Baker Tilly strengthens tax offering in Birmingham

BAKER Tilly has strengthened its tax offering with the recruitment of sector specialist Suki Kaur as Associate Tax Director in its Birmingham office.  

A law graduate with 16 years tax experience, she joins Baker Tilly from EY in Cambridge where she was Corporate Tax Senior Manager in the tax team. Before that she was Tax Manager – International Corporate Tax at KPMG, working both in the UK and overseas in Canada.

Suki said: “These are really exciting times for Baker Tilly following its merger last year with RSM Tenon, and I’m delighted to be here. My new role offers me the chance to develop professionally and progress the Baker Tilly tax offering to its growing number of clients across the Midlands.”

Simon Hart, Midlands Regional Managing Partner at Baker Tilly said: “It’s great to have someone of Suki’s experience and contacts on board at Baker Tilly. She offers us a high level of tax advice to our corporate partners and is extremely client-focused.

“Her international background will also benefit our clients who export, have operations overseas or who are looking to markets abroad. This gives us even more of an opportunity to offer advice to fast-expanding companies in the Midlands.”

Crystal Mortgages aims to speed up applications with new appointment

WALSALL-based Crystal Mortgages has appointed Philip Charlwood to the newly created position of Commercial Completions Manager in a move designed to further streamline the firm’s application process from enquiry to drawdown.

Charlwood, left, will be primarily responsible for liaising with brokers, clients and solicitors to ensure efficient conversion of pipeline cases at legal stage.  In addition he will handle the processing and assessment of documentation submitted in support of mortgage applications.

He completed his Law Degree at the University of Leicester in 2009 and passed the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) at Nottingham Law School in 2010.  Since 2004 he has held several roles at Lloyds Banking Group.

Crystal Mortgages has achieved substantial year-on-year growth and recently announced 2013 as its best financial year in the company’s 35-year trading history with terms issued on £479m worth of applications. The figure is 62% up on 2012 and 94% ahead of 2011.

Joe Breeden, Managing Director at Crystal Mortgages, said: “One of the most frustrating aspects for applicants when applying for commercial lending is to get through to the legal stage and see the process collapse for reasons outside of their control.

“The appointment of Philip will ensure that this process becomes a far clearer, more defined stage whereby a BVC trained professional is handling and chasing every aspect.  Very few firms offer this as a value-added service, and we realise it is critical to seeing more business through to completion.”

BHSF appoints new Clinical Director

BIRMINGHAM-based healthcare insurance and employee benefits provider BHSF has appointed Sue Burke Clinical Director of its occupational health business.

Mrs Burke, left, was the co-founder and joint owner of West Country-based Abbott Burke Associates which BHSF acquired in 2012.  

She joined the board of BHSF Occupational Health in September of that year as a non-executive director.

Her new role will see her overseeing the company’s policies, procedures and clinical standards, a field in which she is an acknowledged and highly-qualified expert.

Peter Maskell, BHSF Group Chief Executive, said: “Sue is widely respected both within the company and in the wider occupational health field.  She will bring to her new role skill, experience and enthusiasm and we welcome her warmly.”