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Practice News: Tait Walker builds new employment tax team

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29th Aug 2012
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A digest of partner moves, promotions and other developments during August.

Tait Walker builds new employment tax team

29 Aug -  Clair Williams, a former tax manager with KPMG, has joined North East firm Tait Walker to lead its new employment tax advisory department.

Williams, who has more than 11 years’ experience within the profession, commented: “I’m delighted to have joined the team at Tait Walker. I am particularly impressed with their approach to staff and the close client relationships they have developed.

She will initially focus on new projects such as helping companies apply for employer NIC holidays and recommending “whole life” methods to manage company car fleet costs.

Tait Walker employs more than 130 staff at offices in Newcastle, Stockton and Morpeth. As well as recruiting Williams from KPMG, it also took on two school leavers to join her new department, Tania Ormston and Rachael Matthewson.

The Northern Echo reports that the firm's two new apprentices are the first students to be enrolled on a Kaplan Financial training scheme that it feeding into a national initiative to recruit up to 1,500 apprentices into the profession by 2015.

* * *

French Duncan appoints Deloitte manager

23 Aug - Mid-tier accountancy firm French Duncan has appointed Andrew Ford, formerly a senior manager at Deloitte’s private client team, as tax director.

Ford started his professional life as a lawyer before shifting his focus to tax work in 1994 within which he has specialised since.

He came to Scotland 12 years ago to join PwC in Glasgow, prior to his appointment as head of tax at law firm Murray Beith Murray in Edinburgh, before joining Deloitte in Glasgow eight years ago.

Ford said on his new appointment: “I’m very much looking forward to being part of a central belt independent firm well positioned to provide clients with a personal service and level of expertise more economically and efficiently than many of its larger competitors.

“A main attraction for me is the width of French Duncan’s private client offering and I hope to be able to augment the firm’s very active tax team through, for example, adding to its current offering of share schemes, equity incentive arrangements and other tax advisory services.”

Ford’s appointment comes as French Duncan’s tax group reports a strong year of growth and development which has seen both its turnover and gross profit rise by 20%.

* * *

Noel Tagoe to head CIMA Education

16 Aug - CIMA has announced that Dr Noel Tagoe has been promoted to the senior management team as the new executive director of Education.

Tagoe, a chartered accountant from Ghana, brings to the role a wealth of experience in research, syllabus development, examination assessment and the CIMA qualification gleaned from his previous CIMA role as principal higher education partnership manager and, more recently, as head of research and development.

He will now focus primarily on formulating and implementing CIMA’s education strategy and its subsequent development.

Prior to joining CIMA Tagoe taught at University College Dublin (UCD) and the universities of Manchester, Reading and Oxford.

Between academic appointments he held senior accounting and strategy positions with BP and Elf Aquitaine (now part of Total Oil) in Africa. In addition he established and led KPMG's financial advisory consulting practice in West Africa for three years.

CIMA’s Andrew Harding said: “I am delighted to welcome Noel to CIMA's senior management team. I greatly look forward to benefitting from his expertise and the wealth of experience he brings to the role.”

* * *

Bishop Fleming recruits PwC tax manager

9 Aug - The new senior tax manager at Bishop Fleming’s Plymouth office is Jon Sparkes, a former tax manager with PwC.

Bishop Fleming, the leading regional firm in the South West, now claims to be the fastest-growing top 50 accountancy firm after this year’s acquisition of the Bath wing of Target Consulting. In addition to Jon Sparkes, it has lured several three ex-Ernst & Young staffers to senior positions in recent months.

“The Big Four accountancy firms have been reducing their exposure in the South West, given their increasingly global focus,” said Pippa Clarke, the international tax partner based at Bishop Fleming’s Plymouth office.  “We are delighted to welcome these highly-skilled recruits from the Big Four and they will have every opportunity to spread their wings in our fast-growing business.

Sparkes, who worked with a number of South West businesses and charities while at PwC, explained the reasons for his move: “I was keen to identify an opportunity to work with clients of a large regional firm. Bishop Fleming was the obvious choice, with its region-wide spread of offices and its full portfolio of services that matches every Big Four firm.

* * *

Target's London team finds home with Menzies

7 Aug - TAL-London, the former London operation of failed accountancy firm Target Consulting has merged with Menzies.

According to the expanded group, the ex-Target team will move to Menzies’ headquarters in Tavistock Square, W1. The merger effectively doubles Menzies’ presence in London, creating a £10m operation in the capital. TAL-London’s clients will also benefit from the firm's membership of the HLB international network.

The deal represents an early coup for Julie Adams, who took over as senior partner at Menzies at the beginning of July. Full story here.

* * *

Andrew Alder joins Saffery Champness

3 August - Saffery Champness has appointed Andrew Alder as a partner based in the firm’s Bournemouth office.

Alder, who is a national committee member of the Tourism and Hospitality Group at the ICAEW, brings with him a wide portfolio of clients including law firms and businesses in the hospitality sector.

He said: “I am delighted to be working with Saffery Champness, a firm I have admired from afar for many years.”

David Macey, head of the southern regional group of Saffery Champness, added: “Andrew’s appointment further enhances our services offering to the corporate and professional services sectors. He is well respected in the area and is a welcome addition to our expanding team in Bournemouth”.

* * *

Francis Clark recruits tax director from BDO

3 Aug - South West-based firm Francis Clark has appointed Erin Davis as tax director, working closely with the corporate team at its Truro office.

Davis joined Francis Clark after seven years with BDO, where she was senior tax manager in the Southampton office. Before that she trained with and worked for Deloitte for four years.

“I was looking for a new opportunity and jumped at the chance to work with a nationally recognised firm in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. I’m looking forward to helping Cornish businesses with all their tax needs,” she said.

* * *

Verity to be next Mazars UK senior partner

3 Aug - Phil Verity will take over from David Evans as UK senior partner at Mazars on 1 September 2012.

After nine years in charge, Evans is stepping down at the end of his final term in office.

Verity is currently an executive member of the group’s international management board and previously led the firm’s middle-market business. He joined the firm in 1986 as a graduate and became a partner in 1999. His rise through the ranks was a sign of the firm’s commitment to home-grown talent, Mazars said.

Verity added: “Mazars continues to achieve organic growth because of the calibre of the team and our commitment to high quality client service.” 

* * *

Duff & Phelps appoints new global restructuring director

2 Aug - Duff & Phelps has appointed Matthew Quade as a director in its global restructuring advisory practice.

Quade joins from a UK clearing bank where he led the European debt advisory team in the international and intermediaries banking division.

Prior to this he developed his career in several business advisory roles within a Big Four accountancy practice and also a mid-tier firm.

He will be based in Duff & Phelps’ London office and will be working in the business consulting team, focusing on the pan-European business consulting offering. He will be providing financial and operational turnaround advisory services to distressed and underperforming businesses and their stakeholders.

Quade said: “I am looking forward to playing a part in the firm’s European growth ambitions and developing the broader consulting services for businesses facing difficulties and their stakeholders.”

“Duff & Phelps is a respected firm with a growing global presence and many well established service lines - from restructuring to valuation and transaction advisory services - which can greatly add value to turnaround situations.”

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