Accountancy people moves: October 2023

Each month, Accountancy Age delivers a comprehensive update on the key people moves and promotions that have taken place among the UK accountancy market’s top 100 firms.

In November, we unveil the wave of activity in the industry’s mid-market as RSM unveils major updates as well as an important announcement by the ICAEW.

Mid-tier

(October 3) Helen Brocklebank has been named as the new office managing partner in Birmingham for RSM UK following 16 years at the firm. She will take over from Mark Taylor, who has served in the role for more than seven years and will continue as the regional managing partner in the Midlands.

(October 3) Lynsey Lord and Alice Pearson have been promoted to the role of director within the Mercer & Hole’s Client Team.

(October 3) MHA Moore and Smalley announced the appointment of two directors in Lancashire. Natalie Taylor assumed the role of director in the professional practices team, while Ben Harrison now serves as director for the financial planning team.

(October 4) Dow Schofield Watts has expanded its reach with the arrival of a new corporate finance team based in Cardiff. Koo Aseeley and Michael Dunn will lead the newly established team, which is dedicated to assisting businesses in the Southwest and Wales.

(October 5) Cowgills announced Paul Hammond as its first indirect tax partner. Hammond has recently joined the firm from PwC and will collaborate closely with Lisa Wilson, who is head of tax, as part of Cowgills’ efforts to enhance our tax service capabilities.

(October 11) Sedulo announced the appointment of Katelyn Dutton, who joins the team from KPMG, as the new audit director based in Liverpool. Dutton brings over ten years of experience in the field of audit and assurance to Sedulo’s Liverpool office. Over the past six years she has been dedicated to managing a diverse client portfolio, which included FTSE and AIM-listed clients, during her tenure at KPMG.

(October 11) Shaw Gibbs announced the promotion of Mark Ferguson to the position of IT director. Ferguson joined the firm as an associate director in 2006 and has previously spent time at Lee Associates as an IT manager.

(October 13) Baker Tilly Mooney Moore announced the appointment of Patrycja Reinke as a tax senior. Reinke joins the Belfast firm from Deloitte, where she specialised in corporation tax.

(October 13) Haines Watts published details of those on its new board, which includes the appointment of a group chairman, group managing partner, and the addition of two new non-executive directors. Matthew Bracher, who serves as the Regional Managing Partner in the Southwest, and Ben Loveday, the Regional Managing Partner in the Southeast, are now part of the board as non-executive directors. Additionally, Stephen Lucey, the Managing Partner in Cardiff, has taken on the role of Chairman, and Donna Bulmer, the Regional Managing Partner in the North, has assumed the position of Group Managing Partner.

(October 16) Dow Schofield Watts has strengthened its Transaction Services team in the Northwest by bringing in Will Beckley as an executive. Beckley arrives at the firm from RSM UK, where he has worked for the last three years, more recently as an assistant audit manager.

(October 16) Craig Wilson has been named as a director in BDO’s debt advisory team, bringing with him over two decades of experience in providing guidance to mid-market and institutional real estate clients. Wilson joins the team from Knight Frank’s capital advisory division.

(October 20) Sedulo has revealed the appointment of Carl Finlayson as the Commercial Finance Director. With nearly two decades of experience in the financial services industry, Finlayson has held senior positions at organisations such as Praetura, Aldermore, and Royal Bank of Scotland.

(October 23) Evelyn Partners has revealed the hiring of Andrew Moat as a financial planner in the firm’s Nottingham office as part of its continued expansion in the East Midlands. His most recent role was as a financial planner at Fiscal Engineers Limited in Nottingham, where he dedicated seven years of his career.

October 25) RSM UK has welcomed Ari Senders as a partner to grow the consulting firm’s forensic technology practice. Senders, who is based at RSM’s London office, brings more than two decades of experience to the role, most recently from Epiq, a prominent global player in alternative legal service providers, and formerly served as a director at KPMG.

(October 30) Katrina Brown has been appointed as the director of responsible investment at Evelyn Partners, where she will play a pivotal role in integrating ESG principles into the company’s investment processes. Brown’s background has predominantly revolved around consulting, with her most recent experience spanning three years at Sustain Value, a sustainable management consulting firm, starting in 2020.

Big Four

(October 26) David Morris, a partner at PwC, has assumed the role of regional leader for the Midlands region, where he will have responsibility for overseeing the practices in Birmingham, the East Midlands, and Milton Keynes. Morris takes over this position from Matthew Hammond, who is embarking on new roles following his ten-year tenure as a regional leader.

Trade bodies

(October 26) The ICAEW has made an official announcement regarding the appointment of Alan Vallance as its forthcoming chief executive. He will assume the role in the spring of 2024, succeeding Michael Izza, who has served as the chief executive of the Institute since 2006. Vallance is an ICAEW Chartered Accountant and is currently chief executive of the Chartered Insurance Institute.