The Spirit of an Olympian

Richard McNeilly tells Anna Cooper why he has his foot on the pedal as Dains heads for a big birthday in 2026

Hello Rainmakers,

You tell us that you love to hear from business leaders about how they made big decisions when they reach a strategic crossroads.

With that in mind Anna Cooper has a great piece for you today about Dains and how Horizon Capital turbocharged its impressive buy-and-build strategy.

In June of this year, Dains made its eighth and ninth acquisitions backed by Horizon, bringing NHS VAT specialists, CRS VAT and Scotland-based Condies Chartered Accountants into the group.

And key to it, is the influence of one of our great Olympians.

Enjoy.

THE SPIRIT OF AN OLYMPIAN

As Dains approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026, CEO Richard McNeilly is keeping his foot on the gas pedal.

With a bold vision to cement the firm’s position as a market leader in the SME space for accountancy and advisory services across the UK and Ireland, McNeilly has steered Dains through a period of rapid expansion. 

Private equity investment from Horizon Capital has fueled a series of mergers and acquisitions, tripling the firm’s size in less than three years.

Now with more than 700 staff and growing, Dains continues to thrive under McNeilly’s leadership and shows no signs of slowing down.