UHY Hacker Young has appointed Nick Carr as partner in its corporate finance practice based in both the London and Nottingham offices. In his new role, Carr will focus on continuing to grow the firm’s corporate finance practice. He has over 25 years of experience advising entrepreneurs, owner managers, family owned businesses and private equity houses on a range of M&A and other corporate finance transactions. Previously he was a director in the corporate finance advisory team at Deloitte in Nottingham.

PKF Francis Clark has welcomed a new intake of 63 accounting and tax trainees, as the firm continues to invest in growing its own talent. The cohort includes 57 apprentices, bringing the total to start accounting or tax apprenticeships with PKF Francis Clark this year to 73. In addition, six undergraduates are starting the firm’s new 12-month industrial placement scheme. These students will develop technical, commercial and personal skills before completing their academic studies, giving them a great foundation for a future career in accountancy. The recruits are based in Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Poole, Salisbury, Taunton, Torquay and Truro, and have just spent a two-day induction at the University of Exeter.

Bibby Financial Services has appointed Gil Cubells as head of national broker sales and Dan Nield as operations director, both based in the Leeds office. Both are asset finance specialists and will focus on strengthening the SME offering, working closely with customers and brokers. Cubells has 40 years of experience and joins from Simply Asset Finance where he was sales director. Nield also has 25 years in the sector, most recently as head of operations at Haydock Finance, and previously spent 12 years at Santander.

Shearwater Group plc, the cybersecurity and managed security services group, has appointed Jonathan Hall as chief financial officer, and member of the board. Outgoing interim CFO, Adam Hurst, will remain with the group for a short transition period. Hall brings a wealth of experience, more recently as finance director at Gfinity plc. He initially qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen, and spent six years specialising in organisation and business process design with PA Consulting.

MindGym has confirmed that Dominic Neary will be stepping down as CFO in October to pursue a new opportunity. Emily Fyffe, currently group finance director, has been appointed as CFO designate, effective immediately, with a transition plan to assume full CFO responsibilities by the time of Neary’s departure. At the present time, Fyffe will not be appointed as a director or join the board of the company. She has been with the group since 2016 and has over 10 years’ finance experience and qualified as a chartered accountant at Grant Thornton, Australia in 2013.