Mr Hazelton, a qualified accountant, first joined Deloitte’s audit team in 2005 after graduating from Strathclyde University with a degree in accounting and finance. Throughout his extensive career at the firm, he has held a variety of roles including manager, senior manager, director, and most recently associate partner.

Apart from his professional services, Mr Hazelton has significantly contributed to the firm’s talent acquisition and development of budding professionals. His contributions span from involvement in student and graduate programmes to the BrightStart apprenticeship scheme.

Mr Hazelton’s promotion is part of a broader nationwide initiative by Deloitte, which has seen 101 partners appointed across the UK in the past month. In a drive for diversity and inclusivity, the firm noted that 40% of the new partners are women, a 5% rise from 2022, and 18% are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Angela Mitchell, senior partner for Scotland at Deloitte, said: “I’d like to congratulate Paul on his promotion to partner – he’s made a tremendous contribution to our audit practice and to our wider business. I’d also like to extend my congratulations to our 15 colleagues in Scotland who have been promoted to director.”

Mr Hazelton said: “I’m really pleased to be taking up the role of partner, and I’d like to thank Angela and the rest of the senior team for their belief in me the whole way through my career here at Deloitte.

“I’m passionate about our people, especially about making sure we’re attracting and retaining talented individuals and fostering their skills – whether that be through our BrightStart apprenticeship scheme or more traditional recruitment channels.

“I’m excited to meet the new generation of Deloitte people that will come out of the growth we’re planning in Scotland in the next few years, and I look forward to working with them to develop their skillsets and progress their careers.”