People: new faces across two different accountancy firms

Business advisory firm Grant Thornton has added to its team of senior tax specialists active across the Midlands, Milton Keynes and the East of England.

Yvonne Chappell has been promoted to partner in the Central England tax team following 20 years with the firm, during which she has led the travel, tourism and leisure departments and become a specialist in international corporate tax.

Jack Newton, who joined the firm as a graduate in 2006, has been made tax director.

Both are based in Milton Keynes and operate across the whole of the Central England region, including the Midlands, Milton Keynes and Cambridge.

Jonathan Saliba has also joined Grant Thornton as associate director to lead the Innovation Tax team across the Central England region.

His recruitment follows the appointment of Rob Outram as the firm’s new regional head of VAT.

PKF Smith Cooper’s new recruits

Accountancy firm PKF Smith Cooper has hired six new members of staff.

The new team members are spread across the firm’s four core offices – situated in Derby, Nottingham, Birmingham, and Ashbourne.

At the firm’s Nottingham office, Megan Whiley and Adam Fox have joined the tax team in the positions of tax assistant and assistant indirect tax advisor, respectively.

The Birmingham office welcomed Matthew Taylor as a tax assistant, while Ashbourne has done the same for Rachel Leigh.

Simran Chohan, who has joined the firm’s Derby office as a tax assistant, while Vanessa Johnson is the Derby tax team’s new tax senior.