Azets has announced 212 promotions across its UK business, including 35 partners and 22 directors. Newly appointed partners include Adrian Cousens, Chan Landa and Lyndsey Camilleri in the accounts and business advisory team, and six promotions to tax partner including Alan Glen, Andrew Fitton, Clair Williams, Claire Smailes,  Miya King and Vanessa Clark. Andrew Howells becomes a partner, audit & assurance and Richard Oddy, partner in the restructuring team. Damien Russell has been appointed as chief people officer, replacing Helen Hall who has taken a new strategic role as head of DI & ESG. Partner Brian Laidlaw becomes head of north east, and there are two promotions to office managing partner for Lee Meredith in Wolverhampton and Claire Hinshaw in Newcastle.

Grant Thornton UK LLP has bolstered its public services transport advisory offering with the appointment of Charlie Hamilton as partner. He joins the firm with over 15 years’ experience working in the transport sector with particular expertise in local transport and the bus sector, including funding, financing, regulation, reform and strategy. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, he joins from Deloitte where he was a director in the transport leadership team. He is also a vice chair of the Bus Partnership Board.

Begbies Traynor Group has expanded its senior team with the appointment of Carl Lever as a director, working across the Leeds and Manchester offices. In his new role he will focus on advising, helping and providing options to firms in the financial services sector, particularly those facing financial or regulatory challenges. He joins the firm from Leonard Curtis where he gained 13 years’ experience and has built a specialism in advising Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulated businesses.

UHY Hacker Young has set up a dedicated accounting and business services team at the Nottingham office led by partner Liz Searby, who has been with the firm for 16 years. Also joining the team is director Becki Roberts, as well as five dedicated managers, and a number of seniors and trainee accountants. The team will focus on providing specific advice for clients based on leveraging technology and cloud accounting.

Accesso Technology Group plc has announced the sad news that Fern MacDonald, the group’s CFO, passed away on 12 August following an unflinching battle with cancer. MacDonald had been with the group for over six years, having originally trained as a chartered accountant with EY in Ireland before moving into business. Bill Russell, Accesso non-executive chairman, said: ‘On behalf of the Accesso board I would like to express my sincere condolences to Fern’s family. Quite apart from being a model CFO she was an outstanding person whose contribution to the company was immeasurable. She will be sorely missed by all.’ Matthew Boyle, current VP finance, will take on the role of interim CFO. He has been with the group for five years and previously was at BDO for eight years, where he was an audit manager.

Armstrong Watson has taken on a record 28 trainees, including 21 apprentices, to work towards their Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and Association of Tax Technicians (ATT) qualifications, with 21 embarking on the AAT and four starting the ATT in 2024. This is up from 17 across the two courses in 2023. The firm is also recruiting for two payroll apprentices. The new students, who start in September at regional offices across the north of England and Scotland, will work in the accounting and tax compliance teams and will receive hands-on experience alongside classroom study as they work towards their qualifications.

Henderson Loggie has hired 13 trainees, including seven graduates, numbering two of this year’s Dundee University Accountancy Prize winners, two apprentices, and four school leavers, bringing the total number of trainees recruited by the firm over the past five years to 95. The new trainees will join various departments, including audit, tax, accounting business services, and payroll.  Their journey begins with an intensive two-week induction programme that covers essential topics including bookkeeping, an overview of audit, and the development of soft skills necessary for success in the workplace.

Advancetrack has appointed Rishi Ruparelia as sales account executive at the accountancy outsourcing firm to help accounting practice leaders manage their productivity and resource needs. He joins from Airwallex, where he was a channel partner manager working and also spent seven years at Xero as a senior account manager for key accounts.

Vistra has appointed Andrew Cherry as group chief financial officer designate. Initially based in Luxembourg before moving to Singapore, Cherry will lead the group’s finance function and be responsible for driving the performance of the business. With a CFO career spanning 25 years, the chartered accountant started his career at PwC before moving into business, most recently as CFO at Alter Domus for five years where he oversaw the sale of the business to Cinven. He takes over from Hilton Hess who has been CFO since 2020 and is retiring.