In this week’s accountancy career moves, PwC and Deloitte promote a raft of partners, hires and promotions at Armstrong Watson, Henderson Loggie and Knill James, and CFO for Consult Red and NED at Sage Housing.
PwC UK has promoted 63 new partners with effect from 1 July 2021. Promotions have taken place across each of the firm’s business divisions (audit, consulting, deals, risk and tax), with the firm’s deals practice welcoming the largest numbers of new promotes, with 18 new partners. This reflects strong ongoing demand for PwC’s deals services and is an investment in talented leaders to support clients as the UK experiences a deals-led recovery from the pandemic. The new cohort also reflects rapidly growing client demand in areas such as environmental, social, governance (ESG), with new partners focused on net zero strategy, diversity and inclusion priorities, corporate governance, and transformation.
Deloitte has announced nine new partner and director appointments in Scotland as the firm bolsters its leadership team and invests in its Scottish business. Lesley Smillie and Stephen Pratt have been appointed to partner in Edinburgh and Michael Caullay has been promoted to partner in Glasgow. Meanwhile, Nikola Doig and Alan McClements have been promoted to director in Edinburgh; Alison Sheridan and Thuy Vo have been promoted to director in Glasgow; while Kat Innes and Bradley Watts have been promoted to director in Aberdeen.
Business advisory firm Quantuma has expanded its forensic accounting and investigation team into Scotland with the appointment of managing director, David Bell. The firm expanded into Scotland last year through its merger with WRI Associates. In his new role, Bell will be responsible for launching Quantuma’s forensic accounting offering in Scotland. He will assist individuals, businesses, and lawyers on a range of disputes, including expert witness and advisory roles in business valuations, shareholder, and commercial disputes. He joins the firm from EY where he was a director in the forensic and integrity services practice.
Armstrong Watson has strengthened its growing forensic accounting team with the appointment of two associate directors. Lindsay Tarrant, who started at the firm in 2017, has received a senior promotion and Caroline Bedford has also been hired to join the team. Tarrant has more than 30 years’ experience in professional practices, companies and charities and spent seven years working as finance director at a growing Yorkshire company before joining Armstrong Watson. Bedford joins Armstrong Watson from Sedgwick International UK’s forensic accounting services division. She trained with Coopers & Lybrand, now PwC, and has more than 20 years’ forensic accounting experience.
Henderson Loggie has promoted Ian McDonald to head of energy. He is also corporate finance director with the accountancy firm providing lead advisory and transaction support to companies nationwide and has a long career in providing advice to those in the energy sector. As head of the energy group, he will lead on providing insight and expert advice to guide companies navigating the transition from fossil-based to zero carbon energy. Prior to joining the firm in 2018, McDonald was a manager in the EMEA consulting team at Westwood Global Energy Group.
Lewes-based accountancy and business advisory firm Knill James has appointed Sarah Lake as practice director. She joins the firm from Shaftesbury Young People, where she was chief operating officer and successfully led the charity through a period of change and transformation into a grant-making trust. An FCCA, Lake specialises in business process improvement and project management. She started her career in practice with PwC and then moved to Close Brothers where she worked for 15 years in banking and finance.
Addington Chambers, the now one-year old virtual international barristers’ chambers, has expanded its team with the appointment of Ross Harman, a chartered tax adviser and barrister at Lee & Ko, a Seoul, Korea based law firm. Andy Wood, chartered tax adviser and barrister joins from ETC Tax, where he specialised in high net worth tax issues.
Cloud accounting company FreeAgent has confirmed that co-founder Ed Molyneux will be stepping down from his role as chief executive officer in mid July after 14 years at the business. He will be replaced by co-founder and current chief product officer Roan Lavery. ‘I’m incredibly proud of what FreeAgent has achieved since we started in 2007,’ said Molyneux. ‘To see the business grow from its humble origins of building the first prototype at my kitchen table to the amazing place that more than 250 people work at now has been a truly humbling experience.’
TaxAssist Group has expanded the support teams with the appointment of Zoe Scarff to the payroll team, and a new payroll administrator Katherine Aves. The tax consultancy team has added two tax managers, Victoria Seeley and Josh Smith. Administration officer Millie Hendrey has also joined the team.
SDLT Compass, a new technology for the legal and property sector designed to help calculate stamp duty land tax with accuracy, has hired Roger Bindschedler as tax technical director and chair of the company’s tax compliance panel. He started his career with a decade at Customs and Excise, before going on to practice as a tax lawyer, initially in-house for KPMG then in various law firms. In his new role, his primary responsibility is to review changes in legislation, court decisions and HMRC announcements.
Sage Housing, a provider of new affordable homes, has appointed three new non-executive directors to its board. Cindy Rampersaud, Senior Vice President at Pearson, responsible for the Business and Technology Council (BTEC) and apprenticeships division, joins the audit and risk committee. Gareth Llewellyn, chair of the board remuneration and nominations committee at Harwich Haven Authority, and Cedi Frederick, chair of North Middlesex University NHS Hospital Trust also join the board.
Loylogic, a loyalty scheme provider, has appointed Marta Wronska as chief financial officer. Wronska joins having held senior roles with flydubai and most recently as head of finance for Etihad Aviation Group subsidiary, Global Loyalty Company. She will be responsible for the digital transformation of Loylogic finance, as well as financial planning and control, investor relations and funding activities.
Technology R&D business Consult Red has hired Paul Stevenson as CFO. He joins the board and executive leadership team as the company embarks on its next chapter of growth. He was previously at AIM-listed specialist flooring company Airea plc, where he was group finance director and company secretary.
Original article: People in the news: PwC, Armstrong Watson, Henderson Loggie, Knill James | Accountancy Daily
