BDO LLP continues its investment in audit quality with the appointment of two new partners in its regional offices. Jo Jones and Chris Cole join the firm’s audit stream with almost 40 years’ combined experience. Jones will be based in the Southampton office, with a special focus on audit quality, culture and people development. Her audit experience spans a wide range of industries, including retail, leisure and tourism, technology, and pharma. Previously she was an assurance director at PwC. Cole joins the Nottingham office and has a particular expertise in auditing US-listed businesses under the United States Public Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) standards, including auditing SOX controls. Previously he was at KPMG where he was an audit director.

Mazars has appointed Huseyin Sahin to the role of risk and consulting partner. He returns to Mazars after having spent nearly a decade with the firm as a senior manager at the start of his career. He rejoins from Promontory, a business unit of IBM, where he was an associate partner. Throughout his career he has built expertise across accounting, audit, financial services regulatory compliance, governance, conduct and risk management. In his new role Sahin will be responsible for leading the Banking Consulting team, as well as focussing on additional business opportunities across the breadth of the financial services sector.

KPMG has appointed Euan West to lead KPMG Private Enterprise (KPE) which supports privately owned businesses with their growth agendas and business strategy, from early-stage funding advice to planning an exit. West has been KPMG’s Leeds office senior partner since 2019. He will take over the role of head of KPE on 1 January 2024 when Karl Edge becomes chief people officer and joins KPMG’s UK executive committee. Edge will also continue in his role as head of regions.

Azets has promoted Nicola Banham and Robert Young to partners in the London office’s restructuring advisory team. Chartered accountant and licensed insolvency practitioner Banham has more than 20 years’ experience in business restructuring, turnaround and rescue, and joined Azets in 2021 from BDO. Young is a licensed insolvency practitioner with more than 20 years’ experience and he joined Azets in November 2022 after more than 15 years at RSM. Azets has also made three director appointments across the northwest. Keith Miller joins as VAT partner, Simon Copeland as director in the corporate finance team and Vincent Costello as director in the tax team. Miller has been advising clients for over 30 years in roles at HMRC, Deloitte and KPMG, specialising in property VAT, M&A transactions and financial services. Copeland joins following 12 years at HSBC, where he facilitated funding from start-ups through to multinationals. With over 25 years’ experience Costello specialises in dealing with HMRC enquiries and complex disclosures and joins from ETC Tax.

FRP Corporate Finance has announced the promotions of six colleagues across the firm’s national network as it marks a successful first half to its 23/24 financial year. Ryan Symonds and James Cooper, both based in the firm’s Norwich office, have been promoted to partner. Alex Hunton, also based in Norwich, has been promoted to director while Olivia Norris, Nick Wright (both corporate finance) and Karris Giani (debt advisory) are now senior managers in the firm’s Soho office.

The OECD’s Committee on Fiscal Affairs (CFA) has elected Tim Power, deputy director for business and international tax in the UK Treasury as the chair of the committee. He replaces Gaël Perraud, who resigned in December 2023 following his move to a new position within the French Ministry of Finance. As chair of the CFA, Power will also serve as co-chair of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS, alongside Marlene Nembhard-Parker of Jamaica, who became co-chair in March 2022.