Saffery LLP has expanded the partnership with the promotion of five directors to partner, Stephen Lee, Tom Alun-Jones, Suzanna Ingham, Nick Hart and Rick Dunkley. Lee is based in London in the film & TV team and advises clients on all aspects of statutory reporting, financing, and tax compliance. Alun-Jones advises a range of commercial clients, and is a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser and has been at the firm since 2014 when he joined as a graduate. Ingham is a tax specialist with broad experience across corporate taxes, and advisory on growth strategies, via transactions and international expansion. Hart is a VAT specialist based in Bristol and a member of the national VAT advisory team and has 20 years of experience in VAT,  including four years at HMRC. Dunkley specialises in audit and financial reporting, and joined the firm in 2022 after qualifying as an ACA with RSM.  

Grant Thornton has promoted Michael Cooper to innovation tax director. Based in Southampton, Cooper brings nearly two decades of expertise in R&D tax credits, patent box regulations, and innovation tax strategy, and has been with the firm for 19 years. In his new role, he will focus on enhancing specialist tax advisory capabilities in the south of England, and also play a key role in the national innovation tax team, which is led by three partners and three directors, and supported by 50 specialists. 

KPMG UK has appointed Brian McBride as an independent non-executive. He will join from the start of April 2025 and will serve as a member of the UK firm’s public interest committee. McBride is currently chair of Trainline plc and a senior adviser at Scottish Equity Partners. He recently concluded his role as lead non-executive director on the board of the Ministry of Defence, an appointment made by the UK prime minister. As president of the CBI from 2022-24, he also led the organisation through its recent issues enabling it to rebuild under new leadership. McBride was chair of ASOS plc from 2012 to 2018, and CEO of Amazon UK from 2006 to 2011.

McDermott Will & Emery has appointed tax lawyer Alex Jupp as a partner and UK head of tax in the London office of the law firm. Jupp brings extensive experience in all aspects of UK and cross-border tax matters impacting mergers and acquisitions, structuring for joint ventures, planning and audit interactions. He has represented a wide variety of clients in both transactional and contentious matters. Previously he was at Skadden, where he was also a partner.

RMT Accountants has named Stephen Slater as managing director and he is due to replace Mike Pott this summer. Slater is currently head of commercial services responsible for audit and accounting at the firm, which is part of private equity backed Sumer group, and he has been with the business since 1998. Pott will remain as a member of the executive team during the handover period.

JSG has announced that Ryan Govender will take over as chief financial officer when current CFO Yvonne Monaghan steps down from the board after 17 years in the top finance job. Govender will take over as executive director and CFO at the listed textile services provider, from 1 October. He brings extensive, listed, corporate finance and commercial expertise to the role, having worked for over 20 years in senior finance roles across global FMCG businesses, including Associated British Foods. He is currently CFO at Treatt plc, and originally qualified as a chartered accountant at PwC in South Africa.

Obituary - Richard Newman

Nichols plc has announced with profound sadness the passing of Richard Newman, its CFO and company secretary. Newman died on 15 March at home, surrounded by his family, after facing cancer with stoicism and grace. The Nichols’ board said: ‘Richard’s dedication, leadership, and contributions to Nichols over the last 12 months have been invaluable, and he will be deeply missed by everyone who had the privilege of working with him. The board’s thoughts and sympathies are with Richard's wife, Lynne, and their three sons during this incredibly difficult time.’ Prior to joining Nichols plc, Newman was CFO at Accrol Group Holdings, and previously spent six years at listed packaging giant DS Smith where he was regional finance director, North Europe, as well as 14 years at Cadbury, where he was group financial controller. He originally trained as a chartered accountant in the 1990s at Coopers & Lybrand, now PwC.