KPMG underpins growth with raft of promotions and appointments

KPMG has invested in talent across its tax, audit and consulting teams in Scotland by announcing six new directors.

Neil Coutts, who has been with the firm for 13 years, most recently within the financial services team, has been appointed the new head of KPMG’s cyber security and technology risk practice in Scotland. KPMG said Mr Coutts will play an integral role in advising businesses across sectors on potential security challenges and risk issues.

Paula Speirs – a highly experienced director – has also recently joined the firm to lead the public sector consulting team in Scotland. With more than 20 years’ experience and previously held director roles at EY and Capita, she brings a wealth of experience in delivering transformational change across the public sector in Scotland and in the UK – and has a particular focus on digital transformation.

Paul McGinty will lead KPMG’s Internal Audit, Risk and Compliance (IARC) team in Scotland. He joins from Deloitte and brings a wide range of experience from across a variety of sectors and industries.

Within KPMG’s financial services audit practice, which the firm said has seen “significant growth”, Eilidh McGowan, who has been with KPMG for 14 years and specialises in financial services audit, has been promoted to director to work with clients across investment management and banking sectors.

Ann Devine joins from Royal Bank of Scotland, where she spent 14 years in the Bank’s advisory and international projects deals team. Ann will continue the development of the firm’s banking tax offering in Scotland, recognising the concentration of these clients in Scotland.

And Gareth Hann has joined the transfer pricing team from HMRC, where he built up 13 years of compliance experience and chaired HMRC’s national transfer pricing governance panel.

The new appointments and promotions come following a record year for the professional services firm, which reported UK-wide revenues of £2.1bn in 2017.

In Scotland, KPMG’s tax, audit, consulting and financial services arms saw significant growth as clients looked for expert advice to manage challenges and opportunities manifesting from domestic and international factors impacting the business community.

Catherine Burnet, senior partner and head of KPMG in Scotland, said: “The latest round of appointments and promotions marks the firm’s commitment to investing in talent which allows us to continue serving businesses in Scotland. The firm has grown its portfolio of clients in tax, audit and consulting and we expect this to continue as clients look to embrace transformation, whether as a result of Brexit or new technologies.

“Clients want to embrace change with a full understanding of the impact on their business. It’s therefore essential we bring in the right people who can provide appropriate and sound advice – whether that be to a traditional manufacturing firm looking to manage cyber risk while embracing technology, a bank with an international presence, or a public-sector organisation going through a digital transformation.”