.
“It’s also an important differentiator in a market where standards can vary considerably. Our accreditation means that we’re able to present a clear benchmark that shows we’re committed to quality, best practice and doing things properly,” she added.
Meeting the accreditation standards from the CMI
To achieve this accreditation, we underwent a rigorous mapping exercise to ensure that our internal training met the CMI’s Chartered Management Consultant competency framework, covering:
● Values, ethics and behaviours: Grounding every decision in a strong code of standards and professional integrity.
● Leadership management: Demonstrating the ability to lead teams and manage effectively.
● Client operating environment: Applying deep technical knowledge and sector expertise to deliver strategic value for our clients.
● Personal and professional development: A commitment to lifelong learning, inclusivity, and developing high intellectual and emotional intelligence.
Understanding that our consultants join us at different stages of their careers, our accreditation allows us to offer two distinct routes to recognition:
● Associate: for those who are earlier in their management consultancy careers, who must show their ability to fully contribute technically and functionally both as an individual and as part of a management consulting team.
● Chartered: where consultants must demonstrate their significant experience through effectively leading and managing solutions, assignments, work streams, teams and resources.
We support our consultants at every stage of this career journey through our Consulting Essentials Mastery Programme, which sets out professional development milestones from consultant level all the way through to director.
Once a consultant has built a solid foundation with at least two years of experience, they are typically ready for Associate status. From there, they continue to sharpen their expertise through our leadership development and consultant coaching programmes, preparing them to achieve full Chartership after four or more years of experience.
Backing our brilliant people
We work with brilliant people from all types of scientific, technical, engineering and accounting backgrounds, many of whom are already highly qualified. For example, one of our directors, Mohamed-Amine Lechgar, has a degree in computer science and years of experience working as a software developer.
“What makes this accreditation so meaningful to me is that it goes beyond technical expertise. It stands for the principles I believe truly define good consultancy: ethics, leadership, and continuous development,” said Mohamed-Amine.
Rebecca Black, associate director, has a first class degree in accounting and finance and is a highly experienced Chartered Accountant (ICAEW).
“Becoming a Chartered Management Consultant is a huge milestone in my career,” said Rebecca. “I’m committed to high standards, and I always want to be improving. I really value the fact that Leyton prioritises this kind of development just as much as I do.”
This sentiment is echoed across the team. Elena Karadzhova, International Consultant Director, brings an international perspective to what the chartership represents:“Becoming a Chartered Management Consultant represents a personal belief in continuous learning, self-improvement and growth. The chartership reflects my commitment to leading from the front and creating meaningful impact for clients and teams alike, along the way.”
Our ChMC accreditation is one of many prestigious awards that recognise our commitment to our people, following our accreditation as an Exceptional Learning Organisation by the Learning and Performance Institute, as well as our certification as a Great Place To Work.
Find your perfect career with Leyton UK.
