Grant Thornton Finland, Sweden, and Norway now operate as as a jointly owned business. One seamless team behind every engagement, in all three markets.
For many Finnish companies, the first step in international expansion leads to Sweden and the other Nordic countries. At the same time, the landscape for audit and advisory services is changing rapidly. Digitalisation, artificial intelligence and increasingly stringent regulation are creating a greater need for strategic advice and in-depth industry expertise.
Grant Thornton is responding to these changes by bringing together its operations in Finland and Sweden under joint ownership. The aim is to strengthen services for entrepreneur-led mid-market companies across the Nordic region.
“Today, our clients expect proactive advice alongside statutory audit, strong industry expertise and the ability to support their business across several countries. We wanted to build an organisation that is even better equipped to respond to this development,” says Jonni Leporanta, CEO of Grant Thornton Finland.
The Nordics are becoming the home market for more companies
According to Leporanta, the Nordic integration under joint ownership will particularly strengthen the offering in tax, advisory and other specialist services. It will also improve Grant Thornton’s ability to support growing companies and help them succeed. Grant Thornton has closely followed the development of its clients’ growth, and companies operating across the Nordic region already make up a significant share of its client base.
“We have worked on joint engagements with our Swedish colleagues for many years. We can now serve our clients even more seamlessly and bring together the best professionals from Finland, Sweden and Norway for each assignment.”
Henrik Johansson, CEO of Grant Thornton Sweden, also sees the change as part of a broader market development.
“There is significant potential in the Nordic region, and we increasingly see situations where clients want the same partner to support them in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Our role is to meet this need with the best team, the strongest expertise and a genuinely Nordic operating model, building each client team with professionals from different countries according to the client’s needs.”
Many Nordic companies begin their international expansion in another Nordic country. According to Johansson, the market for professional services has also become more international.
“Companies increasingly operate across borders and expect the same from their advisers. As a result, specialized expertise and the ability to collaborate across countries have become more important than ever,” Johansson says.
Greater industry and specialist expertise
Leporanta emphasises that virtually nothing will change in the day-to-day experience of Finnish clients as a result of the integration. Their familiar contacts and Finnish partners will continue to work alongside them as before. What will change is the breadth of expertise available behind those contacts.
“Above all, the integration gives our clients access to deeper expertise. We have broad capabilities across different service areas in Finland, but as a smaller organisation, we cannot develop the same depth of specialist expertise in every area as larger organisations can. Sweden, for example, has more professionals specialising in particular industries and service areas. Our clients will now benefit from the strengths of both countries,” Leporanta says.
In practice, this could benefit a client planning an acquisition in another Nordic country, arranging an international tax structure or preparing for an IPO. Previously, the specialist expertise required may have been sourced from several different organisations. In future, it will be available within a Nordic team.
“If our client operates in manufacturing, SaaS or healthcare, for example, we can build a team with specialist expertise in that particular industry. Clients will not need to search for the right expertise in different countries because it will be available within the same organisation. They will also continue to benefit from Grant Thornton’s global network, which operates in around 150 countries,” Leporanta notes.
A shared culture laid the foundation for closer cooperation
The integration was driven not only by the need to grow and serve clients better, but also by the trust built over many years and a similar way of working.
“We have a very similar culture and a shared understanding of the market. Finland, Sweden and the new Norwegian organisation all share an entrepreneurial mindset, strong client relationships and a desire to help growth companies succeed. That is what makes this cooperation feel so natural,” Johansson explains.
According to Leporanta, a client-focused approach has long been central to how Grant Thornton operates.
“We want to do a little more for our clients than they expect from us. I believe that this is what creates the trust reflected in long-term client relationships,” Leporanta says.
This client-focused approach is also reflected in recent research. In Taloustutkimus’ Työelämän päättäjät 2025 survey of workplace decision-makers, Grant Thornton Finland was rated the best company in its industry for service quality. It also achieved the industry’s highest Net Promoter Score (NPS).
Growth requires a new kind of partnership
Technological development, internationalisation and changing client expectations will continue to reshape audit and advisory services in the years ahead. Success will not be determined solely by who understands local regulation best. Increasingly, what matters is the extent to which clients can access the right expertise at the right time.
According to Leporanta and Johansson, this is exactly what the integration is designed to provide.
“Above all, clients need a partner that can combine a local presence, deep expertise and an international network. Business growth no longer stops at the Finnish or Swedish border. Our role is to ensure that our clients’ professional services partner does not stop there either.”
