Accountancy

PwC has appointed Martin Cowie as its new senior partner in Aberdeen, replacing Kevin Reynard. Kevin Reynard will retire from his post in June, after 34 years with the firm and seven in his current role.

Anderson Anderson & Brown (AAB), the tech-enabled business-critical services group, has revealed that its 2021 mergers and acquisition activity exceeded its previous records. The successful completion of over 50 transactions, with a combined total deal value in excess of £750m, represents

A record low number of UK companies are set to have gone into administration in 2021, according to the latest figures published by Interpath Advisory. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm revealed that 618 firms fell into administration in 2021, which in 2020, the final full-year co

Small businesses in Scotland ramped up their spending on innovation during the first year of the pandemic, according to new figures published by Glasgow-based MCC Accountants. Firms of less than 250 employees invested £143 million in research in development in 2020. That’s a 23%rise from

As the new year gets underway, Johnston Carmichael’s experts look ahead with some optimism, despite the challenges, predicting continued opportunities as the firm adopts a low carbon economy, and increased adoption of technology creates efficiencies. 2021 was another challenging year for Scott

Jason Morris has been appointed regional leader for PwC in Scotland, replacing Claire Reid, who is leaving the role to become UK head of forensics. Mr Morris is a transaction services partner, based in Edinburgh, where he leads the 80-strong Deals practice.

Aberdeen-based restructuring and insolvency expert Richard Bathgate has been appointed as the chair of insolvency and restructuring trade body R3 in Scotland. Mr Bathgate, who is Restructuring Partner at Johnston Carmichael, Scotland’s largest independent firm of accountants and business advis

EQ Accountants has appointed Greg Stapley as its new senior audit manager in its Glenrothes office. Greg Stapley joined EQ on Monday 3 January, having previously worked at AAB in Edinburgh as an audit senior manager. Originally from Kent where he qualified with ICAEW in 2004, he is now based in Dunf

RSM UK in Scotland has advised on over 30 deals this year, with a combined value of over £400 million. This equates to a 75% uplift in value when compared to last year and an increase of 228% when compared with pre-pandemic levels.

Kevin Ellis, the UK chair and senior partner at Big Four firm PwC UK, has said that criticism of the accountancy sector from MPs and regulators is hindering the sector's ability to recruit new staff. In an interview with the Financial Times in late December, Mr Ellis highlighted that retaining quali

RSM UK, the UK's seventh-largest accountancy firm, paid out extra bonuses to its staff last year as it benefitted from a rise in revenue and profits after nabbing audit customers from its Big Four rivals. Bosses at RSM were concerned at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic but revealed that by the

The UK's insolvency sector is set to be governed by an independent regulator with new powers to seek compensation for victims of malpractice under government proposals to be announced today. UK Ministers are planning to impose tougher regulations for insolvency firms and practitioners after allegati

Big Four accountancy firm KPMG has pulled out of bidding for public contracts after the Cabinet Office threatened to ban the firm following a slew of scandals. Earlier this month, Scottish Financial News reported that the department wrote to KPMG warning that the action would be taken if the firm co

Earlier this year, Aberdeenshire-based Phil Anderson Financial Services nominated Aberdeen charity Cyrenians for the annual Skipton Building Society Community Giving Award, securing them a £1000 donation.

KPMG UK has promoted three colleagues in Scotland to Partner. Oliver Dockray, Martin Stephens, and Philippa Sanderson all became partners of the professional services firm on 1 December 2021. Oliver Dockray becomes partner and head of tax technology and innovation following 13 years with the firm. B