People: Saffery; BHP; and more

Leeds-based personal tax expert, Simon Armitage, has been promoted to director at chartered accounting and business advisory firm, Saffery.

Armitage has spent the past two decades advising clients on all types of personal tax issues and worked in London before relocating to Leeds in 2007.

He joined Saffery’s private client and personal tax team in 2018.

From the firm’s Wellington Place office in Leeds city centre, he now specialises in advising entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals, as well as their families, on all types of tax related issues.

These can include family investment companies, trusts, share schemes, business structuring, succession planning and tax reliefs.

In addition, a large part of his work now involves advising on inheritance tax after Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the new Labour government’s first budget last October.

Armitage said: “Since the budget, inheritance tax has been a hot topic, as we help people identify what the changes mean for both them and their families, as well as re-evaluating their succession plans.

“This looks set to continue in 2025, especially as the legislation and guidance around some of the changes becomes clearer over the coming months.

“Ultimately, my role is to advise clients on all aspects of personal tax to ensure they organise their affairs so that they are as tax efficient as possible.

“We work with a wide range of clients who might have cash in the bank, or in many cases are asset-rich due to owning properties, businesses, shares or other types of investments.

“This makes it fascinating work and it’s rewarding to be the first port of call for a client when they want professional advice and I’m looking forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead as we continue to grow our client base.”

Sally Appleton, partner in Saffery’s Yorkshire office, added: “Simon joined our team more than six years ago and he’s extremely popular with both our clients and his colleagues, who both appreciate his first-class advice, expertise and ability to simplify issues that are often complex.

“Crucially, he’s adept at winning new clients and identifying areas where we can support existing clients, thanks to his thorough understanding of everything related to personal tax, so there’s no doubt he thoroughly deserves this promotion.”

:::

Accountancy firm BHP has promoted four people to partner.

The promoted staff are: Melanie Foster, chief information officer; Simon Kendall, digital finance; Will Holmes, corporate finance; and Karen Arch, chief people officer.

Each of the quartet have made a significant impact in a variety of areas, both internally and externally, with the promotions of Foster and Arch marking the first non-accountants to have been made partner at the firm.

Lisa Leighton, joint chief executive, said: “These are all well-deserved promotions, and we are thrilled to welcome Karen, Melanie, Simon and Will to our partnership.

“Each of them have not only made superb contributions to BHP since joining us but are also hugely trusted by clients and colleagues, and we are thankful for their continued commitment and success. We look forward to each of them continuing to flourish with us.

“As a certified Great Place to Work, we’re passionate about developing our people, nurturing great talent, and putting that talent at the forefront of everything we do, and these promotions reflect this.”

Alongside the appointment of new partners, the firm has promoted 33 people across its offices in Sheffield, Leeds, York, Chesterfield and Cleckheaton.

Leighton added: ““It has been a strong start to the year across the business, following a record 2024, and these promotions reflect that and support our position as a leading Northern-based accountancy and advisory firm.

“We are positive about the coming period and are looking forward to delivering on our ambitious growth plans across our office network and supporting our clients to thrive.”

:::

Sarah Tyree

Sheffield-based digital marketing agency, Wildcat Digital, has made two key hires to support its plans for 2025.

Sarah Tyree joins the business as the new head of digital, while Amelia Ashman takes on the role of office manager.

With over eight years of expertise in digital marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO), Tyree was formerly SEO team leader at one of the largest digital agencies in the UK – The SEO Works.

She has led high-impact strategies for brands across multiple industries.

In her new role, she will spearhead the agency’s SEO and pay-per-click initiatives, while leading the development of new service offerings.

Ashman will drive efficiency and growth across the business.

Amelia Ashman

She was previously operations manager at The University of Sheffield, and brings extensive expertise in HR, Health & Safety, IT, and facilities management.

Will Hitchmough, founder and CEO at Wildcat Digital, said: “With Sarah leading our digital strategy across a suite of services, and Amelia streamlining our operations to support this rapid growth, they’re setting the stage for an exciting new chapter at Wildcat Digital.

“These two key senior hires are paving the way for ambitious expansion, supporting our goal of partnering with 250 of the UK’s most forward-thinking businesses.

“We’ve already secured landmark deals this year – including big name brands such as First Direct Arena, Heylo, and the UK’s largest recruitment agency, Staffline – Wildcat’s growth trajectory is well underway.”