Youngest ever female partner at Baldwins

WARWICKSHIRE accountancy firm, Baldwins, has appointed its youngest ever female partner. Claire Stacey-Connor, aged 28, has taken up her new position in the firm’s Leamington office.

Ms Stacey-Connor joined Baldwins’ former Nuneaton office as a trainee accountant after leaving John Cleveland College in Hinckley in 2002.

She passed her Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) exams before progressing onto the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ACA) qualification, to become a fully-qualified member in 2010. She then moved to the Coventry office last April and her client portfolio has continued to grow.

She becomes the third partner at Baldwins’ in Leamington, along with Kevin Brevitt and Roger Tay.

Her promotion follows the launch by the firm of its Kick-Start programme, which will see the firm give away £300,000 over the next decade to 30 aspiring young entrepreneurs across the Midlands.

CIPFA on the ball with new appointment

CIPFA has appointed Ian Ball, the former CEO of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), as its new chairman of CIPFA International.

He will work with the institute’s council and management team focusing on CIPFA’s international growth and development.

After 10 years at the helm of IFAC, Ball will bring considerable knowledge of the global accounting profession to CIPFA.

Rob Whiteman, CIPFA’s incoming Chief Executive, said: “Ian is renowned for both his deep knowledge of the profession and his abiding passion for improving public financial management. His expertise and guidance will be invaluable as we work to accelerate and expand CIPFA’s international growth and development. We are thrilled to have him working with our team.”

Former HSBC director recruited to be non-exec at Endless

PRIVATE equity fund Endless has appointed Wayne Bowser as a Non Executive Director.  Bowser will focus on helping the firm develop its strategy and offering to the UK market and providing its management team with advice on the firm’s continuing growth strategy.  

Bowser, pictured, joins Peter Yendell as the second Non Executive Director at Endless, which is currently investing its third fund of £220m.

Bowser is a former senior executive director at HSBC Bank where his experiences included the funding and support of international acquisitive growth, leading multi-national and domestic turnaround situations, strategic planning and leading change.

Garry Wilson, managing partner at Endless, said: “The recruitment of Wayne marks a major development for Endless. We have known Wayne for almost 20 years and witnessed the growth he was able to achieve at HSBC.  His energy, contact base and ability to nurture talent will be very valuable to us at a time when we are growing quickly and are on the verge of several new business developments.”