35 Under 35 2019: 5 - 1 revealed!

The Accountancy Age 35 Under 35 rankings seek to highlight the rising stars of the accountancy profession, featuring those who have made great professional contributions to the field and their individual firms.

Today, we present the fifth and last round of noteworthy professionals who made the Accountancy Age 35 Under 35 rankings. You can see everyone who placed on the rankings board here.

5. Mark Edmondson, President and CEO, Inflo

In the three years since Edmondson founded Inflo, he has made great contributions to the business and the industry as a whole. Roughly 70% of the largest UK firms are using Inflo’s data analytics and Ai capabilities, and the firm continues to create strategic partnerships with global accounting networks to offer more value to clients and practices alike.

In 2019, Inflo created two key partnerships with the ICAEW, with one enhancing technology skills in accountants, and the second changing how smaller practices get access to new technologies. Edmondson is also part of the World Congress of Accountants programme, and continues to engage the accounting profession through keynote presentations, dialogues and podcasts with major players in the industry.

4. Joanne Ritchie, Head of Professional Qualifications & Apprenticeships, Grant Thornton UK

Throughout Ritchie’s career, she has worked to make accountancy a more accessible profession by addressing skills gaps, working with accountancy institutes to revise their syllabus reviews, and participating in Level 4 and Level 7 trailblazer groups. In 2019, she was recruited to be the vice-chair of the AAT’s independent audit board, and has continually looked for ways to remove traditional barriers to the profession.

She is currently leading the Grant Thornton UK trainee development strategy that involves shaping the curriculum for our new trainee population. As part of this she is re-shaping our ACA qualification to ensure we have a pool of qualified, talented and digitally competent trainees. She is also supporting the firm’s quality agenda and representing it on numerous external boards.

Throughout her time at KPMG, Ritchie assisted with recruitment, outreach and trainee mentoring, and she has offered her experience to the training provider BPP. At Grant Thornton, she has committed to review and enhance the firm’s trainee learning experience, with her pulse on the talent of tomorrow.

3. Jon Wedge, Partner, BKL

Wedge first joined BKL as its first non-graduate trainee, and at age 29, he has become the firm’s youngest partner and its Head of Audit & Assurance. While leading a team of 35, he has grown his portfolio 26% over the previous year, showcasing his expertise in fintech businesses and payment services.

In 2019, Wedge spearheaded a collaboration with BitPay that made BKL the first mid-size UK accounting firm to accept fee payments in Bitcoin, helping to make the firm a cryptocurrency pioneer. He continually passes on his knowledge and experience through roundtable discussions, articles and dialogue-driven meetings, and has been called a leader both within BKL and outside it.

2. Daniel Chan, Senior Manager, PwC

With extensive charity accountancy and audit experience, along with an ICAEW diploma in charity accounting, Chan is a leader in his sector. With PwC’s Charities Centre of Excellence, he helps provide technical training and support to the firm’s charity audit engagement teams across the UK, and often speaks at charity sector events. Chan is committed to sharing his knowledge with like-minded professionals, publishing several articles on the topic.

In addition to this work, Chan also leads PwC’s Charity Finance Directors’ Forum and the Charity Trustee Network, championing his specific sector in every function of his job. Outside of work, Chan is also a Trustee, Honorary Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee of the national youth charity, UK Youth.

1. Laura Mott, Partner, Haysmacintyre LLP

As the firm’s youngest partner, Mott has made a number of achievements during her time with the firm and has demonstrated an incredible commitment to the sector. She joined the firm as a trainee in 2006 and progressed to partner in only ten years, standing out in the transaction services arena and her outstanding client support.

Mott is also the lead partner on the Elite Programme, a partnership with the London Stock Exchange, and supports small and mid-cap AIM companies through the Quoted Companies Alliance. She also sits on her firm’s audit board, taking responsibility for all the department’s corporate managers. Always ready to mentor young professionals within the firm, Mott is a role model both in and outside of her firm.

View our 2018 rankings here.