Bright Software Group was formed in September 2021, as a result of a merger between BrightPay, a leading provider of payroll and HR software solutions, and Relate Software, a leader in post-accounting and bookkeeping software. AccountancyManager joined the group in March 2022.
Bright continues to grow rapidly across the board, and in the latest organisational development, the business has announced that Kevin McCallum will be taking over as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect, with current CEO Paul Byrne stepping up to the role of Founder Board Director. Kevin will now assume responsibility for Bright’s overall strategy and continued progression, Paul will continue to assist the team with his insight and experience in his new role.
Kevin McCallum comments: “Since joining Bright earlier this year, I’ve been consistently impressed by the whole team and our shared passion and vision for the future of the accounting industry. We have such talented people across the whole group, working to build, deliver and support our best-in-class software solutions, allowing us to become the go-to solution for the accounting industry across the UK & Ireland.”
“Having originally founded Thesaurus Software, a mere 32 years ago, it is hard to overstate the importance of Paul’s role in getting Bright to where we are today. So much of what makes Bright a great business to work with is down to Paul, as is the fantastic opportunity we now have to create something very special for our existing and future customers. I’m also delighted that Paul will continue to be involved with the business on an ongoing basis.
Paul Byrne commented: “Kevin joined us as part of the AccountancyManager acquisition and since then both myself and the board have been very impressed with his knowledge, energy and experience. As the company continues to grow, I’m confident that he is absolutely the right person to lead Bright on the next stage of our journey.”
Kevin has over 20 years of experience in the accounting software industry, 11 of those spent at FreeAgent, having joined in 2010 as Business Development Director. Kevin became Chief Commercial Officer in 2017 and over his time there played significant roles in FreeAgent’s shift to working with accountancy practices and the initial partnership and ultimate acquisition of the business by NatWest in 2018. Kevin originally joined the AccountancyManager team in March 2021 as a non-executive director and was subsequently named CEO in November 2021. Kevin joined Bright following the acquisition of AccountancyManager initially taking up the position of Chief Operating Officer.
