Heather Self has joined Blick Rothenberg as a tax partner. She joins from Pinsent Masons where she was also a partner. Self has previously been Group Tax Director at Scottish Power, where she advised on numerous corporate transactions, including the $5bn disposal of the regulated US energy business.  She also worked at HMRC on complex disputes with FTSE 100 companies, and was a specialist adviser to the utilities sector, where she was involved in policy issues on energy generation and renewables. She is a member of the CBI Tax Committee and a former Chairman of the CIOT Technical committee.

Wilkins Kennedy has appointed Mark Doherty to head up VAT services in seven offices across Hampshire and Surrey. Doherty has joined the firm after a number of years at top 10 accountancy firms. He will support both the strategic aspects and delivery of VAT advisory and compliance services for the firm.

KPMG has promoted David Ferbrache to chief technology officer and Matthew Martindale to partner. Ferbrache joined KPMG in 2013 as technical director of cyber security before becoming director of cyber defence services. Prior to KPMG he held roles at the Ministry of Defence, including head of cyber and space and head of cyber policy and plans. Martindale joined the firm in 2000 and has been involved in delivering cyber security advisory and assurance engagements to clients.

Nish Bathia has joined Leicester accounting firm Torr Waterfield as a director. Bathia has a wide portfolio of corporate and personal clients in various industries including textiles, food and drink, manufacturing, distribution, and the service and professional sectors. He has also acted for clients in a number of regulated areas including charities, academies and FSA registered businesses.

Charles Randell has been appointed as the chair of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), effective 1 April 2018. He has also been appointed as the chair of the Payments Systems Regulator (PSR) from the same date. He will replace the outgoing chair of the FCA and PSR, John Griffith-Jones. Randell is currently an external member of the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Committee (PRC) and a Non-Executive Board member of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Before he joined the PRC he was partner at international law firm Slaughter & May where he specialised in corporate finance law.

Jo Ahmed, a partner at Deloitte, has been appointed by the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan as Honorary Consul of Japan in Manchester to further boost the relationship between Manchester and Japan. She replaces Peter Heginbotham who has retired after 10 years in the role.

Chief executive of ACCA, Helen Brand, has received an honorary degree from the University of Exeter. She was recognised for her contribution to the global accountancy profession and the links she has helped establish between the university and ACCA.