Crowe has promoted Hayley Ives to partner in the tax resolutions group. Ives has over 18 years of experience supporting taxpayers through complex interactions with HMRC, including fraud investigations, HMRC challenges under self-assessment and voluntary disclosures. She is a chartered tax adviser, member of CIOT’s management of taxes committee and HMRC’s offshore forum, and a member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP). Ives joined Crowe in 2013 having originally trained at PKF.

Azets has appointed Iffy Hussein as a corporate finance partner in the Leeds office. He brings over 13 years of experience in mid-market M&A, focusing on privately owned and private equity backed businesses across business services and TMT. Hussein will support a range of businesses at different points in their journey, providing M&A advisory, capital raising and transaction services. Previously he was a senior manager corporate finance at PwC based in Leeds, and originally trained as a chartered accountant at EY. Pictured: Iffy Hussein, Lee Humble

VITA has appointed indirect tax specialist, Elaine Shepherd, as a partner based in Aberdeen after joining the joined the firm six months ago as a consultant. Shepherd brings over 30 years of indirect tax experience in cross-border VAT, customs duty, and offshore supply chains, specialising in the energy sector, from oil and gas to renewables and decommissioning. Previously she was an indirect tax senior manager at EY where she spent 12 years working in the UK and US, having started her tax career at PwC.

Blick Rothenberg has promoted partner Alan Tam to head of global mobility. He has over 25 years’ experience working with companies advising on the tax, social security and payroll implications of cross-border workforces at all levels of seniority as well as supporting them in managing their global mobility functions. Prior to joining the firm in 2019, Tam was tax director at BDO and also worked in-house at McKinsey & Co in the global mobility team.

BDO has appointed three new partners, Jen Hale, Gurj Sandhu and Debbie Knowles. Hale joins as an audit partner in the financial services team and brings over 10 years of experience. She will work with mid-market businesses with a focus on the banking and alternative finance sector, and was previously a director at PwC. Sandhu joins as a tax partner and will be responsible for supporting mid-market businesses and the development of a specialist capital allowances team across the Northern region. He joins from Azets, where he was managing partner of the Birmingham office and national head of capital allowances. Knowles joins the private client services tax team as partner and brings over 30 years of experience in corporate and partnership taxation, providing tax compliance and advisory services. Previously she was a partner at EY.

Wbg has appointed Gordon McIntyre as insolvency director based in its Glasgow office (pictured). He brings over 30 years of experience in all forms of corporate insolvency procedures across a range of sectors, including manufacturing, property, professional services and construction. McIntyre is a qualified chartered certified accountant and an insolvency practitioner. Previously he was an insolvency director at McLaren Insolvency Practitioners.

ForrestBrown has promoted Katy Long to director. She has more than 15 years of experience and is an R&D expert with deep technical expertise, and heads up a team of more than 40 specialists supporting established SMEs and large corporates with R&D tax relief. Long joined the firm in 2019 and has been instrumental in helping businesses navigate the evolving R&D tax landscape. She originally trained at EY where she was a tax advisor in private client services.

RSM’s Rich Hall has become the UK’s first Accounting for Nature (AfN) Accredited Auditor. The accreditation provides the ability to deliver independent environmental audits working to Accounting for Nature’s global environmental accounting standard to certify credible, verified nature claims for clients. Hall is consulting partner and head of ESG and sustainability services at RSM and has over 20 years’ experience leading sustainability and assurance projects in the UK and globally. In Edinburgh, Liam Renton has been promoted to employer solutions director in the tax faculty. He joined the firm in 2015 as a tax associate and specialises in tax valuations and employee share incentive plans. In total, 700 promotions have been made across the firm, including 66 in Scotland, and a 31 to director with half drawn from former trainees.

Albert Goodman has welcomed 21 new trainees and two 12-month business placement students. The 2025 cohort marks another strong year for the programme, with roles offered across all departments and fully funded accountancy training, hands-on experience and a clear pathway into the accounting industry. The new intake will be based at the Taunton, Yeovil, Weston-Super-Mare and Bristol offices.

Robson Laidler has hired eight trainees based in the Newcastle, Durham and Teesside offices, and working across audit, healthcare accounting, business accounts, business advisory and tax. The training academy offers apprentices a fully funded structured learning programme, personal development and study time, support from a dedicated mentor and a pathway to AAT and ICAEW accountancy qualifications.

Fair Work Agency, the government’s new body to crack down on minimum wage underpayment and worker exploitation, will be headed up by Matthew Taylor as chair. Taylor led the influential Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices in 2016, which provided the foundation for many of the reforms now being delivered through the Employment Rights Bill. Since 2021 he has been chief executive of the NHS Confederation, and was previously CEO at the RSA.  

Gateway2Lease has appointed Ashley Floyd to a new role of financial controller, having initially joined the business in June. He has worked in finance for more than a decade and specialises in evolving the finance function by automating processes. Previously he was financial controller at logistics firm Stop Start Transport.