Raft of senior promotions marks significant growth for KPMG in Scotland

KPMG in Scotland has announced a record three new partners, five director promotions, and new heads of tax, audit and consulting, following strong growth across the business.

Partner Alan Turner has been appointed head of tax in Scotland, taking over the role from Jon Meeten, who is remaining with the firm but taking up a different position.

Mr Turner joined KPMG in 2005 and has more than 16 years’ experience providing advice to clients on a range of domestic and international tax matters. He previously led KPMG’s UK Tax Centre of Excellence in New York and, since returning to Scotland, uses his significant global network to support clients as they seek to do business internationally.

Mr Turner will lead what the firm said was a strong and growing tax and pensions practice, which includes a wide range of tax services in Scotland such as private client, claims & incentives, people services, corporate tax, indirect tax, financial services and pensions, as well as the UK firm’s Tax Compliance Centre of Excellence in Glasgow.

Hugh Harvie, who has been at KPMG since 1994, took over as head of the audit practice earlier this year following the retirement of Alex Sanderson. He now leads a team of more than 100. Sam Subesinghe, who joined in 1993, has been made head of consulting in Scotland and oversees a range services including financial management, IT advisory, and family business consulting.

John Waterson has been promoted to audit partner, while David O’Hara and Sandra Gilchrist have been made tax partners.

A number of director promotions have also been made, with Katie Morrison, Andrew Williamson and Iain McLellan joining the senior team in Glasgow.

Rob Logue and Jacqueline Hughes became directors in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, respectively.

Glasgow-based John Waterson, who has been at KPMG for 13 years, will focus on significant work secured by the financial services team, including Standard Life Aberdeen plc.

David O’Hara, who joined the firm in 2011, leads the investment advisory practice in Scotland, providing advice to pension fund trustees, corporate treasury teams, family offices and insurance companies. The team in Scotland currently advises pension fund trustee clients with assets in excess of £30bn, including some of the largest public sector funds in the UK.

Having joined KPMG in 2015, Sandra Gilchrist heads up the Incentives team, advising on Government-backed incentives and reliefs such as R&D and Patent Box. Sandra’s team focuses on raising awareness of government incentives, and advises clients on preparing claims, compliant with HMRC guidance.

Catherine Burnet, senior partner for KPMG in Scotland, said: “John, David and Sandra will play a key role in driving the firm forward as we develop our service to clients in a range of sectors. Our new heads of tax, audit and consulting bring considerable experience and understanding of the issues facing clients. We are confident we have the team in place to manage the growth of the firm in Scotland, now, and in the years to come.

“Our latest round of promotions highlights the significant growth we are experiencing and marks an exciting time for KPMG in Scotland. Young talent is being represented at the highest level across our firm and it’s testament to the hard work of those individuals and the firm’s commitment to ongoing professional development and training.”

John Waterson, audit partner, said: “Our audit practice has grown significantly as a result of recent successful audit wins such as Standard Life Aberdeen plc and Wood Group plc. I’m enormously proud to join the partnership and develop our talent in Scotland.”

David O’Hara, investment advisory partner, said: “Our team is positioned for rapid growth in a market in which we expect substantial disruption and an increased need for independent advice. Our strong track record in exploiting attractive investment opportunities and ability to reduce overall costs will add huge value.”

Sandra Gilchrist, Incentives partner, added: “R&D credit claims in Scotland rose by 75 per cent in 2015-2016, meaning our team of tax specialists, engineers and scientists has expanded to keep up with ongoing demand. However, the £165m claimed by Scottish businesses makes up just six percent of UK-wide government support which suggests there is plenty of opportunity for Scotland’s businesses to make new claims or enhance existing ones.”