Sumer has appointed two new national co‑heads of tax, Jason Fayers, managing partner at Scrutton Bland, and Lisa Wilson, partner and head of tax at Cowgills, to build out a national tax service. Fayers and Wilson will join the national leadership team at the private equity backed group. Both are long‑standing leaders within Sumer firms and bring deep experience in advising SMEs and guiding tax teams. The new structure is designed to make it easier to bring the full range of tax expertise to clients. Fayers and Wilson will work closely with tax leaders across the group to coordinate and build on Sumer’s services in corporate tax, private client, innovation taxes, vat, and compliance and advisory. 

Menzies has appointed Hayley Worsfold, Mark Smith, Yuvan Deena, Jan Charlesworth as partners, and Emily James as an associate partner, all external hires. Worsfold joins the firm’s Cardiff office as a tax partner focusing on owner managed businesses from a personal and corporate tax perspective. Previously she was a partner at MHA. Smith joins the restructuring & insolvency team as a partner, bringing nearly 20 years of experience across complex restructuring and insolvency assignments in both the UK and internationally. He joins from Cork Gully where he a partner. Deena joins the Stevenage office as an audit and assurance partner, bringing over 15 years of experience working with medium and large clients across a range of sectors, and was prior a partner at Forvis Mazars. Charlesworth joins as audit partner and Responsible Individual (RI) based in the new Gatwick office and has more 20 years of experience, most recently as a partner at Gravita. James joins as an associate partner in employer tax solutions in London, and has more than 15 years of experience in global mobility, international payroll and employment tax, previously as a director, global mobility at EY.

Price Bailey has appointed five partners, including three internal promotions and two external hires. Stella Athanasiadou is promoted to partner in the audit & assurance team, having originally joined the firm as a trainee in 2015 and has a particular focus on the retail and manufacturing sectors. A longstanding member of the firm, Karen Buttrey, who first joined the firm in 2000, is promoted to partner in the finance team. Her appointment reflects her deep operational knowledge developed over 26 years with the business. Stephan Schmitt is also promoted to partner in the audit & assurance team. He joined the firm in 2017 and has specialist expertise working with UK subsidiaries and UK based international groups. Bryn Anderson joins as partner in the strategic corporate finance team, bringing more than 20 years of specialist expertise in valuations, particularly in the sports sector, brands and intellectual property. Previously he was a director at Valuation Consultancy. Anthony Davies joins as partner in the tax team, adding further technical depth to the tax advisory team. He brings more than 20 years of experience across M&A, tax due diligence, business restructurings and cross-border tax. Prior he was a partner and head of tax at UHY Hacker Young. Pictured [l-r]: Anthony Davies, Stella Athanasiadou, Karen Buttrey, Matt Leggett, Bryn Anderson, Stephan Schmitt

PKF Francis Clark has promoted audit specialist Mike Hall to partner, recognising his contribution to the ongoing growth of the firm’s Bristol office. Hall leads audits for a wide range of clients, including international groups and private equity and fund-backed businesses, with particular expertise in the manufacturing, energy and renewables, and technology sectors. Since joining the firm in 2023 from Deloitte, he has played a key role in the development of the audit team, as well as strengthening connections with member firms across the PKF Global network to support clients with cross-border operations.

Azets has expanded the debt advisory team with the appointments of Matt Garside as Scotland director and Lyle Ammon as director for the South region. Both are new-role posts and will report into Mark Barrie, London-based national head of debt advisory. Garside brings more than 20 years of experience in financial services and will work out of the Edinburgh office, covering the Scottish region. He was previously a regional sales director at Skipton Business Finance. Ammon joins from Birthstone Markets, part of Marex Group, where he was head of commercial finance, and will be based out of the London and Maidstone offices.

Kilsby Williams has appointed Margaret Harrison as business services director, strengthening the independent firm’s senior team. Chartered accountant Harrison brings nearly four decades of experience in advisory and compliance work for audit exempt SMEs, and in her new role will focus on growing the Newport-based firm’s services for non-audit clients. She joins from MHA, where she was a director and led the business services team in Cardiff.

Dunkley’s Chartered Accountants has announced the retirement of its founder, Mike Dunkley, 35 years after launching the business from his Bristol home. Following a carefully planned leadership transition, the firm continues to be led by long-standing directors Lisa White, Matthew Dobbins and Joe Weston. Reminiscing on his career, Dunkley said: When I founded Dunkley’s in 1991, I simply wanted to build a business that put people first. Over the years, it’s been a privilege to support so many clients through their business journeys and to work alongside a fantastic team. The relationships built along the way have meant a great deal to me, and I’m incredibly proud of what the firm has become. I leave it in very safe hands and look forward to seeing it continue to grow and evolve.’

AJ Bell has appointed Sarah Coles as head of personal finance in its PR and content team. She brings a wealth of experience in personal finance and investment media work, and will be responsible for producing analysis and content on relevant topics for customers and the financial media. Previously she washead of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown.

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has named Emma Douglas as chair, succeeding interim chair Kirstin Baker for a five-year term at the statutory body responsible for protecting the retirement savings of millions of workers across the country. Douglas brings more than 25 years of experience in the investment management and pensions industry, and is currently wealth policy director at Aviva and chair of Pensions UK, the trade body for the UK pensions industry.