Gravita, the full-service accountancy firm for ambitious businesses, has appointed Lisa Mayhew as its new CEO. The appointment marks an important step as the firm continues to scale its national business and broaden its client offering. Heather Swanston, who has held the position of Interim CEO since June last year, will return to her role as Chair of Gravita’s Board.
Over the last decade, Lisa has served as Firmwide Managing Partner and Global Co Chair at BCLP, a global law firm, managing the firm across 32 offices in the US, UK, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Under her leadership, revenue grew from $350M to $900M, while embedding a one-firm operating model across regions. Her emphasis on client-centricity, strategy execution, empowerment of high calibre teams and cultural integration helped transform a UK-centric firm into a top-tier global player.
Lisa has a strong record of leveraging technology and data to enhance client service and efficiency. She led a firm renowned for its innovation, picking up industry awards for its pioneering use of technology and data analytics in legal service delivery. The firm also founded an ahead-of-its-time contract lawyering business (LOD) which, under Lisa’s leadership, was sold to private equity. More recently, Lisa set up and led BCLP’s unique new corporate reputation management service “Protect”, an integrated legal, PR and forensics service with Byfield, FTI Consulting and KPMG.
Earlier in her career, she was a prominent employment lawyer and was one of the few nationally ranked “eminent practitioners” in Chambers & Partners. She is also a Meyler Campbell‑qualified coach and currently serves as Senior Independent Director on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Board.
Gravita has partnered with seven firms since 2022, and now has offices in London, Oxford, Essex, Bristol and Exeter, increasing its headcount to 458, up >400%. Nearly 1,000 new clients joined the company across these regions last year, reflecting the company’s depth of expertise and high growth in key sectors such as property and construction, technology, healthcare and life sciences, financial services and not for profit. The business also demonstrated its commitment to nurturing existing talent in 2025, with 12% of employees receiving promotions, and ‘intent to stay’ in their most recent colleague survey increasing by 19%. These developments reflect the firm’s focus on building a sustainable, well-governed and attractive business for clients and colleagues alike.
Lisa Mayhew, incoming CEO at Gravita, said: “I am delighted to be joining Gravita to drive forward the next stage of its growth strategy. I was immediately drawn to the company’s culture, its impressive client portfolio and ambitious growth trajectory. The business has already built significant momentum through its recent expansion, establishing itself as a leader in the sector with exceptional talent across the firm. Private equity investment in professional services enhances the client experience and provides exciting new opportunities for talented professionals looking to work together to serve the needs of clients both now and in the future.”
Heather Swanston, Chair at Gravita, said: “Lisa’s appointment is a massive signal that we are a business with ambitious plans for the future. I have spent the past few months getting to know Lisa, and I am more convinced than ever that she is the right person to lead Gravita into its next phase of evolution and ultimate success. It has been a pleasure and honour to act as Gravita’s interim CEO, and I truly believe in the momentum we’ve built, the strength of our culture, the determination in our plans, and the calibre of the team driving them forward.”
Tenzing Private Equity, the private equity investor in Gravita, expressed its excitement about the company’s future
Rob Jones, Investment Lead at Tenzing, said: “Lisa has a strong track record of scaling complex organisations while maintaining a clear focus on culture and client outcomes. Her experience leading and integrating global firms is highly relevant to Gravita’s next stage of development, and we are pleased to be supporting the business as it continues to build on its recent momentum.”
