Deloitte has appointed Hayley McKelvey as its first chief AI officer, a newly created role that places AI strategy at the heart of the firm’s leadership. McKelvey, who is joining the UK executive, will be responsible for driving AI strategy across client services and internal operations. With over 20 years of technology and transformation experience she has a proven track record of delivering measurable outcomes through long-term digital transformation programmes for clients and within Deloitte. Previously she was chief AI officer for the UK’s tax and legal practices. Pictured: Hayley McKelvey

Kinbrook Group has announced promotions across the three accountancy firms in the group. Willem Puddy is promoted to partner and head of rural services at Old Mill and Callum Anderson to associate director. At Duncan & Toplis, Mandy Loyal is promoted to director legal and probate, Edward Spenceley and Geraint Price to business services associate director, Emmie Doughty and Taylor Rodwell to tax associate director, and Daniel Short to assurance manager. Andrew Jagger and Gareth Price are promoted to director at Moorfields Advisory. In addition, 22 staff were promoted to various more senior positions, including emerging talent across the group. The promotions reflected continued growth and a strong focus on developing in-house talent.

Haynes Boone has appointed Alexandra Ueno-Park as a tax partner. In her new role, she will establish and lead a new UK tax practice, supporting clients on multijurisdictional transactions and strategic business matters in the UK, Europe, Asia and the US. Ueno-Park brings extensive experience advising on complex UK and cross-border tax matters across a wide range of transactions and industries. Previously led the tax practice at VWV Law, after previously serving in senior roles at Deloitte, White & Case and EY.

Bishop Fleming has made eight partner promotions across the firm. The new partners are Alastair Campbell, Tom Morrill, Charlie Martin, Jamie Vinall and Matt Haskell in the audit team, Adele Clapp and Becky Targett in the tax team and Phil Redgate in advisory. This latest round of promotions reinforces the firm’s commitment to developing talent across the business, following a year in which 56 staff were promoted with particularly strong progression at assistant manager and manager level.

PKF Smith Cooper has strengthened the transaction and advisory services (TAS) team across the Midlands, appointing James Roberts as transaction and advisory services manager and Brent Kerrison as a senior executive. Roberts brings experience across a variety of sectors, including professional services, technology, hospitality and healthcare. He started his career in audit at PwC and joins from Greene King where he was a financial planning and analysis manager. Previously Kerrison was group financial accountant at Avant Homes, and brings hands-on construction sector experience, after originally training at Mazars.

AccountsIQ has appointed Abigail Rappoport as chief operating officer to lead next phase of operational and customer experience investment at the accounting software firm. Rappoport joins having spent the past few months consulting to the group on its customer experience strategy. She brings over 20 years of experience across Expedia, Meta and Microsoft, and has co-founded two businesses. Her background spans global operations, go-to-market strategy, customer experience, commercial operations and P&L ownership.

DFK UK & Ireland has appointed Andrew Moss, partner at DSG, as deputy chair of the association of independent accounting firms. Having been with DSG for over two decades, Moss has built a strong reputation as a trusted business adviser, supporting owner-managed businesses. In his new role, Moss will help to oversee the association’s activities across the UK and Ireland, which comprises over 140 partners and almost 1,600 members of staff.

Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is looking for new members to join its UK GAAP technical advisory group (TAG) and help shape the future of UK and Ireland accounting standards under UK GAAP, including statements of recommended practice (SORPs), and support the FRC in considering key issues such as conflicting interpretations, emerging risks to financial reporting quality, and the impact of developments in IFRS. Candidates need experience as reporters in either corporate or not-for-profit sectors.