HaysMac has appointed Phil Clayton as a partner in the private client team in the tax advisory practice. He specialises in advising entrepreneurs, business owners, management teams, and high-profile individuals – including sports professionals and entertainers. In his new role, Clayton will be advising clients on complex tax transactions, growth and exit strategies, estate and personal tax planning, as well as mentoring the next generation of tax advisory talent at the firm. Previously he was a director, private client tax, at PKF Littlejohn.

ForrestBrown has appointed Tom McDanell as managing director, replacing Sara Brigden who is stepping down after five years, having overseen the business through a period of significant change in the R&D landscape. McDanell brings more than 15 years of experience leading and scaling advisory firms across the UK and US, and will lead the next phase of growth, with a focus on strengthening client impact at the R&D firm. He joins from RCK Partners, where he was chief commercial officer, and previously spent over 15 years at tax consulting firm Leyton, in the UK and US, including as senior vice president for Leyton USA. Pictured: Tom McDanell

Grant Thornton has appointed Clare Fitzgerald as a tax partner in the corporate tax team and Nikita Lynn as an audit partner, both based in the Belfast office. Also promoted to tax partners are Mark O’Sullivan and Paul McSavage, who will have all-island roles responsible for tax incentives and transfer pricing respectively. Fitzgerald has over 18 years of experience in corporate tax, advising businesses and individuals, and has worked in business and practice. She is a member of the Northern Ireland Tax Committee and fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland. Before joining GT in 2020, she was group tax manager at Donnelly plc, having originally trained at PwC. Lynn has over 15 years’ experience across audit, assurance and advisory, leading audits for large private and listed businesses with complex multi-jurisdictional requirements. She joined the firm in 2021 from Diaceutics plc where she was vice president of finance, and also trained at PwC.

BDO has appointed real estate sector deals specialist, Shalom DeSouza, as a partner in the transaction services team in London. DeSouza brings 20 years of M&A transaction experience with expertise leading on cross border transactions for private equity, strategic corporate buyers, sovereign wealth funds and high net worth individuals. In his new role, he will focus on real estate private equity clients and real estate transactions across asset classes, including hospitality and leisure, healthcare and datacentres. Previously he was a partner at Deloitte in the real estate team.   

MHA has appointed Craig McSherry as financial services audit partner in the banking and capital markets practice. He brings over 15 years of experience in financial services supporting complex, regulated organisations, including client money audits, regulatory reporting and controls assurance. The appointment is part of the firm’s strategic ambition to grow its financial services offering across the UK and internationally. Previously he was a director at PwC in the FS audit and assurance services team.

Jerroms, part of Sumer Group, has appointed David McCarthy as commercial finance director in its mortgage and finance service line. He brings extensive experience across commercial lending, property finance, and complex debt structuring. In his new role, McCarthy will focus on driving revenue growth, developing new lending relationships and supporting both existing and new clients with funding for growth, refinancing, restructuring and property‑backed lending. Previously he was a relationship director at specialist lender Black and White Bridging.

BTG (formerly Begbies Traynor Group) has promoted James Dutton to head of asset finance, and appointed external hires of John Egerton as senior relationship director, and Paul Newman and Lee Lawrence as relationship managers. Dutton brings three decades of experience in asset finance to lead the team, and specialises in complex, cross-border asset finance deals and will be supported by the new hires, who are based across regional offices. In his new role, Dutton will develop the asset finance team and encourage collaboration with other BTG services lines to support clients throughout their lifecycle. Egerton brings more than 30 years of experience, and will cover the northwest region, he was most recently asset finance director at Zenith Vehicles.               

Azets has appointed Nick Cusack as a director in the restructuring & insolvency team at the Southampton office. Previously based in Norfolk and across the southern region, he has worked in the profession for over 22 years been a licensed insolvency practitioner for over 10 of those. He brings a breadth of experience in all types of corporate rescues, but with a particular focus on construction, retail, IT and pharmaceutical industries. He joins from business advisory firm Babr where he was a licensed insolvency practitioner.

Simpkins Edwards has promoted Kelly Derham Nester and Adam Wosnitzka to director. Healthcare specialist Derham is based in the Exeter office and joined the southwest accountancy firm in 2024. She has nearly 15 years of accounting experience in the healthcare sector, and works closely with medical practice teams on internal finance and GP partners on personal tax and NHS pensions. Wosnitzka steps up after seven years at the firm and is a chartered accountant chartered tax adviser based in the Holsworthy office. He supports both individuals and businesses across multiple sectors with compliance and advisory needs.

Equiom has appointed Andrew Hudson as client director, private wealth & family office services in Jersey. Hudson brings more than 30 years’ experience in fiduciary services across Jersey and Singapore, with deep insight into the structuring needs of ultra high net worth families with global interests. His career spans complex cross-border wealth arrangements, succession planning and governance frameworks for multi-generational family structures operating across multiple jurisdictions. Working closely with Equiom’s teams in Hong Kong and Singapore, Hudson will play a key role in delivering integrated private wealth and family office services to UHNW families and their advisers.

Moore Thompson has promoted Michelle Cozens and Jacob Parkin to associate as firm invests in its team after joining private equity backed Sumer Group. Cozens has more than 20 years of experience and has been with the firm since 2008 after the merger with Stephenson Smart & Co. She specialises in income tax planning, CGT and trust administration, working with a diverse portfolio of clients, including agricultural businesses, providing succession planning and IHT mitigation strategies. Chartered accountant Parkin joined the firm in 2020, and has 15 years of experience spanning corporate tax, VAT and succession planning, working with a wide range of organisations, including charities.

Ensors, part of Azets, has appointed Kate Kennerson as business services manager in Norwich, Kinki Lamm as assistant manager and Hugo Blondel as a senior tax accountant in the private client group, across Ipswich and Norwich, and Jude Beeston as corporate services associate in Cambridge. Experienced chartered accountant Kennerson will work with the agricultural team focusing on East Anglian businesses and families in farming and rural estates. Previously she was practice manager at Artisan Accounts. Chartered tax adviser Lamm specialises in wealth management, tax planning, estate, and succession matters, joining from Larking Gowen where she was a tax advisor. Blondel is ATT qualified with a law degree prior to studying accountancy, and prior was a trainee tax advisor at PEM. Beeston joins the audit team providing compliance and assurance, from Heroux-Devtex, where she was a graduate accountant.  

Armstrong Watson has appointed four financial planning consultants with Charlotte Fletcher and Glyn Jenkinson (specialising in protection advice) in Leeds, Murray Greig in Glasgow, and Fiona Durham in Carlisle. Martyn Pottage has been promoted to the board of Armstrong Watson Financial Planning Ltd as financial planning director, and Marcus Dodds, who joined as a trainee in 2016 and achieved chartered status in 2018, has been promoted to regional financial planning manager.

Hurst has appointed Abigail Kelly as a manager in the corporate finance team, and Liam Victoros as an associate manager in the business services team. Both have moved from roles in London. Kelly is a senior auditor focused on banking, alternative finance and financial services, and has extensive experience in regulatory advisory and transactional work. Previously, she was an associate director at investment bank Cavendish, having originally trained at BDO. Victoros is a fully-qualified senior auditor and has a specialist focus on the audits of film, TV and video game companies. He joins from Saffery where he was an assistant manager.

Teneo has appointed Olga Gordusenko as a senior managing director in the advisory firm’s management consulting business. Based in London, Gordusenko joins the consumer and economics practice, where she will support clients in driving growth, digital transformation and operational performance. Previously she spent more than 15 years at McKinsey & Company, progressing from associate to partner. During her tenure, she led strategy development as well as commercial and operational transformations across multiple sectors, including retail, e-commerce, consumer goods, logistics and agriculture.

Audit Scotland has appointed Bruce Cartwright CA as chair of the board effective 1 October, replacing Colin Crosby, whose term ends in September. Cartwright is former CEO of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) and is chair of the Global Accounting Alliance. In his new role, the former PwC partner will work closely with the board to set the strategic direction for the audit regulator, with a minimum commitment of 32 days a year. Dr Catherine Maclean has been named non-executive member of the board effective July, replacing Jackie Mann at the end of her term in post. Maclean is a consultant in acute medicine with NHS Lanarkshire and former apprentice board member at Audit Scotland.

The UK Endorsement Board (UKEB) has appointed Gail Tucker, Javed Siddiqui, Rob McPheely and Sue Harding as board members for three-year terms with immediate effect. Each brings experience of IFRS from a key area of expertise, which will support the Board’s ongoing focus on delivering effective outcomes for UK stakeholders. The new appointments will support the ongoing strength and effectiveness of the board, as current member terms come to an end. Phil Aspin and Michael Wells have now stepped down from the board.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has appointed Hélène Rey as economic adviser and head of the monetary and economic department for a five-year term, effective 1 September. In this role, Rey will lead economic research and analysis, and will join the executive committee. She will replace Hyun Song Shin, who is retiring this summer. Rey is currently the Lord Raj Bagri professor of economics at London Business School, and a vice president and research fellow at UK thinktank, the Centre for Economic Policy Research.