S&W has appointed Tom Lewin as a partner to launch and lead the financial services deal advisory team as part of the firm’s existing corporate finance offering. He was most recently a managing director at Investec Bank plc, where he established their financial services and fintech M&A team. He has over 20 years’ experience in financial services, with extensive M&A and capital markets advisory experience.

Old Mill is expanding its senior leadership team, with the promotion of Philip Kirkpatrick to partner. The rural specialist has been with the firm for almost 17 years, having initially joined as a graduate trainee, and then qualifying as a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser. He specialises in farm accounts, tax planning, succession, inheritance tax, and capital gains tax, and has in-depth sector knowledge of the rural sector. He has built strong client relationships across the farming community and has a passion for agriculture.

Monahans has appointed Joel Haft as head of internal audit based in its Swindon office to lead the launch and development of the firm’s new internal audit service line, and Simon Cunningham as audit partner in Nottingham. Haft brings more than 10 years of experience in audit, working closely with boards, audit committees and regulators across the financial services, fintech and blockchain sectors. Previously he was head of audit at SS&C Financial Services, and originally trained at Mazars. Cunningham joined Monahans in November last year as part of the firm’s acquisition of Moore South West, bringing with him over two decades of experience in audit and advisory.

EY has appointed Kate Jarman as Leeds office managing partner, taking over from Tim West, who will take a client facing role as a tax partner and other national roles. Adrian Roberts is named as Midlands managing partner and markets leader, succeeding Simon O’Neill, who becomes EY deputy assurance service line leader. Jarman has more than 20 years of experience and will be responsible for leading a team of around 500 people across the region, having lead the Leeds audit business for the last four years. Roberts has held various leadership roles at the firm, including head of audit quality for the UK&I.

PKF Littlejohn has expanded its footprint in the North West with the launch of a dedicated restructuring practice in Manchester, appointing three partners, Paul Smith, Stephen Clancy and Paul Reeves, to lead the team. All three join PKF from Kroll where they held senior positions. Smith brings extensive board-level experience as a transformation leader and trusted advisor and is a Fellow of the Institute for Turnaround. He joins from Kroll where he was an advisory partner. Clancy is a seasoned insolvency practitioner with over 30 years of appointment-taking experience, previously a managing director at Kroll. Reeves joins with over 25 years’ experience in the UK restructuring sector, and is a chartered surveyor and licensed insolvency practitioner, and was previously a managing director at Kroll.

Crowe has promoted Mark Holborow to insolvency and restructuring partner. The licensed insolvency practitioner joined the firm in 2022 as a director and has almost 20 years’ experience in insolvency and restructuring working, with particular expertise in restructuring advisory for businesses aiming to avoid formal insolvency. His clients span various industries and sectors, from start-ups to mature enterprises, including owner-managed businesses, SMEs, large national companies, and non-profit organisations. He originally trained at PwC in the deal and advisory team.

Cooper Parry has appointed Oliver Vaughan as chief financial officer (CFO). He brings more than two decades of experience in senior financial roles across advisory and corporates, including private equity-backed ventures and high-growth businesses. His most recent role as a managing director at global investment bank, Houlihan Lokey, saw Vaughan lead the firm’s European coverage of professional services, including advising CP on its recent PE switch to Lee Equity Partners. 

Duncan & Toplis has appointed Ian Brown as chief financial officer joining the group’s executive leadership team. He brings over 20 years of experience in financial management, strategic planning and operational efficiency, most recently as M&A lead at Hunter Douglas Inc. He has also held senior finance roles at Boots, Hillarys and Simplify, where he was responsible for driving strategic growth and optimising operations. He started his career in tax at PwC.

PwC UK has appointed partner Duncan Cox as leader of its private equity business, stepping up from his role as the firm’s global deals tax leader  He has been with PwC for over 30 years, primarily in the deals tax practice, and has significant experience advising across a wide spectrum of transactions, fund structures, forensic investigations, and transformation initiatives.

Greaves West & Ayre announces Daniel Bullen, Matthew Brown and Toby Douglas as independent financial advisers (IFAs) in the firm’s wealth management team, following successful completion of their IFA qualifications. After successfully passing exams, undergoing assessments, receiving additional training, and completing a supervised period, they are now fully practicing IFAs.

RCK Partners has appointed Kirsten Winsryg, an experienced R&D tax accountant, to head up a new R&D tax credits office in Dublin focusing on the Irish market. Her expertise will support the launch of RCK into Ireland with a focus on R&D consulting services. Winsryg brings more than 10 years of experience in the sector, previously as R&D management accountant at Monaghan Mushrooms.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has confirmed that Sarah Rapson, executive director of supervision, will step down from her role at the FRC to become the new chief executive officer of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has appointed Kurt Hohl as chief accountant, taking over from interim appointee Ryan Wolfe. Hohl brings nearly four decades of experience across public practice, regulatory service, and advisory roles. Most recently, he was the founder of Corallium Advisors, offering strategic guidance on regulatory compliance, auditing, and risk management. Prior to that, he spent 26 years as a partner at EY, including as global deputy vice-chair of EY’s global assurance professional practice. He is a former associate chief accountant at the SEC, where he authored the foundational Financial Reporting Manual.