EY has appointed landfill tax specialist Paul O’Neill as a senior manager as the firm continues to build its speciality tax business in the UK. O’Neill, who previously spent eight years at KPMG and three years with HMRC, will advise clients environmental tax issues such as landfill tax, aggregates levy, climate change levy and air passenger duty.

KPMG has announced the appointment of Sanjay Thakkar as head of its transactions and restructuring practice in the UK. He takes over the role from Richard Fleming, who has led the team since 2011 alongside his primary role as KPMG’s UK head of advisory. Thakkar became a UK partner in 2005, and in 2008 led KPMG’s transactions and restructuring business in India for three years. Since returning to the UK in 2011, Thakkar has taken lead roles on a number of landmark deals for clients including Vodafone and Barclays.

Chris Austin has been appointed chair of the International Accounting Education Standards Board for a three-year term commencing January 1, 2015. Austin has held senior positions within the UK government, including serving as country director for DFID in Bangladesh, working in the Cabinet Office on G8 transparency, the Treasury and the executive director's office at the World Bank/International Monetary Fund.

Baker Tilly has appointed James Morris as a tax director to its North-West tax team. He previously worked for KPMG for 11 years, and specialises in advising businesses on the tax implications of their international operations, as well as M&A tax. He will divide his time between Baker Tilly’s offices in Manchester and Preston. 

Meanwhile the firm's Mark Sands has been named Personal Insolvency Practitioner of the year at the annual Insolvency and Rescue Awards 2014. Sands was recognised for his work which included a recent case where he rescued more than ten solicitors from bankruptcy following the collapse of their practice, as well as his work on the bankruptcies of various footballers and artists who had failed to pay their taxes.

Scottish firm Johnston Carmichael has strengthened its oil and gas focus with the appointment of VAT specialist Fiona Weir as a new tax director. Weir, who qualified with PwC, spent 11 years at RBS primarily focused on advising its retail bank and insurance divisions. 

Southend and Basildon-based chartered accountants Rickard Keen have promoted tax specialist Jamie Nice to director. Nice trained with the firm and then spent three years with a top-25 firm before re-joining and becoming an associate and director of taxation.

Mercer & Hole has announced four new directors. Former trusts manger, Daniel Bisby, based at the firm’s St Albans office, has been promoted to director of trustees. Suzanne Briggs becomes director of private clients, while Henry Page has been promoted to director of restructuring and insolvency. Both are based in London, together with Iain Muffitt who, has been appointed to director of M&H Financial Planning (MHFP). 

UK brewer and pub group Greene King has appointed Kirk Davis, currently JD Wetherspoon's finance director, as its chief financial officer. Davis will take up the role in the New Year, and is replacing Matthew Fearn who has been absent since February with a long term illness and has decided to step down to focus on his family and his health.

Harris Lipman has promoted  Bethan Evans to partner. An ACCA member and a licensed insolvency practitioner, Evans joined the firm as a graduate in 2005 and specialises in liquidations, as well as managing the Cardiff office. She provides technical assistance to the department as well as corporate recovery and insolvency advice to clients. She is also a member of the ACCA South Wales Members’ Network Panel.

Two former HMRC tax inspectors who launched their own specialist advisory business in Yorkshire 18 months ago have now opened a London office. Gary Brothers and Stephen Outhwaite, who run Independent Tax & Forensic Services, have expanded to a new location i just off Baker Street.   The firm, which provides tax and risk management advice,now has a portfolio of more than 120 clients, including well-known names from the world of sport and entertainment, over 60% of whom are located in the south of the country.