08 Apr Phil Sands appointed as our first Managing Partner
We’re pleased to announce the appointment of Phil Sands as the inaugural Managing Partner at BellchambersBarrett. This new role marks an important milestone as we continue to grow, now with 12 partners and 100+ staff across our firm.
As Managing Partner, Phil will oversee the delivery of the firm’s strategy and provide day-to-day leadership across operations – while continuing to play an active role in client delivery.
This new appointment reflects the firm’s growth and future direction.
Shane Bellchambers, Co-founder of BellchambersBarrett, explains: ‘With our strong growth and plans for continued expansion, we recognised the need for clear, centralised leadership.
‘As our partnership group has expanded, so too has the complexity of running the business. The Managing Partner role ensures we have someone accountable for executing our strategic priorities, while allowing other partners to focus on delivering exceptional outcomes for clients.’
Shane adds that Phil was a natural choice for the role.
‘Phil has held senior management roles and brings the experience and temperament needed for the position. Importantly, he genuinely wanted to take it on. And the partners unanimously agreed he’s the right person to lead us into this next chapter.’
Phil has been equally enthusiastic about the appointment.
‘It’s a genuine honour to be appointed as Managing Partner, and I’m committed to repaying the trust my fellow partners have placed in me,’ says Phil.
‘BellchambersBarrett has an exceptional culture built on supporting our people and delivering outstanding outcomes for our clients. I’m proud to be leading such a talented and dedicated leadership team.’
And for Phil, the role is about more than systems and strategy.
‘It’s about stewardship. It means being trusted to support our people, champion their growth and create a workplace that prioritises collaboration and wellbeing.’
Prior to joining BellchambersBarrett, Phil was a Partner at KPMG, where he held senior leadership roles including Chief Operating Officer of a national division of more than 600 people.
The appointment also comes as Shane transitions away from his long-standing leadership role within the firm, marking a thoughtful step in BellchambersBarrett’s succession planning.
Looking ahead, Phil will focus on planning the firm’s strategy with the leadership team.
‘We’ll keep broadening our offerings and expanding our client base, while ensuring our team continues to deliver the high levels of service and quality outcomes our firm is known for.’