Appointments: Wintersgill Associates, Emerald, Grant Thornton, Gordons

CHARTERED accountants Wintersgill Associates have expanded their team with four appointments.

The Ilkley-based accountants have hired Emma Greensmith following 20 years of experience, most recently at Grant Thornton, where she was an audit manager.

Ms Greensmith will work alongside apprentice accountant Laura Jepson.

Rob Ormiston will act as a financial director to clients that are specifically looking to grow, and Sandra Overfield will become practice manager, after having qualified as a chartered accountant at Deloitte.

Paul Wintersgill, managing director and founder of Wintersgill Associates, said: “Our aim has always been to provide a much wider range of services that go way beyond traditional accountancy.

“With our newly expanded team we are now able to really grow this area of the business and absorb ourselves in more complex areas such as strategic financial planning, corporate recovery and company buyouts.

“Finding the right team to support these goals is absolutely key, and by providing an inspiring, flexible environment to work in, we have attracted the very best people to support and strengthen our business and that of our clients.”

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PUBLISHING group Emerald, which is based in Bingley, has appointed Harriet Bell to the position of marketing director.

She joins following a 20-year career in academic publishing at VP, Journal & Data Solutions at RELX Group.

She has also held positions as head of marketing for Scopus and Publisher of TheLancet.com.

Ms Bell said: “I’m excited to join a company as ambitious and focussed as Emerald, at a time of transformation within the publishing industry which Emerald is well placed to navigate.

“The recent acquisition of Good Practice and Research Media demonstrate Emerald’s continuing drive to explore new ways of adding value for our customers.

“I am pleased to be part of the company as it looks to further develop solutions for communities in research, practice and education. I look forward to joining talented colleagues on the Board and throughout Emerald.”

Richard Bevan, chief executive at Emerald, added: “I am delighted with Harriet’s appointment to the Emerald Board, which we believe will further strengthen the company’s leadership team.

“As a Board, we are confident that she will play a key role in developing value and solutions for our customer communities worldwide, enhancing their overall experience as we continue to expand our offering across the research, higher education and professional sectors.”

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RICHARD GOLDSACK has been appointed as a Leeds-based partner in Grant Thornton’s Northern corporate finance advisory practice.

Mr Goldsack moved to Grant Thornton in 2014 after working for EY as a partner in the firm’s Sydney-based M&A team in Australia, before which he was based in Leeds.

He has focussed on the Yorkshire and North East deals market over the past year, specialising in advising entrepreneurs, management teams, corporates and private equity on all corporate finance matters, and has expertise in both sell-side and buy-side work and deal origination.

“Richard has done terrifically well since joining us just over a year ago. With his extensive experience and strong track record, he has made a vital contribution to the continued success of our Yorkshire-based advisory practice,” commented Andy Wood, senior practice leader for Grant Thornton in Leeds.

“The team recently celebrated an incredibly busy period, completing four deals in four days, and there’s no doubt that Richard was a driving force behind this. His richly deserved promotion is another example of our commitment to enabling our people to grow with us as well as continuing to invest in bringing new talent into the firm.”

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PERSONAL lawyer Diana Smart has joined law firm Gordons to lead its private client team.

Ms Smart moves to the firm as partner after 12 years with Sheffield law firm Taylor & Emmet where she was head of the wills and probate department.

She will lead a team of 15 people focuses on advising high net worth individuals, families and business owners.

Ms Smart said: “I am really pleased and excited to be joining Gordons. It is a modern, forward thinking firm focused on providing a high quality and personal client service, which has always been important to me.

“The private client team here has a broad range of skills combined with a great deal of enthusiasm, and I will use my expertise and experience to work with them to grow the department further.”

Gordons partner and operations director, Victoria Davey, said: “Diana has a reputation for providing clients with practical advice and delivering it with the highest standards of care, which is exactly the way we operate at Gordons.

“She is a proven leader with a great deal of energy and ambition, making her the ideal person to direct our private client offer. We are very pleased that she has joined the firm and look forward to her further developing our private client team.”