PIA Group expands its activities to the Netherlands and enters into a strategic collaboration with Brouwers Accountants

Since 2012 PIA Group has implemented a buy and build strategy in Belgium under the inspiring leadership of founder Steven Brouckaert. From day one it was PIA Group’s ambition to become the leading player in accountancy and advisory services to SMEs. The Ghent-based group opted for a singular proposition that combines the best of two worlds: economies of scale combined with a personal, people-centric approach.

“This market approach is unique, not just in Belgium but in other European countries as well”, Steven Brouckaert emphasises. “Every joining firm retains its name and individual character. PIA Group regards joining partners as entrepreneurs and we respect them as such. Instead of altering their DNA we help them expand their branch within the organisation”.

PIA Group supports and unburdens its branches amongst others in the areas of Operations, Human Resources, IT & Digitalisation, Finance and Marketing. In addition partners can also call on PIA Group’s advisory experts, whose knowledge delivers significant added value to SME customers. All these services are offered from the head office in Ghent, where a team of experts is available full-time to assist the local branches. This support is what drives the common growth. And with success. Today PIA Group boasts 41 branches and over 700 employees.

Brouwers Accountants, the strategic partner of PIA Group in the Netherlands, shares a lot of similarities with PIA Group. Most of Brouwers’ customers are also SMEs. And as in the PIA Group, the entrepreneur approach is central to their philosophy. This is how the accountancy firm describes its vision: “we are entrepreneurs alongside the entrepreneur, without sitting in your chair.”

Brouwers Accountants was founded in 1988 in Zwolle by Han Brouwers. He developed the firm into a well-established player on the Dutch market. In recent years, their well-thought-out strategic vision and high-quality service resulted in strong organic growth. Moreover, Brouwers Accountants themselves also completed a number of takeovers. Today the company also has branches in Amsterdam, Apeldoorn, Genemuiden and Deventer. For the day-to-day management Han can now also rely on his son Ewout Brouwers, who recently returned to the fold after a career at, among others, KPMG and Picnic. “I couldn’t put my energy to optimum use in those large companies. So I thought: why not change the industry I started out in?”, Ewout explains. “The strategic collaboration with PIA Group is a wonderful opportunity to pass the baton from father to son”, Han confirms.

Brouwers Accountants joins the newly established company PIA Nederland, which will act as the centre of operations for the further expansion. In other words, all the building blocks for rapid growth are present. A consolidation wave is also sweeping the Dutch accountancy and advisory market.

Ewout Brouwers and Steven Brouckaert are on the same page with regard to the importance of offering future takeover candidates a genuine alternative to full integration. “I wasn’t enthusiastic about the prospect of an Excel-driven approach that is all about the numbers”, says Ewout. “In my vision there will still be ample room for local entrepreneurship after the takeover and strong brands can continue their activities without complex partnership structures. When Steven Brouckaert was introduced to us, there was an instant connection. I felt that the PIA Group’s approach could also work in the Netherlands in spite of the differences between our respective markets.

Steven Brouckaert adds: “That’s true, the Netherlands are much more of an advice-oriented country and they are also much further along in the digitalisation process. But the personal relationship between customer and employee remains crucial in that context as well. We are confident there is room in the Netherlands for our unique combination of economies of scale and a people-centric approach”.

From now on Brouwers Accountants will operate on the Dutch market under the motto ‘powered by PIA Group’. The plan is to expand the group in the near future with high-quality branches. Ewout and Steven, and initially also Han, will focus on the central management and takeovers of PIA Group in the Netherlands. Just like in Belgium, PIA Group wants to support its partners in the areas of Operations, Human Resources, IT & Digitalisation, Finance and Marketing. For this purpose the Dutch management team will be expanded with domain experts.

In addition, the branches can call on the expertise of the PIA Advisory Team in the Netherlands. Brouwers Accountants has a sizeable team of advisors at the ready to provide future branches with the necessary specialist knowledge.

At the same time the cooperating parties are planning to benefit from their partnership in other areas as well, such as the sharing of software, data and sector knowledge as well as cross-border market insights.

The strategic partnership marks the first stage of the group’s ambitious plans for the future. Steven Brouckaert: “With PIA Group Nederland we are introducing our DNA in a market with great potential to subsequently realise additional takeovers but organic growth is just as important. This is why we are joining forces with Brouwers Accountants and why in the future we will also invest in the other branches with which we are already in discussion.

Together PIA Group and Brouwers Accountants realise a turnover in excess of 85 million euros with a total of 850 employees.

Baltisse, the investor behind PIA Group, is very excited about this new step by Steven Brouckaert and PIA Group: “We are fully invested in the story Steven is writing with PIA Group. PIA Group is an environment for entrepreneurs who believe in the future and who have the energy to contribute to building it. For us the rollout of this concept in the Netherlands confirms the international potential we always felt was there. Together with Steven we are eyeing other markets as well.”

The ambitions of PIA Group have also caused a shift at the head of the Belgian component of the accountancy and advisory group. Steven Brouckaert becomes Executive Chairman, passing the CEO torch to Nathalie Calle. She has been with PIA Group since September 2021 after a career including stints at USG and Vandelanotte. “In the future I want to deepen my focus on the Belgian and international M&A ambitions of PIA Group. Naturally, in the background I will continue to project our DNA”, Steven explains. “With Nathalie Calle, PIA Group Belgium will be headed by someone who knows the company inside out. As COO she was the driving force behind a number of crucial steps our organisation has taken this past year. In her new role she will have every opportunity to further develop her vision. I am confident she will be a fantastic CEO and I am leaving my baby - because that is what PIA Group is - in safe hands.”

Nathalie Calle is honoured: “I am very happy with this new challenge. PIA Group is a wonderful company with great potential. I am looking forward to expanding it together with the rest of the team. Collaboration has always been at the heart of my approach and that will also be the case in my new role.”