About Us

At Bright Partnership we envisage ourselves as a modern, progressive practice and as such we deliver a personalised service to our clients. Our skills and flexibility, when combined with our straightforward and cost effective approach, make us particularly successful in supporting dynamic, ambitious small to medium sized enterprises, owner-managed businesses, and the people who run them. We offer the best of both worlds: a small firm with a one to one approach coupled with the resources and expertise of a large practice. Each client has access to all of our team’s resources as well as our professional network - a range of associates and colleagues with specific specialist experience and expertise. The professional network is our way of staying small enough to have a hands-on relationship with all our clients, whilst at the same time being powerful enough to deal with the most complex of situations. This means we can provide you with a better quality of service at affordable cost.

Meet the team

Michael Senior ACA – Partner Mike trained with an international firm and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1998. Mike works with a range of clients and his specialisms include helping owner managed businesses achieved their business ambitions. This involves providing general management and financial advice for private businesses, personal and corporate tax advice, in particular, on inheritance tax planning, retirement planning for family businesses and profit extraction of private companies. Sectors include manufacturing and property development and investment. Mike believes in exceeding clients expectations and always delivering the best service to the client. Outside of the practice, Mike continues to turn out to play football each week refusing to hang up his boots for one more season. A life long Manchester United fan, Mike still lives for the memories of May 1999 in Barcelona. 

Michael Gillibrand ACA – Partner Mike provides a commercially based advisory, audit, accountancy and corporate finance services to a number of complex and acquisitive businesses. Since 1995 he has specialised in serving growing owner-managed businesses, many of which operate from numerous locations within the UK. He has worked closely with many owner managers providing a wide range of proactive commercial business advice, including turnaround and strategic planning. Mike is an advocate of the adage “businesses don’t plan to fail, but fail to plan”. Mike works closely with many of his clients helping to formulate plans for their businesses that enable them to achieve their aspirations. Mike often attends board meetings helping with strategic business advice, developing profit improvement strategies, succession and exit planning. Mike holds a number of directorships, and has particular experience in the financial and business services sector, manufacturing, IT and telecommunications sectors. Married with 5 children, Mike obviously has little time for anything else; when he does his interests revolve mainly around sport – kids football, kids rugby, kids cricket and golf.

Elaine Cunniffe BA (Hons) ACCA - Practice Manager  Elaine ensures the Practice is run smoothly on a day-to-day basis. It is Elaine’s role to maintain the high standards clients deserve and to work with the other members of the team to achieve this. Since leaving University Elaine has worked within the private and commercial sector and has continued to build on this experience whilst working at Bright. Elaine started with Bright back in 2006 and qualified ACCA just after. Outside of work Elaine splits her time between family and voluntary work, which keeps her more than busy!

Anna Roberts Bsc (Hons) -Audit Semi Senior  Anna graduated in 2006 after reading accountancy and joined a firm of Accountants in Manchester, working mainly in the Audit department before joining Bright in 2008. Anna enjoys working with a wide-ranging client base, in particular owner managed businesses. She is currently studying for her ACA qualification and sitting her finals next year. When Anna is not studying, she enjoys live music; travelling around the UK supporting her beloved Welsh rugby team and entertaining friends.

Amanda Cunningham MAAT - Trainee accountant Amanda joined the Bright team in 2007. She has since completed the AAT qualification with the firm and is now studying the ACA qualification. Amanda enjoys working with a wide range of clients and gaining experience in various aspects of the practice. Outside of work, her interests include socialising with friends, music and football. She enjoys attending various gigs and music festivals, and in particular looks forward to her annual trip to Leeds Festival.

Stephen Ford BA (Hons) MAAT - Trainee accountant Stephen initially joined the Bright team in 2005 and successfully studied for his AAT qualification. In 2007 Stephen returned to full-time education to read Accounting and Finance at Leeds Metropolitan University and graduated in 2009. Stephen rejoined the team in April 2010 and is now studying towards his ACCA qualification. Outside of work, his interests include playing tennis and squash and anything else which includes sport.

Andrew Rowe Eng - Trainee accountant Andrew read electronic engineering at the University of Hull. Andrew worked for several IT companies before deciding accounting was a more interesting career. Andrew left his training supervisor role with a bespoke payroll software company and joined Bright in 2008. He looks after the payroll clients at Bright and is currently working towards the ACCA qualification. In his spare time Andrew enjoys spending time with family and friends, exercising and when time permits attempting to learn Mandarin Chinese.