Deloitte has promoted 57 partners in the UK firm although less than one in four of the promotions went to women (13).  Overall 19% of Deloitte’s partners are women, an increase from 14% in 2014. This year 11% of new partners are BAME, compared with 5% of all Deloitte partners. Broken down across the key service lines, the audit & risk advisory business has promoted 16 new partners, with 15 in consulting, 13 in tax, 12 in financial advisory, and one partner promotion in internal client services. The strength of the firm’s regional network is also demonstrated with a quarter (14) based outside London.

Kimberley Wapplington has been promoted to insolvency manager in Smith Cooper’s Nottingham office. She originally joined Smith Cooper’s Derby office as an insolvency administrator, prior to relocating to the Nottingham office in 2013, where she was promoted to the role of assistant manager. Before joining the firm, Wapplington worked for a number of boutique insolvency firms.

James Cruse, Kirsty Jackson, and Hamid Bukhari have each been promoted to associate at JW Hinks. Having joined the firm in 2003 as a trainee, Cruse became an audit senior in 2007 and an audit manager in 2012. He now works with a selection of specialist clients, including large corporate groups, family owned businesses, charities, solicitors, and trustees of pension schemes. Jackson also joined the firm in 2003 as client services manager, and oversees the day-to-day management of services to a large number of owner managed businesses. Bukhari joined JW Hinks in 2016, and looks after a portfolio of healthcare clients.

Russell Brennan Keane has appointed Fiona Murphy and Ronan Kilbane as partners. Murphy specialises in corporate taxation and corporate restructuring. She advises a broad portfolio of corporate and personal clients and has many years’ experience advising on large scale VAT transactions and due diligence. She has a particular interest in international tax and provides Irish tax advice for many international businesses. Kilbane’s expertise is with charities and not for profit organisations, Credit Unions and audit and business advisory to SME’s. He also has extensive international charity and not for profit experience and leads out our specialist division in our Dublin Office in which he plays a key role in advisory work such as internal audit and governance reviews, audit succession planning and staff continuity to ensure increased efficiency and control is an integral part of the audit process.

Wilson Vale has promoted Melissa Wallbank, former financial controller of the company, to general manager (finance).  She joined the firm 12 years ago as an accounts assistant after graduating from Aston University with a degree in managerial and administrative studies. Her responsibilities cover everything from management accounts and IT to purchasing, strategic development and managing payroll for 720 staff.

Daren Moore FCCA has joined TaxAssist Direct Group’s executive board of directors, commencing April 2018. Moore started his career as an accounts trainee and has more recently been a member of the management board at Price Bailey.

Consumer minister Margot James has announced the reappointment of Christine Tacon CBE as the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA). Having held the role since its launch, Tacon has overseen significant progress in compliance with the Groceries Code. In 2015 she investigated alleged Code breaches by Tesco, which resulted in the supermarket adopting fairer payment practices and improved transparency in all its dealings with suppliers.