Financial Power List 2019: 26-30 revealed

Financial Power List 2019: 26-30 revealed

Our Financial Power List 2019 ranks the 50 individuals who we believe will make the biggest difference to the accountancy industry over the next 12 months

Compiled by the Accountancy Age editorial team, the Financial Power List 2019 ranks the 50 individuals who we believe will make the biggest difference in the accountancy industry over the next 12 months.  Individuals considered for the list span government, practice and business. Their status or role does not guarantee their position in this ranking, but rather we have chosen individuals who we think will have an impact in one way or another based on what changes they are predicted to spearhead, whether that be in government policy, tax changes, regulation, firm growth, or industry diversity.

Make sure you check back to view the full rankings, which will be released on 15 February, with five individuals announced every day between now and then.

Here, we reveal the individuals who have made positions 26-30 on this year’s list.

26. David Dunkley, CEO, Grant Thornton

David Dunkley succeeded Grant Thornton’s previous CEO (Sacha Romanovitch) after a veritable period of uncertainty for the firm as the relationship between Romanovitch and a minority of her partners broke down. As one of the largest firms outside of the Big Four, Grant Thornton has had a lot to say about the likes of audit reform—calling for an independent auditor board. Upon his appointment at the end of last year, Dunkley indicated that his intentions are to continue to further Grant Thornton’s success in diversity and social innovation.

27. Julie Adams, Manging Partner, Menzies

Adams is on her second term as senior partner at Menzies and has more than 40 years’ experience. She has continually worked to grow the firm, adding a private client team last year and pursuing a mergers and acquisitions strategy which focuses on building on Menzies’ strengths or extending regional reach. A specialist in audit and compliance, Adams will be key as the mid-tier firms vie for position in the changes that 2019 will bring to the audit market.

28. Kevin Stopps and David Cobbs, Co-Chief Executives, Smith and Williamson.

Stopps – As a co-chief executive with David Cobbs, and managing partner of tax and business services, Kevin Stopps has plenty of responsibility at Smith & Williamson. Stopps is also chairman of the board for the firm’s Fund Administration Limited. As a member of investment management and banking subsidiary board and group risk and compliance, operations, and products and services oversight committees, it undeniable that Stopps has a big role to play in 2019.

Cobbs – Along with Kevin Stopps, David Cobbs is a co-chief executive for Smith & Williamson. As CEO of the regulated entities, Cobbs oversees Smith & Williamson Investment Management LLP, Smith & Williamson Investment Services Ltd and Smith & Williamson Financial Services Ltd. He joined the firm in 1985. Over the years, he has moved up through the ranks, undoubtedly learning all of the ins and outs of the industry.

29. Paul Aplin, President, ICAEW

Paul Aplin was elected as president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) in 2018, having also previously served as chairman of ICAEW’s Tax Faculty. Until May 2016, Aplin chaired the faculty’s Technical Committee; with technological innovation being one of the main topics on everyone’s minds going into 2019, it will be interesting to see what ICAEW come up with. Aplin was placed 7th in the Financial Power List 2017 and also won the Outstanding Industry Contribution Award at the Accountancy Age British Accountancy Awards in 2013.

30. Heather Self, Partner at Blick Rothenberg and Set Up Women in Tax

Self has over 30 years of experience within the accountancy industry and, specifically, the tax world, so she’s pretty clued up when it comes to tax matters. This is particularly poignant this year with the approaching Making Tax Digital for VAT deadline.

She has had a varied career, working in industry as Head of Tax in a FTSE 100 company, as an anti-avoidance advisor at HMRC, and as a partner at a Big Four firm. Self is active in all sorts of extra, industry-relevant groups, including setting up the respected Women in Tax network and regularly speaking and writing on all matters of tax.

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