People: Shorts; BHP; Filstorage; and more

Shorts has promoted David Robinson to the position of tax partner, with effect from 1 April 2022.

Responding to a decade of sustained growth, he will join Chris Chambers and Scott Burkinshaw in leading the firm’s tax offering and will divide his time working across both the firm’s Sheffield and Chesterfield offices.

An experienced chartered tax adviser with national firm experience, Robinson joined Shorts in 2015 as senior tax manager and was promoted to director in 2018.

The promotion to partner recognises his continued commitment to growing the department and underpins the firm’s continued development and strength.

He will continue to advise his clients on all areas of UK taxation with a particular focus on transactional work, including acquisitions & disposals, corporate reconstructions, and advising international businesses on their expansion into the UK (through the firm’s membership of The Praxity Alliance).

Robinson said: “The promotion is the culmination of years of hard work, and I’m proud to take the next step on my professional journey. I am very much looking forward to working with existing and future clients, as well as the rest of the partners, to help drive forward the continued success of the firm.”

Chris Chambers, senior tax partner, said “Since joining us in 2015, David has played a key part in the growth and success of the business, and this promotion is just reward for his hard work and effort.

“He’ll be a fantastic addition to our partner group, and I am confident that with David on board, the firm will continue to go from strength to strength.”

Scott Burkinshaw, tax partner, added: “We have enjoyed significant growth over the last few years, and this appointment further strengthens our position as we head into the next chapter of our long history.

“We reward talent and effort here at Shorts, and we had no hesitation in asking David to join us to continue to drive the business forward.”

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BHP has strengthened its Audit team with the addition of a new director.

Audit director Abdullah Daji joins BHP’s Cleckheaton office after ten years with one of the Big Four accounting firms.

With extensive experience in providing audit and assurance services to a range of large and small, public and privately-owned businesses across the UK, Daji will take on responsibility for audit engagement.

He said: “I’m excited to get stuck in and looking forward to meeting everyone and building on the growth that BHP has experienced over the last few years. They’re positioned well in the marketplace and I’m excited to be a part of it.

“I’m most impressed by the firm’s values. Having met my colleagues and various partners throughout the firm already, I’ve found that the values are closely aligned with my own.”

Hamish Morrison, joint managing partner, said: “Abdullah is a key appointment for our Audit team. He brings a wealth of experience to the firm, and both our staff and our clients will benefit from his enthusiasm.

“Having a new presence in Cleckheaton will help us to expand our offering to clients as he shapes the team going forward.”

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East Yorkshire-based racking and fit out specialist, Filstorage, has appointed a new installation manager to its growing team.

Richard Sowden, 39, brings more than 20 years’ experience to the role, which will see him oversee Filstorage’s installation teams at builders’ merchants, factories, and warehouse and logistics facilities across the UK.

Sowden started his career at AK Store Fitters in Wakefield in 2001, supervising the installation of shelving and racking in retail stores.

Over the following years, he progressed to become an installations co-ordinator and then manager at several big-named companies, before joining Filstorage earlier this year.

He said he was looking forward to using the skills and insight he had gained over the past 20 years to drive efficiencies in installations.

As well as overseeing installation teams, he will also be responsible for health & safety onsite and producing the Risk Assessment Method Statements (RAMS) for each job.

Sowden said: “Ensuring a smooth installation is key to meeting a client’s expectations and ensuring they can get into the building at the earliest opportunity and become fully operational.

“My role is to make sure this is carried out efficiently and most of all, safely, at every site Filstorage is working on.

“With the large presence across the UK Filstorage has, it is going to be a challenging role, but with some great projects in the pipeline, it is one I am very much looking forward to.”

His appointment closely follows another hire by the company. Ruth Bill has also recently joined Filstorage as an executive PA to the managing director and wider management team.

Managing director Paul Taylor welcomed both recruits to the business. He said: “As we continue to grow across the range of sectors we service, ensuring the quality of work we have built our reputation on remains high is a key priority for us.

“These strategic appointments will help to achieve that. Richard’s wealth of experience will bring greater efficiencies to our installations processes, which is a win-win for us and the client, and Ruth will support the management team in taking the business forward.”

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Fashion house Burberry Group says Orna NíChionna has been appointed senior independent director with effect from 2 April 2022. 

She has been an independent non-executive director since 3 January 2018, is chair of the Remuneration Committee and is a member of the Nomination Committee. 

Further to its announcement on 13 July 2021 the company confirms Dame Carolyn McCall will retire as a non-executive director on 2 April 2022.

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