We Sift through the noise
to bring the best in content, events & marketing.
Our goal is to support accountants and bookkeepers with their everyday challenges and help them become more efficient, productive and profitable.
History
Since our founding in 1996, Sift has had a long legacy of creative, vibrant and passionate communities by delivering the best content and experiences.
Ever since the launch of AccountingWEB.co.uk 27 years ago, we’ve been passionate about the accounting and bookkeeping profession. In 2024, we made the important decision to focus exclusively on this sector.
We currently have a team of 47 people who are based predominantly in Bristol but also working remotely throughout the UK. We’re proud of the team we have created and the brands that we serve.
“Sift has always been a vibrant, creative and passionate place to be. There’s a lot of pride that goes into building a community and I’ve been a part of the journey for over 20 years.”
Our Values
Be human first
People buy people. We create online experiences that set the tone of a face-to-face meeting. We get to the heart of who our client is so that the audience makes an emotional connection.
Courage to evolve
The accounting industry isn’t keen on taking risks, but nothing changes if nothing changes. We offer support to help them evolve their brand to meet modern digital buyer behaviours.
Progress not perfection
Marketing is a process of change, measure and repeat. The world’s greatest brands are constantly moving forwards, focusing on moving quickly to measure what matters – doing what works and stopping what doesn’t.
Trust that creativity solves problems
Creativity allows us to help clients time and time again. We talk to a lot of people who do the same thing in similar ways. It’s our ability to tell stories and design beautiful brands that makes us an excellent choice.
Freedom to do our best work
We want every accountant to have the business that suits them, working with the right clients in the right way to do their best work. We want people to work to live, not live to work.
The Leadership team
We have some incredible talent across Sift, supported by a brilliant group of leaders and advisers.
Tom Dunkerley
Chief Executive
I’ve been at Sift for a while (over 20 years) and worked in the accounting and bookkeeping profession for all that time. I’m passionate about driving innovation, developing teams, and the potential of digital and AI. We have an incredible culture at Sift – it’s unique and powerful!
Fiona Tully
MD, PracticeWeb and Subscriptions
I’m on a mission to transform Sift’s subscription business; improving and developing products that our audiences and clients can’t live without. All of this is driven by our unique understanding of the real-world challenges facing UK accountants and bookkeepers.
Joanne Birtwistle
Editorial Director
My talented journalists and writers deliver unique and valuable content for accounting professionals. I oversee our editorial strategy, ensuring we grow our AccountingWEB audience and PracticeWeb client base by covering what they and their clients need to know to achieve career and business success.
Chris Wood
Chief Operating Officer
My team designs, delivers, supports, and optimises the technical systems that power Sift. My role involves overseeing operational infrastructure and digital platforms, while also driving forward the data strategy, ensuring Sift consistently delivers exceptional results to its clients.
Michelle Wood
People Director
I’ve been part of the Sift family since 2016, and my work focuses on supporting our incredible team and ensuring our values are at the heart of everything we do. I am passionate about ensuring our people feel valued, trusted, and able to bring their whole selves to work.
The Board
Stephen Farish
Chairman
As chairman of Sift, I leverage my extensive experience in media, marketing, and strategic development to guide our growth and innovation. I work closely with the CEO and board to enhance our digital and event services, ensuring we meet our ambitious goals and continue to provide high-quality content and services.
Ben Heald
Founder and Non-Exec Director
I’m the Co-founder and was the CEO of Sift until 2016, I launched AccountingWEB from my bedroom in 1997 and built Sift’s supportive and ‘believe in our people culture’. Loving being still actively involved in the company.
Louise White
Non-Exec Director
I help Sift build and deliver powerful subscription products that delight our customers. That piece of killer research that makes vendor content marketing sing. The website strategy that rockets a small accounting business into the big time. Sift subscription products have one thing in common; they help our customers make more money and delight their customers in return.
Andrew Evans
Non-Exec Director
I have spent most of my career in the live event industry, starting way back in the pre-digital age. I’ve launched numerous events in the b2b and b2c space, working with both large-scale corporations and small-scale private businesses. In July 2023, I joined the board of SIFT to aid in redefining their event proposition and growth strategy.