Every office retains its DNA
The 5 new accountancy firms are very diverse and each has its own reasons for joining PIA Group. However, they do share one motivation: within PIA Group they can maintain their approach and way of working. Patrice Pichâ, office partner at Fiduciaire Renson, on the subject: “We were not looking for a standard solution but a partner who respects who we are and how we work. PIA Group gave us the guarantee that our family character and our DNA would be preserved while at the same time preparing us for the future.”
The PIA approach: don’t fix what isn’t broken
This is what sets us apart from other players in the consolidation movement within the accountancy sector,” emphasises Steven Brouckaert. “The growth of these firms is based on their own DNA, with their own vision and approach that resonates with both their clients and staff. We would be foolish to discard that. Our motto is ‘don’t fix what isn’t broken’. PIA Group aims to foster the entrepreneurial spirit of its branch offices and use its supporting services to create a new growth dynamic. The office partners join the overarching shareholder structure and remain the face of their office.”
Essential support
PIA Group provides support in a number of areas that may not be at the heart of its accountancy mission but that are nonetheless essential for business, such as digitalisation and HR. “The accountancy world is undergoing a profound transition,” says Laurent Cherpion, office partner at PME Assistance/DCA/DTAX. “On the one hand, there is extensive automation, of which Peppol is only a first step. On the other hand, AI has also entered the sector.” Gunther Kerkhof, office partner at Accofisc, concurs: “This requires knowledge and investments that would be too challenging for our office alone. Within PIA Group we fully benefit from the group’s economies of scale. The increasingly complex legislation is also better addressed through collaboration.”
More time for the client
While benefiting from economies of scale, each office retains a personal approach to its customers. “At PIA Group we call this the best of both worlds,” says Nathalie Calle, CEO of PIA Group BeLux. “The support from PIA Group gives our offices more room to provide their clients with a deeper and broader spectrum of services.” Sebastien Demaître, office partner at Warfid, confirms: “We want to keep doing what we have been doing with such focus, but faster and even better”, he says with a smile. “The biggest benefit of the PIA Group’s shared services is that they allow us to place maximum focus on client support.” Yannick De Smedt of DSM Consulting sees another benefit: “Hiring new staff to continue servicing our growing client base in the same personal way is a struggle. Recruitment is another area where we can now rely on the support of PIA Group.”
International ambitions
PIA Group looks beyond Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the three markets where the accountancy, advisory and audit group is currently active. Founder Steven Brouckaert still sees many growth opportunities in the rest of Europe. “Even though each European country has its own characteristics when it comes to accountancy, the challenges are quite similar. We expect to announce the first acquisitions in new countries in the near future.” Benjamin Biesmans, Investment Director at family office Baltisse, which invests in PIA Group, confirms this intention. “When it comes to accountancy, advisory and audit, all European SMEs share the same needs: a personal approach, Value-Added Services and the right technological facilitation. Thanks to PIA Group’s support, the branch offices can provide their clients with these three elements in a future-proof manner.” The international management of PIA Group, led by Group CEO Tom Verhaegen, is already in place to give the first branches in these new markets immediate access to the benefits of scale and support of PIA Group.
About PIA Group
In a market based on economies of scale, PIA Group aims to be a leading international provider of accountancy, audit and advisory services whilst retaining a personal connection between its staff and clients. We therefore drive our growth forward with a continuously expanding group of enterprising partners. The mutual interaction between those partners and our expert teams enables each PIA office to offer entrepreneurs tailored up-to-date services and expertise that genuinely contribute to their professional success and personal happiness. PIA Group was founded in Belgium in 1999 by Steven Brouckaert. The group operates in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, with a total of more than 150 branches and 3,500 staff across these three countries. In 2025, PIA Group achieved a revenue of 440 million euros in the Benelux.
www.piagroup.company
