Andy Smith has joined Claritas’ London office as tax partner. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the specialist area of mergers and acquisitions, corporate tax and equity reward.
Andy said: ‘I am thrilled to be part of the growth of Claritas, further developing our multi-disciplinary tax service while driving new business for the firm. These are exciting times for Claritas, and I am grateful for the whole team’s wonderful welcome.’
Iain Wright, founding partner and Birmingham office lead said: ‘Establishing a permanent presence in the capital is essential to our ambition to be a truly national tax business and so we were delighted to appoint such a knowledgeable, skilled and well connected partner for our London office. We’re growing our tax practice right across the UK and it’s particularly pleasing to see talent coming into every region of the country.’
Matt Hodgson, partner and Manchester office lead continued: ‘We are thrilled to welcome Andy and we’re confident that his extensive expertise and strategic vision will help us continue delivering exceptional services to the UK’s mid-market. Andy is the first of a number of senior appointments we will be making in our London office, helping us to meet the demand for our services in the south east.’
Marriott Harrison has appointed John Dunlop as head of tax. John brings a wealth of knowledge and strategic expertise in tax advice, including the creation of employee share schemes and employee ownership trusts to businesses and their key stakeholders. He will oversee the delivery of integrated tax advice by the firm’s growing tax team’s clients.
John said: ‘Marriott Harrison are focused on what I care about, working with leading investors, high-growth and established companies to build, scale and evolve exceptional businesses. I look forward to helping their existing and new clients on tax matters; as well as building out expertise in employee share schemes and the formation of employee ownership trusts.’
Managing partner Daniel Jacob said: ‘John’s expertise and perspectives will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen and grow our tax team to support the evolving needs of our clients. I am confident he will make a meaningful contribution to their success.’
Grant Thornton UK Advisory and Tax LLP hired Gil Oglesby to lead on its tax function transformation proposition, supporting clients to ensure that their tax technology, data, processes and people are deployed in the most efficient and effective way. He was previously head of direct tax and transformation at ASOS plc.
In addition, Duncan Nott joins as a transfer pricing partner. He has over 25 years’ specialist transfer pricing experience, having worked at both market leading international and mid-market firms. He is also working as part of the firm’s network of pillar two specialists to help clients find effective ways to address the introduction of the new global minimum tax intended for large multinationals.
Hazel Platt, head of tax, said: ‘It is a pleasure to welcome both Gil and Duncan to the firm. They both bring outstanding experience in their respective areas of expertise that will further enhance our market-leading tax offering. They are joining the firm at a crucial time for clients as they face a fast-changing tax outlook, both domestically and cross-border. Ensuring firms have the best processes and protocols in place has never been more important. Having Gil and Duncan on our team means we are even better positioned to help our clients meet those challenges.’
Davyd Fisher has been promoted to partner in the Grant Thornton's employer solutions leadership team in the Manchester tax practice. He specialises in global mobility tax services and has expertise in tax policy, process compliance and consulting.
Davyd said: ‘I joined the firm as a manager because I wanted more autonomy to deliver work in my own way, and I wanted to focus on client relationships. This is something that I’ve been able to do at Grant Thornton which is why I’m still here 13 years later. I’m incredibly proud of the firm and my team and I’m looking forward to playing an important part in the firm’s next chapter, continuing to provide high quality service to our clients and delivering on our growth ambitions.’
Global mobility services and tax partner Katy Bond said: ‘I am excited to welcome Davyd to the partnership to support the growth of our global mobility services offering. He contributes a wealth of experience and knowledge to the leadership team and will play a vital role in securing growth opportunities for the firm.’
Kreston Reeves has promoted Mohammed Mujtaba to corporate tax partner.
He is based in the London office and joined in 2019. He has a keen interest in corporate restructuring and M&A work, particularly those with cross-border and international tax elements.
EmpowerRD, a technology firm that helps UK businesses navigate research and development (R&D) tax credit claims, has appointed Stuart Millar as head of tax.
Millar brings has more than ten years’ experience as a specialist in R&D tax working in big four firms.
He will be responsible for implementing best practices across the business, from initial client engagement through to claim success. A key part of his role will be helping companies apply the R&D tax legislation correctly, ensuring that claims are well supported, clearly documented, and aligned with government guidance.
‘I’ve spent my career helping innovative businesses navigate the complexities of the UK’s R&D tax landscape,’ said Stuart. ‘With the current pace of regulatory and technological change, companies need support from both technical experts and the right tools to submit robust, well-supported claims.’
Robert Whiteside, chief executive officer, added: ‘We are thrilled to welcome Stuart as head of tax. He brings deep technical expertise and a strong commitment to compliance – exactly what our clients need as the R&D landscape continues to evolve.’
Will Hamilton, Rebecca McColl and Zita Duggan have joined Johnston Carmichael’s Newcastle office.
Will joins as a senior manager, bringing 24 years’ experience in corporate tax compliance and strategic planning. Rebecca, also a senior manager, brings expertise in research and development and innovation tax reliefs, while Zita, appointed as manager, specialises in employee share schemes and tax-efficient remuneration structures.
Alex Nicholson, partner and head of VAT and indirect tax, said: ‘From day one, our ambition in Newcastle has been to combine technical expertise with a local, hands-on approach to client service. In under two years, we’ve built a fantastic team, and the arrival of Will, Rebecca and Zita marks another exciting step forward.’
RSM UK has hired Ciaran Fines as assistant tax manager in Aberdeen.
At its recent annual general meeting, the Chartered Institute of Taxation announced the new officers for 2025-26.
Nichola Ross Martin becomes president. She is the founder and former managing director of the Rossmartin.co.uk online tax resources and the Virtual Tax Partner support service. She is now a tax consultant with 2020 Innovation, a lecturer, writer and web innovator. She is a specialist in owner managed business taxes, reorganisations and reconstructions, share schemes, tax appeals and investigations.
The deputy president is Paul Aplin. He is a well-known tax writer and speaker, particularly on issues around tax administration and technology. He previously worked as a tax partner at AC Mole & Sons and is currently an adviser to several software businesses. He chairs the diploma in tax technology committee.
John Barnett is vice president. A partner at law firm Burges Salmon, he is a specialist in private client taxation and chairs the institute’s technical policy and oversight committee. He was a contributor to the 2020 Wealth Tax Commission and is a member of the CenTax Advisory Board.
Tim Palmer has joined Gerald Edelman, Chartered Accountants London, as a tax consultant.
Tim brings over 40 years’ tax experience to the team, and will be involved in various areas across the board, particularly with research and development.
In addition to his tax consultancy, Tim lectures frequently all over the UK, on a wide variety of taxation subjects. He has been presenting such tax lectures and webinars for many years now.
HaysMac has appointed Graeme Privett to partner in the private client tax team.
Having most recently worked an in-house tax and family office role, Graeme has been in the industry for 25 years, principally with Rawlinson & Hunter LLP. He specialises in advising international clients, particularly those with US connections, often with complex and substantial non-UK interests.
Graeme, said: ‘I am very much looking forward to supporting the private client tax team in providing bespoke and innovative advice to our clients.’
Natasha Frangos, managing partner, said: ‘Graeme’s insight and experience will be a tremendous asset as we continue to grow and evolve our private client offering.’
Cooper Parry has recruited Johnny Clarke as business tax director. Based in the firm’s recently launched Thames Valley superhub, Johnny brings more than 15 years’ experience in the industry, including nine years at Deloitte as corporate tax associate director in his most recent role.
He specialises in corporation tax compliance, tax accounting and group reporting, working with large international and private equity backed businesses.
Johnny said: ‘I’m looking forward to bringing my understanding of the local client base to the table, adding real value and playing a key role in the firm’s continued growth, both across Thames Valley and nationwide.’
Simon Baines, head of tax, added: ‘Johnny’s network across Thames Valley, coupled with his experience, approach and skillset makes him a hugely valuable addition to the team, and I’m sure he’ll make a big impact.’
