35 under 35 2021: 5 – 1 revealed!

35 under 35 2021: 5 - 1 revealed!

Showcasing the industry's rising talent, the fourth and final instalment of our 35 under 35 rankings highlights five young UK professionals who are making great contributions to both their firms and fields

35 under 35 2021: 5 – 1 revealed!

The Accountancy Age 35 under 35 rankings seek to highlight the rising stars of the accountancy profession, featuring those who have made great professional contributions to the field and their individual firms.

Each Monday in September, we have released a batch of 35 under 35 winners. Today, we present the fourth and final round of noteworthy professionals who made the Accountancy Age 35 under 35 rankings.

The full 35 under 35 rankings will be unveiled on 4 October, 2021.

5. Phil Clayton, Tax Senior Manager, PKF Littlejohn

Age has never held back Clayton. He has risen through the ranks at PKF Littlejohn at a breakneck pace, with him on track to make Partner well before he turns 35. Last year, Clayton won new fee income of over £90,000, both from cold meetings and word-of-mouth referrals from existing clients. He also always makes time to coach and support junior staff at PKF Littlejohn, with trainees appreciative of his well-balanced management style and eagerness to help them develop their technical skills.

Over the past year, Clayton has led a campaign to produce relevant, fresh and highly accessible tax materials. He has personally covered technical issues such as inheritance tax, residence and property disposals in PKF Littlejohn’s external Tax Talk publication. In addition, he has supported his trainees in writing and publishing articles in a “Millennial Money Mondays” series aimed at demystifying tax issues for a younger audience. Outside of tax, Phil is an enthusiastic supporter of his local community and has given his time to good causes through corporate volunteering. He believes professional ethics start with personal ones.

4. Steven Kingham, Partner, EY

Kingham is a school leaver who pursued a vocational route into accountancy, becoming a chartered accountant aged 21. He was promoted to Partner at EY in 2020, at the age of 32, and is believed to be the youngest equity partner currently across the Big Four firms in the UK.

He leads EY’s Transaction Services team in the North West. Kingham predominantly supports clients in the technology and e-commerce sectors and, over the past eight years, has built a team of 20 specialists based in Manchester. The team was named as Insider NW’s Transaction Services Team of the Year and Made in Manchester’s Young Team of the Year in 2021.

Kingham recently led some of the highest profile IPOs in the e-commerce space, including The Hut Group, MADE.com and Victorian Plumbing. He has also made a significant impact on EY more broadly, playing a role on several large new audit wins this year and helping his clients benefit from the depth of sector experience within EY’s Parthenon strategy team.

3. John Childs, Audit Director, MHA MacIntyre Hudson

Childs has led the adoption of data analytics tools and audit techniques within the Chelmsford office at MHA MacIntyre Hudson. This influence then spread through further offices as Childs led discussions on adoption and how best to use data analytics throughout the firm alongside sharing his experience with Baker Tilly network firms overseas. His focus on technology meant the firm was well placed to adapt to the challenges of remote audit due to the pandemic.

In 2020, Childs also won the office one of its largest audit client’s. This was a flagship appointment that has led to greater recognition of the firm in Essex and assisted further growth. Over the past 18 months, he has been a key member of the firms newly developed Large Complex Audit Group, which focusses on listed and IFRS work, and has been instrumental in developing internal talent and external recruitment. Childs is a key team member on many of the firms listed clients and is an active part of the continued growth in the listed space, with his contribution rewarded with promotion to Director in April 2021 and a relocation to the London office.

2. Emily Baldwin, Manager – Accounts & Outsourcing, Kreston Reeves

Baldwin’s personal purpose is to “bring people together to stimulate innovation and growth”. Since joining Kreston Reeves as a trainee in 2008, this purpose has shone through in everything she does. In February 2020, she was appointed sole manager of Kreston Reeves outsourcing teams across Canterbury and Chatham. The successes of her team have been a team effort driven by Baldwin encouraging everyone to identify and understand their strengths.

Never shying away from a challenge, she has played a pivotal role in several key firmwide initiatives throughout her career including the firm’s ‘Digital Heroes’ and Making Tax Digital (MTD) teams. With Baldwin’s initial involvement in the MTD team being such a success, she is now the firm’s lead project manager, tasked with creating and driving the firm’s strategy through the next phases of MTD.

1. Jessica Teague, Partner, Ecovis Wingrave Yeats

Teague joined Ecovis in 2010 as a graduate trainee in the firm’s business advisory department and quickly progressed to become an audit partner in under 10 years at the age of 30. Ecovis prides itself on the quality of services it provides to its clients and its excellent compliance record following quality and compliance visits from the QAD, ICEAW, Ecovis International, Mercia and UK 200 Group. Teague’s drive and passion in achieving excellence in these areas has been one of the key factors for the firm’s success.

She plays a leading role in recruiting trainee and experienced staff and ensuring a level playing field is afforded to all candidates from all backgrounds. She is a great ambassador for the firm and profession and a role model for aspiring female partners who may be concerned about glass ceilings.


 

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