BDO has bolstered its partnership with the appointment of Melissa Bruno, Andrew Clewer and Daniel Quiligotti as partners, based in London. Bruno joins as a people advisory partner in the digital risk advisory services team, and has over 20 years’ experience in professional services, consulting and the private sector. She will lead on supporting businesses with people, culture and leadership strategy. Previously she was a partner in EY’s human capital practice. Clewer joins the audit quality improvement team and will take a lead role in the audit quality directorate. Previously a partner at EY, he retired in 2022 after 23 years. Quiligotti will specialise in asset management, and has a wealth of experience in the investment management and private equity sectors. Previously he was a director at Deloitte.

Deloitte has appointed Jo Ahmed as practice senior partner for the northwest, heading up a combined team of over 1,350 people. Ahmed will have a particular focus on driving programmes across the practice on climate and sustainability, in addition to supporting the growth of sectors such as digital, cyber, private equity and real estate. She joined Deloitte in 2004 as a senior manager and has over 25 years’ experience in advising businesses on managing global workforces. One of her early priorities will be to deliver the opening of the new Manchester 100 Embankment office, Deloitte’s latest office to be designed for the future of work and hybrid working. She will continue to head up the firm’s regional global mobility practice.

Crowe has promoted four directors to the partnership with Kay Monks, Sarah Riches, Tim Robinson and Helen Blundell appointed as partners across corporate tax, business solutions, and the social purpose and non profit teams. Monks has been with the firm for over a decade and works with UK businesses and international groups looking to expand into the UK. Riches has 13 years’ experience providing audit support to international groups including FTSE and AIM listed clients. Robinson specialises in forensics, focusing on cybercrime and fraud. Non profit specialist Blundell has more than 20 years’ experience spanning audits, examinations and advisory work.

Hillier Hopkins has promoted Sam Hodson and Matt McParland to partners. Hodson is a home-grown talent, having joined the firm in 2011, he now becomes a partner in the audit team continuing to work with his portfolio of owner-managed businesses, FCA-regulated firms, academies and golf clubs. McParland is a partner in the finance team. He rejoined the firm as finance director in 2022 from Spreadex where he was financial controller after a spell at the firm as an audit manager between 2001 and 2006.

JRW Hogg & Thorburn has appointed Christiaan Hansen as a partner. Based at the Hawick office in the Scottish borders, he is a tax specialist with particular interest in inheritance tax planning and business restructuring, assisting owner managed businesses and individuals with tax related issues such as succession planning, minimising exposure to inheritance tax and personal tax. He rejoined the firm 2023 after three years at Greaves West & Ayre, and Scholes CA. Originally from Cape Town, he qualified as an accountant in 2013, became a CTA in 2017 and qualified as an estate tax practitioner in 2020.

TaxAssist Accountants has promoted three staff at the the franchise group’s support centre. Jo Nockels FCCA FMAAT, Simon Hutchinson and Harry Brown have all moved to new roles. Nockels has been promoted to a new position as head of group practice capabilities. Working alongside existing support centre teams, she will be heading up the TaxAssist Practice Engine which sits at the core of the franchise operational support. Hutchinson has been appointed to a new position of head of group business intelligence and Brown has been promoted to UK franchise recruitment manager, working closely with prospective new TaxAssist Accountants.

PKF Smith Cooper has appointed Claire Spencer as a corporate finance partner in the dealmaking team. She has 25 years’ experience in mid-market transactions, and private equity and cross-border deals covering business services, industrial, food, consumer and technology. Previously she was a co-founding partner at Lava Advisory Partners, an independent corporate finance boutique, and also spent 14 years at Grant Thornton.

Rawlinson & Hunter LLP has promoted Jeremy Stein and Dan Taylor to director. Stein specialises in non-dom taxation, UK residence, domicile and remittance planning issues, while Taylor focuses on corporate tax, specialising in corporate structuring, employee share schemes, tax due diligence and company share valuations for tax purposes.

RPC has appointed Tim Shepherd and Alys Jones as partners in the London professional & financial risks practice, joining the firm on 3 June. Shepherd is a seasoned solicitor-advocate specialising in professional liability disputes and professional regulatory and disciplinary matters. Jones is an experienced litigator who specialises in defending claims against a range of professionals, particularly accountants and auditors, insolvency practitioners, tax professionals and lawyers. She handles a spectrum of complex cases involving corporate transactions, tax matters, and insolvencies. Both join from Mayer Brown International where Shepherd was a partner.

SmartSearch has appointed Phil Cotter as CEO, following the completion of a majority investment by Triple Private Equity. He is set to steer the business through a new period of growth as it helps companies fight against global money laundering and fraud. He has a wealth of compliance, risk, and leadership expertise to his new role, having held senior positions at the London Stock Exchange Group, Refinitiv, Thomson Reuters, and Experian.

Jersey Finance has appointed Chris Jenkins as global head of market development, following the departure of Allan Wood earlier this month. He has over 25 years of international financial services experience, with particular expertise in the digital and fintech space. He joins Jersey Finance from TORA, a financial technology firm, where he worked for almost two decades, running the client-facing functions globally and a member of the executive team.

KYC360, a provider of customer lifecycle management solutions, has appointed John Harris to the advisory board. He has a wealth of experience having held a number of high-profile senior roles, including as director general of the Jersey Financial Services Commission and director of international finance for the government of Jersey.