People: Grant Thornton; Doran Scott Williams; and more

Business advisory firm Grant Thornton has strengthened its practice in Yorkshire with the appointment of Roger Burton, a valuations specialist.

He will work across the company’s tax and corporate finance teams in the North of England.

Burton, 42, has worked in professional services in Leeds for the last 20 years, but is originally from the North East.

He is a specialist in valuations for tax purposes, in particular with respect of management incentive plans, and advises a wide range of companies, from owner-managed businesses to multinational corporations.

He has extensive experience of agreeing valuations of shares, businesses and other assets with tax authorities in a number of jurisdictions and advises regularly on M&A transactions.

The main focus of his role will be supporting Grant Thornton’s expanding tax team, which is led in the North by partner Rachel Engwell and has seen significant investment at all levels in the last 12 months.

Burton said: “I was attracted by Grant Thornton’s culture and ambition and am excited about the future.

“Grant Thornton’s network features a very deep pool of businesses that I can help to support. The impact of COVID-19 is complex – some businesses will stay steady, some will go up and some will see valuations decline.

“There are key business decisions and security issues going forward that need to be considered across a broad range of fronts. As a team we are helping businesses navigate these unprecedented circumstances.”

Andy Wood, managing partner Yorkshire and North East at Grant Thornton said: “There’s never been a time when sound professional business advice and agile thinking were more important than now – and Roger will complement the support we can provide businesses in the region.”

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Doran Scott Williams (DSW), a management, training and assessment consultancy has appointed Stacey Eaves as the company’s new marketing manager.

The family owned organisation based near Doncaster, helps clients improve performance via a range of training solutions, designed and delivered by a team of in-house learning experts and a talent pool of over 850 accredited associates.

DSW is the UK’s fastest growing End-Point Assessment Organisation, currently selected by over 1,000 employers to assess employees undertaking a wide range of apprenticeship learning programmes.

Eaves joins the company from full-service marketing agency Talk to Media, where she worked for seven years, heading the content writing and social media arm of the business.

Her wealth of marketing experience, gained over the past 14 years, includes working within the education and apprenticeship sectors, as well as working with B2B employers and training providers.

Patrick Doran, DSW managing director, said: “We’re thrilled that Stacey has joined DSW and convinced that her expertise will be invaluable in helping us to achieve our ambitious growth plans.

“She is a great marketing talent bristling with infectious enthusiasm and her approach aligns to our values of being innovative, incisive, and inspiring, whilst acting with integrity at all times.

“Stacey will take the lead in connecting with our clients, associates and partners, helping to develop new relationships and strengthen existing ones. I wish her a long, happy and successful career with the DSW family.”

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The expansion of Leeds-based integrated agency, Prohibition, continues with the appointment of Katie Bibby as account executive and Marta Rijo as senior account executive, following a string of new business wins.

The move takes the agency’s headcount to 15.

Rijo, a communication and media studies graduate of Lisbon University and PR and strategic communications’ postgraduate of Leeds Beckett University, joined Prohibition after working as a PR and social media consultant at Leeds-based Source Marketing Communications.

She is now supporting a range of new accounts in the care, charity, business and transport sectors, and others as the client roster grows.

Bibby, communications and visual performing arts graduate of Stonehill College, Massachusetts, joins after moving from London-based agency Launch, and is working across a number of different accounts in the housing, transport, care, and consumer sectors.

Chris Norton, founder and managing director of Prohibition, added: “It is a very exciting time for us here at Prohibition.

“Despite all the doom and gloom of the political landscape, 2019 was actually a great year for the team including being recognised twice as the North’s leading PR agency by Prolific North and the CIPR.

“Thanks to a number of recent wins, we have strengthened our team in key areas and are now perfectly placed to deliver even better results.

“With six new clients already confirmed, Marta and Katie are both proving to be great additions to the team and they are already making their mark.

“I am certain they’ll bring a fresh perspective and new found creativity to everything they do.”