Deloitte has appointed Ruth Markland as an independent non-executive. She is the senior independent director of Standard Chartered and The Sage Group, as well as a member of the supervisory board and chair of the remuneration committee at Arcadis. Markland was managing partner for Asia at Freshfields between 1996 and 2003, having joined the law firm in 1977. She succeeds Dame DeAnne Julius, while Sir Gerry Grimstone and Sir Michael Peat are continuing into a second term in their roles.

Mark Sands, a personal insolvency specialist at Baker Tilly Creditor Services LLP, has been appointed as the new president of the Insolvency Practitioners Association.

PwC has announced that Stephen O’Hearn will take over as its global insurance leader from David Law, who retires in June.  O’Hearn currently leads PwC’s insurance practice across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and previously led PwC’s insurance practice in New York.  

Global network RSM International has appointed Anand Selvarajan as its new European regional leader, replacing Robert Coles, who has held the position since June 2010. Selvarajan started his career in foreign affairs, before moving to senior positions for Lloyd’s of London, Merrill Lynch and RBS, covering European and emerging markets. 

Saffery Champness has appointed Liz Hazell head of its national not-for-profit group. Hazell has more than 20 years’ experience of working with major charities, service providers, grant giving foundations, livery companies and international non-governmental organisations. She was previously head of charities at PwC, where she was responsible for their approach to servicing more than 400 audit and non-audit charities. 

London-based chartered accountants BKL has promoted Jason Appel and Doug Sinclair to partner and Philip Jahn to senior manager.  Appel joined the firm as a trainee in 2002, while Sinclair joined three years ago as head of tax investigations after four years at Crowe Clark Whitehill.  Jahn also began with BKL as a trainee nine years ago.