KPMG has strengthened its Scottish team by promoting James Kergon and Alan Turner to partner. Kergon was previously a director in the firm’s transaction services arm. He joined KPMG as a graduate in 1998 and has specialised in transactions for 13 years. In his role as partner, Kergon will continue to advise a number of businesses on M&A activity, while leading the firm’s deal advisory business across central Scotland. Turner has been promoted to partner in the tax team and has experience providing advice to clients on a range of domestic and international tax matters. He previously led KPMG’s tax centre of excellence in New York.

Max Paterson has joined UHY Hacker Young’s Manchester office as a partner in the audit department. He joins from EY where he was a senior manager in their audit team. Paterson will further strengthen UHY’s audit offering and increase the firm’s current rate of growth in the north west.

Phil Dankin has joined Duff & Phelps’ restructuring advisory practice as a managing director in the firms London office. He brings more than 15 years’ experience in the corporate restructuring and insolvency sector, having advised companies on procedures including independent business reviews, operational and financial restructuring, and formal insolvency appointments. He joins from Greybull Capital, where he was an integral part of the team which completed the acquisition of Tata Steel’s Scunthorpe Steelworks, resulting in the rescue of 4,000 jobs.

Catalyst Corporate Finance has recruited William Cooke, Matthew Lee and Jonathan Toh to its deal making team. Cooke joins the firm’s London team where he will support the partners. He joins from EY where he gained his ACA qualification. Lee and Toh join the Midlands team. Lee joins from PwC where he worked with clients including Leicester Tigers, Doncasters, Galliford Try and Whitworth Brothers. Toh joins from BDO where he has spent the last 18 months in their transaction services team.

Central Investment has announced the promotion of Lloyd Davies to associate director. He joined te firm in 2012 as an independent financial adviser with eight years’ experience in the financial sector. He has advised individual clients on protection, investments, retirement planning and options at retirement, including tax planning and inheritance tax.

Former HMRC senior tax inspector, Stephen Outhwaite, has joined Pierce chartered accountants to support clients facing disputes that could potentially cost them millions of pounds. He has worked in senior roles with HMRC for 25 years, conducting investigations which led to multi-million pound tax settlements and prosecutions.

Mary Jo White, the current chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has announced, she intends to leave at the end of the Obama administration, in January 2017, after nearly four years as the agency’s head. White, who became the 31st chair of the SEC in April 2013, will be one of the organisation’s longest serving chairs, and has been behind the agency’s move to adopt a new approach to enforcement in the wake of the financial crisis.

The National Audit Office (NAO) has announced that Abdool Kara will join its leadership team as executive leader. Abdool has gained experience from senior roles in local government and delivery of local services, as well as from his wider public sector accountability and inspection work. He has been chief executive of Swale Borough Council since 2009.

IAASA has appointed Kevin Prendergast as chief executive. He joins from his role as head of enforcement with the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, where he has been employed since 2005. Prior to that he worked in the large cases division of the Revenue Commissioners and also has several years’ experience in the private sector including a number of years working in an audit firm.