Spencer Gardner Dickins reinforces tax team with new appointment

SPENCER Gardner Dickins has strengthened its tax service with the recruitment of experienced consultant Jayne Hutchings.

The firm, which was launched in 2004 by partners Paul Spencer, Bryan Gardner and Paul Dickins, has also seen three of its team celebrate exams success.

Ms Hutchings has joined the firm following 12 years as a tax director with BDO in Birmingham. The move has seen her link up again with former colleagues Paul Spencer and David Thomas having worked with them previously as part of a successful team in a major national accountancy firm.

“I know Paul and David extremely well from working together in the past and know how well they and the other partners have driven Spencer Gardner Dickins forward from a start-up to being a regional force,” she said.

Ms Hutchings is a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) and will be working with SMEs and high-network individuals across the Midlands.

Trio Chrissie Duxson, Jasmine Lumby and Jade Spencer have also enjoyed recent exam success.

Ms Duxson has been admitted as a full member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), Ms Lumby has completed her AAT level 3 qualifications, while Ms Spencer has successfully passed the first stage of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) exams.

Paul Spencer said:  “We’ve expanded the team and in turn the office to support growth and bringing Jayne in to be part of the team will only serve to strengthen our offering even further.”

New business development director for Winterhill Largo

ASSET valuation and recovery firm Winterhill Largo has expanded its northern team with the appointment of Johnny Abraham as director of business development north. With a responsibility for developing new and existing relationships and promoting the firm’s services, Abraham will cover an area stretching from Birmingham up to Scotland.

Abraham joins Winterhill Largo with a background in corporate recovery and asset based lending . Having qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC, he worked most recently at Begbies Traynor, where he specialised in working with asset based lenders and their clients on restructuring assignments. He also recently spent time on secondment as interim new business director for Yorkshire with Santander Invoice Finance.

Neil Duckworth, chief executive of Winterhill Largo, said: “Demand for our services continues to grow exponentially and as the Winterhill brand expands we are constantly increasing and improving our offer to clients. I am really pleased to welcome a colleague of Johnny’s calibre and experience on board. He has amassed high levels of expertise in all elements of corporate recovery and asset based lending and I’m sure will add real value to our northern clients.”

Winterhill Largo has continued to expand this year with multiple acquisitions and the launch of new divisions of the business. Since September 2011, it has grown its workforce by 60%, from five offices in the UK employing 60 staff, to a total of eight offices in the UK and overseas, with a workforce of almost 100.  

New audit director for Dains

DAINS Accountants has promoted Julian Townsend to Audit Director. The promotion is part of a series designed to support the firm’s continued growth.

Townsend, left, joined Dains in 1996 as an Accounts Technician.  He later became Audit Manager in 2007 having completed his ACA and FCCA qualifications.  Promotion took him to the position of Group Senior Manager in 2011.  With responsibility for delivering audit and related services to a large portfolio of clients, Townsend has extensive experience working with owner managed businesses operating in the manufacturing and construction industries.

Spencer Wright, (pictured right) Dains’ chief executive, said: “Julian is a great example of an individual success story within Dains.  His industry expertise and understanding of the issues facing our clients are a tremendous asset to the firm.  Having recently reported double digit growth in Audit for the seventh year running we look forward to his continued contributions in the years to come.”