The BDO story

The BDO story begins in 1963. Accounting firms from the UK, Netherlands, Germany, US and Canada saw the opportunity to combine and thus expand their knowledge base and relative strength. The resulting Binder Seidman International Group worked together as a network of firms until 1973, when the common name of Binder Dijker Otte & Co was adopted.

In 1988, a world wide structure was formed and to ensure that local strength retained its prevalence as one of the network’s underlying goals, the acronym of BDO was agreed upon, placed before each local Member Firm’s name. At the same time, a logo and corporate identity was created that promoted consistency throughout the network. Since then, the BDO network has undergone a transformation that now sees it as the world’s fifth largest accounting network, with 1,095 offices in over 110 countries. A combined workforce of more 44,000 people continues to promote and extend the values and objectives foreseen from the outset.

BDO is known for client rapport and partner accessibility, for extensive local knowledge combined with a global outlook, and for partners and staff who are challenging, ethical and practical in their approach and advice to clients. The organisation’s growth has continued year on year and the international network continues to serve BDO and its clients well in changing economic and market conditions.

BDO has weathered the accountancy scandals around the world and embraced the new regime of Sarbanes-Oxley. BDO Member Firms use a best practice approach to methodology and international collaboration and this, along with an unchallenged knowledge and understanding at a local level, makes them able to do this in a manner which preserves both our reputation and our transparency to the market.