The new firm is Grant Thornton’s largest in the Caribbean.
It has offices in Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and St Maarten providing coverage across the wider Dutch Caribbean, including Saba, Sint Eustatius and Surinam.
A press release from Grant Thornton described the Dutch Caribbean as ‘a strategically important market, with significant trade flows into the United States as well as strong business and cultural connections with the Netherlands, and, therefore, the world’s biggest consumer market in Europe’.
The firm will be led by Steve Vanenburg, supported by four partners and 160 staff across four offices.
Grant Thornton’s global leader of network capabilities Francesca Lagerberg said: “I am delighted to welcome such a high quality firm into the Grant Thornton global network. There are significant growth opportunities in the region, and it is strategically important to have a strong presence in the Dutch Caribbean. With this new member firm, the Grant Thornton brand significantly strengthen its coverage in the Caribbean.”
The firm’s managing partner Steve Vanenburg commented: “We are excited to become a member of the Grant Thornton organisation, which provides the perfect platform from which to achieve our growth ambitions.
“We are leaders in our local markets, but we understand the importance of having a strong global brand to help us keep it that way. We are very enthusiastic about the opportunity this will provide our people, our clients and the organisation.”
Five years ago, Grant Thornton took over PwC’s St Lucia business. Last month PwC opened a new office in St Lucia to reflect its confidence for significant growth potential in the region.
