People: Unity Trust Bank; Aston University; Claritas Tax
Unity Trust Bank has appointed Keith Finson as head of financial crime as part of its commitment to keep customers safe from fraud.
Finson studied criminal law at university and served as a detective with Northamptonshire Police for 14 years before moving into the private sector in 2017.
He has held several roles at banks and fintech companies around the world and while Head of Organised and Complex Fraud at Barclays, he won a global award for helping to prevent a multi-million-pound cheque scam.
As head of financial crime, Finson assesses risks, monitors activity and ensures Unity’s controls and procedures continue to safeguard customers.
His team also provide support and guidance on what businesses and organisations can do to protect themselves.
He said: “We are constantly evolving and enhancing our approach to financial crime but it’s imperative that customers also look to protect themselves too and we work together to combat financial crime. I always encourage people to be more suspicious when it comes to receiving requests for things like new payment details or getting an unexpected invoice or if there’s been an element of urgency introduced into the conversation.
“I was attracted to Unity because of its community values and there’s a culture of openness and transparency at Unity, which is refreshing, especially the bank’s attitude towards identifying and dealing with risk. As an ethical bank it doesn’t put bottom line numbers ahead of doing the right thing for customers, and having been a police officer, those values align well with me.”
Clare Gough has been appointed as Aston University’s chief student officer.
In this newly created role, Gough will join the University senior leadership group to provide strategic leadership for the transformation of student services to best in class as part of the Aston 2030 Strategy.
Reporting to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, the Chief Student Officer will oversee the entire student lifecycle at Aston University.
Clare Gough
Gough has been leading and developing people while creating seamless professional services for more than 10 years within five UK universities, including senior roles at the Universities of Nottingham and Hull, as well as independently through project work across the sector.
She said: “It has been a great pleasure to work with colleagues at Aston University in recent months and it is a privilege to be asked to step into this role.”
“Accepting this role allows me to continue a longstanding commitment to the sector. I am truly delighted to have further opportunities to forge relationships with Aston students and colleagues, matching Aston’s energy and ambition.”
Professor Osama Khan, deputy vice-chancellor, Academic, said: “As our founding Chief Student Officer, Clare demonstrates our strategic commitment to provide a high-quality education and student experience at Aston University. Clare will ensure that our student voices are central to our decision-making and we co-create their education and student experience. Clare brings formidable experience, expertise, and great leadership qualities to lead a comprehensive team supporting our students and academic communities.”
Claritas Tax, an independent tax consultancy firm has strengthened its tax offering with the appointment of associate partner Tom Prescott as head of transfer pricing, based at their Birmingham office.
Prescott has over 15 years of experience in the provision of transfer pricing services both in the UK and internationally, advising a range of clients from start-ups through to FTSE 100 businesses.
He said: “This is a perfect challenge for me, both in terms of career development and in being at the forefront of leading a very important advisory team for such a fast-growing and ambitious firm. This extension of our transfer pricing services will enhance our ability to service larger, international clients and strengthen our position as a credible alternative to the larger firms.
“Following a consultation announced in last week’s Budget, transfer pricing requirements may well apply to medium-sized companies. This would massively extend the scope of transactions subject to the rules and will inevitably increase the burden on mid-market companies. Claritas has a proven track record of delivering excellent and practical advice to clients, and I look forward to bringing the Claritas approach to our clients, whether they are newly in scope or already established large companies.”
