Change at the top for KPMG in Aberdeen

Professional services firm KPMG has announced the appointment of a new office senior partner in Aberdeen.

Duncan MacAskill, an audit partner who became office senior partner in 2007 and has spent 35 years with KPMG, will retire in June.

Martin Findlay, tax partner in Aberdeen, is now office senior partner.

Mr MacAskill spent 25 years with KPMG in Birmingham before moving to Aberdeen 10 years ago to lead the audit practice.

The global firm’s Aberdeen office has seen significant investment and growth during his tenure with a more than 50 per cent increase in headcount able to provide a larger and more diversified locally-based offering to its client base, including tax and audit, specialist tax areas including innovation, transaction and corporate finance, restructuring, forensic, people and consultancy services.

As KPMG’s most northerly UK office, Aberdeen’s clients extend from Dundee to the Northern Isles as well as London-headquartered and international businesses.

The city’s role in the global oil and gas industry means that the office is the UK centre of excellence for oilfield services and has strong connections with KPMGs global energy network spanning the major energy hubs and emerging territories.

Mr Findlay has spent 24 years with KPMG, working in its Aberdeen and London offices, becoming the firm’s head of tax in the city in 2000.

Mr MacAskill said: “Pretty soon after arriving in Aberdeen I became evangelical about the city and region due to its entrepreneurial spirit, typified by people who get things done. Even now, I do not believe that the rest of the country really understands the qualities and full potential of our business community. While we live through challenging times just now, I am convinced that our economy has the people with the skills and experience to carry us through better and stronger.

“The 10-year audit independence rule meant that this was a natural time for me to retire but I am pleased to be staying in the area, which has become home.”

Mr Findlay said: “Duncan leaves an important legacy in terms of the breadth and depth of service that we are now able to deliver from Aberdeen. We have a multinational team with very strong global networks, as the office continues to attract talent with a focus on working in the energy sector.

“The investment by KPMG in Aberdeen means that we are well positioned to meet the increasingly complex and diverse requirements of clients at a time when market conditions mean that they are dealing with greater degrees of uncertainty in terms of their own customers’ plans, their own business plans, and balancing strategic development against short term results for their stakeholders.”