Former CIoT president Stevens made institute director

FORMER CIOT PRESIDENT Patrick Stevens has been appointed tax policy director of the CIoT and ATT, effective immediately.

Stevens (pictured) served as president in 2012/13 and also spent 16 years with EY, taking in the client serving partner post and managing partner for growth markets. Prior to that he worked with mid-tier firms and small local practices.

As president, Stevens worked closely with his predecessor as tax policy director, John Whiting, to raise the profile of the institute and represent practitioners in the tax debate.

Stevens said: “I am delighted to become tax policy director at a challenging but fascinating time in tax. The need for the profession to make its voice heard in the frequently cacophonous tax debate has never been greater.

I look forward to working with Stephen, Yvette[Nunn, ATT president] and the wider CIoT and ATT memberships to achieve this. The great strength of our organisations is the technical excellence of our members. That is why we are listened to and why real weight is attached to our views and our recommendations.”

CIoT president Stephen Coleclough said: “Patrick is taking up this role at an exciting time; our membership continues to grow and the media profile of tax has never been higher. As our lead spokesperson to both media and political audiences, Patrick will be playing a crucial part in bringing light rather than heat to the tax debate and ensuring that the voice of the profession is heard by decision-makers and opinion-formers. Patrick’s tenure as president was marked by a renewed focus on making sure that the Institute was fully representative of all parts of the tax profession and I am keen that we continue in that vein.”