BTG Advisory LLP, a division of Begbies Traynor Group, has appointed experienced forensic accountant Jack Clitheroe as a partner focused mainly across the north of England. He joins from Azets where he was a partner and has a wealth of expertise in forensic accountancy, including 11 years in the forensics and integrity services team at EY. In his new senior role he will advise clients and lawyers on a range of matters, including commercial disputes, loss of profits claims, contentious business valuations, matrimonial valuations, transaction disputes and fraud investigations.

WBG has appointed Tom Faichnie as partner and head of diligence & transactions, and Melanie Clark as corporate finance partner with both based at the firm’s newly opened Aberdeen office. Faichnie specialises in providing financial due diligence and deal advice to UK mid-market private equity and corporate clients undertaking M&A activity. He originally trained at KPMG and spent part of his career in the leveraged finance team at Barclays. Clark is an expert in financial due diligence and sell side deal advice for UK mid-market companies. The two join from Quantify Advisors where they were both partners.

Saint & Co Chartered Accountants has appointed Sophie Graham as student training partner. She originally joined as a graduate and has worked at the firm for more than 20 years. In her new role Graham will oversee the training pathways for trainees and apprentices. Since her appointment, she has promoted further opportunities for local people to create careers in accountancy and has extended Saint & Co’s training programme across its sites in Cumbria. Previously, all ACA students were trained from the head office in Carlisle.

PKF Francis Clark has appointed Youcef Toumi and Anna Roberts as tax directors. Toumi supports international clients with UK interests on their filing obligations and tax advisory planning opportunities, as well as helping to resolve tax disputes. He joins from BDO, where he spent nearly 13 years. Roberts specialises in transactional tax advice, including buyside and sell-side due diligence and tax structuring, and has worked at all the Big Four firms.

Larking Gowen has hired Joanna Burton as a director in its north Norfolk team, bringing with her a wealth of commercial and industry experience. She first joined Larking Gowen as a trainee in 1998, where she qualified as a chartered accountant before moving to work in industry, most recently as finance director for One For Fun. In her new role, she will support a range of individuals and business owners in the region.

Johnston Carmichael has hired Annie Fleming as a business advisory director in its Edinburgh office as it seeks to grow its rural sector practice. She originally trained at the firm before leaving to work in industry for the last eight years, most recently as CFO at law firm Blackadders, and previously at ESPC (UK) Ltd. From a farming family, and married to a farmer, Flemings works with owner-managed businesses across a variety of sectors, including professional services and property, but will increasingly focus on rural businesses in collaboration with colleagues across the firm. Meantime, Margaret Heggie has been appointed as senior tax manager in the private client team. She has more than 25 years’ experience of advising on international tax, trusts, capital gains and high net worth individuals, and is ATT qualified. Heggie joins from law firm Turcan Connell where she was a senior tax manager.

Milsted Langdon has appointed James Barrell as an audit director, based in the Bristol office. With nearly 20 years’ experience in audit, he specialises in overseeing the delivery of audits for owner-managed businesses, including AIM-listed companies, multinational groups, professional practice partnerships, and charities. Previously he was an audit manager at Grant Thornton.

PKF Smith Cooper has hired Adam Zaman as senior manager and Matt Doherty as a manager in the corporate tax team. Zaman’s sector expertise spans automotive technology and vehicle leasing, farms and landed estates, hospitality and IT. Previously he was a corporate tax senior manager at Shorts. Doherty has over a decade of experience and will be based in the Nottingham office. He joins from PwC where he was a tax manager working with private equity, private and family-owned businesses to manage their tax affairs.

Armstrong Watson has hired 37 graduate trainees as it continues its commitment to investing in young people. This is a record number for the firm, up from 28 last year. Based at offices across the north of England and Scotland, the new students will be working towards their ACA qualification. Three of this year’s intake are former trainees who have progressed from their AAT apprenticeship to the ACA qualification. In September they will start a three-year programme which combines study with hands on experience, support, coaching and mentoring.

Hall Morrice has hired nine chartered accountant trainees, the firm’s largest intake ever, and three accountancy placement students from Robert Gordon University (RGU), an audit/business advisory administrator and an intern, all starting in July and early August. This builds on the firm’s commitment to investing in colleagues and providing opportunities for career development, especially for young graduates who are looking to pursue a rewarding career in accountancy.

Wilson Wright partner Warren Baker has been named as deputy president of accounting alliance DFK International. He will serve a two-year term in this new role before taking up the position of president of DFK for three years. He will succeed the current president, Stephen Bushell, and will lead the executive board of the global alliance.

Vibrant Accountancy is working with sports psychologist Dr Phil Clarke to help its team adopt some of the mental fitness and teamwork strategies employed by top athletes, including Team GB sports men and women who are competing at the Olympic Games in Paris. Dr Clarke is training the Derby-based team on how to know your strengths and analyse them, to improve performance and achieve the best possible mindset.