35 under 35 2022: Second wave of winners revealed!

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

Each day this week, we will release a batch of winners who made the final cut. Today, we present the second wave of noteworthy professionals who made the Accountancy Age 35 under 35.

The full Accountancy Age 35 under 35 will be unveiled on Friday, September 30, 2022.

Sam Inkersole, tax manager, BKL

Sam Inkersole joined BKL as an audit trainee in 2015. He pursued a passion for tax by moving teams and was promoted to tax manager in 2021. He completed the CIOT CTA exams with first-time passes, including one of the country’s highest marks for the Taxation of Major Corporates paper.

He works closely with other BKL teams including corporate finance and tax due diligence. He has taken on family investment companies (FICs) as a specialist area. In his first year as a manager, Inkersole won over 20 new clients for BKL. Rather than sticking to well-worn taxation paths, he has specialised in cryptoasset tax, combining what he finds interesting with something that diversifies BKL.

He has spoken at a 2021 Digital Asset Tax Issues webinar with colleagues from UK and US firms, and BKL videos on crypto tax & accounting. Inkersole won ‘Rising Star’ at the 2022 Taxation Awards by a unanimous judging decision. According to junior colleagues, “the way [Inkersole] summarises legislation makes tax easier and more interesting” and has inspired others to take the CTA.

Emma Jones, head of audit, Fortus Business Advisors

Emma Jones quickly developed at Fortus, progressing from audit manager in 2015 to head of audit by 2019. During that time, she has expanded that role to take a national lead for the business’ audit and assurance (A&A) service line, bringing together several regional teams into a single centre of excellence.

Jones has a strong development ethos, playing a key role in the Fortus’ school leaving initiative since its inception in 2015, bringing through several exceptional team members who have flourished both in the A&A team, as well as those who have branched out into other areas within the wider business. It is an initiative that she continues to champion and develop today with a number of new recruits joining the team this year. This ethos and focus on culture within the team has driven remarkably low staff turnover rates. Feedback throughout has pointed to her open and honest working style, strong emphasis on trust, accountability, enjoyment and flexibility, with every member (regardless of seniority) empowered to contribute to the development and evolution of the service line.

On the technical front, Jones is often at the forefront of technical discussion within the business, leading many of the firm’s larger, more complex audit engagements. This is coupled with her continued push on audit quality, leading a number of initiatives with the team on training and development to ensure this is at the core. In addition to the respect held by her peers, she is also extremely approachable and helpful across a wide range of technical areas. However busy she is, Jones always makes time for colleagues, and effectively gets the job done. A role model for many, according to her colleagues.

Charlotte Lishman, audit and accounts manager, Grunberg & Co

Charlotte Lishman is a driven and ambitious accountant, who aims to ensure clients always feel supported and confident in both their financial reporting and day-to-day operations. Having trained with Grunberg & Co, she went on to become an audit & accounts manager where she supported the practice’s partners in managing a diverse portfolio of clients, ranging from self-employed or newly incorporated businesses to established groups of companies with a global presence.

Lishman has been heavily involved in developing and introducing new processes to ensure clients’ financial reporting meets their own needs and third-party obligations. She has also played a key role in previous transactions handled by the firm, helping clients to achieve their exit goals and ambitions. During her time with the firm, she has been responsible for leading many large and multi-national group audits, mentoring junior members of staff and has overseen the preparation of unincorporated accounts.

Having taken a year out in the previous year, she has jumped seamlessly straight back into portfolio management, while also taking on additional responsibility in her new capacity as associate director for Grunberg’s fast-growing cloud team. In this capacity, she has delivered drive, direction and support, which has helped with the rapid onboarding of many new clients and created a cohesive team.

She plays an important role in the development of Grunberg & Co and is often in open communication with the firm’s partners; highlighting both concerns that were previously hidden, while also singing the praises of the staff that are key to the practice. This has helped the firm to strengthen its talent management and retain its best professionals.

Over the next 10 years, she has big plans to expand her portfolio and enhance the service the practice offers. This includes further improving team management and bringing in some of the biggest technological changes, to further bridge the gap between the firm’s accounts and cloud teams. She also plans to expand the bookkeeping work conducted for clients to incorporate work that has historically been left to year-end adjustments and in doing so provide much more accurate and insightful support.

Ross Lomas, partner, Saffery Champness

Ross Lomas joined Saffery Champness back in 2008 to start his ACA training contract with the firm, having completed AAT at a smaller firm locally. He immediately settled into the team and began forging his career at Saffery.

Lomas has since been working hard building his experience, knowledge and skills as he has worked through the ranks at Saffery. This has included being part of tender teams that have won some of the largest, most prestigious, and complex clients in the firm, and then onboarding them and successfully delivering their audits and supporting work.

He has supported a number of national initiatives including project managing the audit efficiency project, supporting thematic audit quality reviews and national sector practice groups. He spent time leading the office recruitment team for several years as well as running the office budgeting and financials and supporting the staff partner in looking after the team.

Through the pandemic he was leading the office response in keeping up to date with the fast-changing news and information on grants and other support measures, keeping close to his clients but also providing content for the rest of the office to share. This something our clients valued, and Lomas received some excellent feedback from client through this period. He was also doing this whilst studying for CTA and balancing life with a young family which is an extraordinary achievement.

Saffery was delighted when he was made partner earlier this year, which was fully deserved for the hard work and dedication he has shown to his team, clients and the wider firm. Lomas has made an excellent start to his life as partner, winning several new clients and taking on the staff partner role in looking after around 75 staff. He is a real asset to the firm and someone who will help lead this office for many years to come.

David McIntosh, apprentice management consultant, KPMG

David McIntosh is pioneering a new path at KPMG as the first apprentice to specialise in management consultancy in Scotland. His work has contributed to positive outcomes for communities across Scotland during the pandemic. This includes his involvement with the Scottish Government’s Test and Protect programme. McIntosh worked with senior government directors, leading a pilot scheme allowing schools to return during the pandemic only three months into his role.

“David played a key part in the development of a new testing pathway for the asymptomatic COVID testing of teachers in Scottish schools. I wish him all the best for his career ahead,” Fiona McDiarmid, director, Scottish Government Social mobility, said.

McIntosh joined KPMG in 2017 and proactively established the firm’s social mobility network in Scotland in 2019. He is now the founder and chair of KPMG’s UK Social Mobility Network leading 650+ colleagues, six workstreams and 30 committee members whilst representing the firm globally on Social Mobility. He has managed to balance all of his achievements alongside qualifying in AAT level 3 and 4 as well as his CIMA.

In 2020, David met with Her Majesty The Queen on a video call to speak about his own journey that went viral.

“David’s willingness to talk about the barriers he faced growing up, and his passionate advocacy for seeing potential, not background, has increased the profile of socio-economic inclusion within KPMG. We are proud to have him as an ambassador and he would be a worthy winner of this award,” Sarah Atkinson, CEO, Social Mobility Foundation Podcasting, said.

Drawing on his experiences of poor visibility of career paths to those from low socio-economic backgrounds, McIntosh runs his own self-development podcast ‘The Development’, which is listened to in over 60 countries. He hosts guests as prolific as the Founder of Reebok, Levi Roots, Seth Godin, Premier League, and Netflix stars. He provides an online directory of role models to be inspired by.

“The style and techniques David uses to get things done and convene support are incredible for someone so early in their career,” David Rowlands, partner and head of consulting at KPMG UK. said.

These achievements led David to win Best New Apprentice at the MCA awards, 2020 BPP UK Apprentice of the Year and ranking #20 in the Scottish Business Insider 35 under 35.

Callie Marles, partner, Bambridge Accountants

Callie Marles has worked for over 10 years at Bambridge Accountants holding a portfolio of over 3000 clients. She has a 100% success rate with both the US and UK tax filing seasons. Not only has she handled some of the most complex US/UK tax circumstances, but she also prides herself on her ability to make the filing and any advice understandable and reassuring so that clients always feel confident with their filings.

On top of her impressive success with clients, Marles has also embraced her role as a mentor and manager of new entry tax assistants. Offering the highest level of tax training and support to up-and-coming accountants. She continues to enroll on trainings and participates in daily research to ensure she remains the top of her game and up to date with all the latest tax developments in both the US and UK tax systems.

Rachel Martin, co-founder, StriveX and Accountant She

Rachel Martin is a TEDx speaker, a content creator, an author, an introvert, a business owner and most importantly… an accountant! As the director of StriveX and the founder of Accountant She, Martin has done tremendous work towards her mission of helping small business owners to overcome the barriers to entry and changing the perception of the accountant.

Over the past 18 months, she has scaled StriveX, a cloud-based accountancy and tax advisory firm, from 50 to 500 clients. What began as a firm ran from her dining room table with her partner is now a growing team of 8 employees. Both the service offered and the hiring reflects how she wants accountants to be seen, which is approachable, passionate, enthusiastic and kind.

The firm’s motto is “we rise by lifting others” and that has been a big part of its rapid growth. Embodying the firm’s motto in every way has been a big part of its success. Martin goes above and beyond to support her clients success and offers stellar employee benefits that go beyond financial incentives such as an EAP scheme for mental health and wellbeing, full costs for studying covered, and paid study leave.

Her work to change the accounting industry does not end with StriveX. When she was a young female apprentice, Martin felt that she had no female role models to look up to. The stereotype of the accountant was an elderly white male – something that she couldn’t relate to. She wanted people to be able to relate to their accountants and for more women to consider it as a career opportunity. It was from this desire that Accountant She was born.

Today, Accountant She is a community that is made up of over 10,000 accountants and small business owners. Martin creates content to educate and support members of the community on her YouTube Channel and Instagram. She is also committed to supporting the small businesses in her community to overcome the barriers to entry such as access to funding and finance, imposter syndrome and lack of financial advice/knowledge.

Grant Miles, director, Murrells

Grant Miles has revolutionised Murrells accountancy practice. His biggest strength was in change management, where the office has turned from a paper-based office to completely digital. With no formal workflow management and clients always paying at the year-end for accounts, a practice management system (accountancy manager) along with a variety of technology has been implemented to turn Murrells into a high tech, modern practice.

Miles also orchestrated a large cost saving exercise after taking over the running of Murrells in September 2021, and officially become a director at the age of 29.

Since taking over as director, he has grown the client base at Murrells by 15% in his first year.  He has spent considerable time with the existing team at Murrells and changed the whole dynamic of the team. Under previous ownership of Murrells the owner would manage all client relations. Miles has torn up the rule book at the firm and encouraged the team to take on the client relationships. The team are now empowered to manage the clients and have a much deeper relationship as a result. Clients now all have a minimum of two people to get hold of as a direct support, as opposed to the one. Miles has managed and brought growth, stability, structure and a highly engaged team to the forefront for Norwich accounting. He only qualified ACA in 2019 and is an ambitious director who shows no signs of slowing, and he is only now 30.

Jack Moore, partner, Page Kirk

Jack Moore made Partner at Page Kirk, a firm with a revered reputation and a rich history, in April 2021 at the age of just 29 years old. His career started at a small local firm in 2010 straight out of sixth form before becoming AAT qualified in 2012 and ACA qualified in 2014.

His mind ticks like an entrepreneur and business person and, equipped with more than 12 years of accounting practice experience, one of his goals as an accounting partner is to build a platform from which both he and his team can give more valuable and proactive advice to business owners by having live and accurate financial and non-financial information at their fingertips.

Traditionally, accounting firms are reactive rather than truly proactive, relying on annual or perhaps quarterly results being prepared after the fact, but Moore believes that with advancements in technology in the fintech space, and with the right team in place to implement new technology, he can help Page Kirk blaze a trail into this new digital era for accountancy. He will help pioneer their efforts whilst establishing the firm as a leader in this type of advisory service, which will afford business owners an accurate financial view of their business, on demand, at any time.

His primary focus within business is the people who he works with, at every level of the organisation, and he always makes himself available for frank discussions and genuine career and personal advice. He enjoys that people feel that his personality is friendly and approachable, whilst at the same time commanding one’s respect by leading by example. As a result, people feel that they can trust him to lean on in times of need or when they need somebody to give them honest and insightful advice.

In his first year as a partner, he was instrumental in helping Page Kirk achieve the best year it has recorded in its last 10 years in terms of total fee income. This is testament to his ability to help bring growth to the firm by bringing new clients on board. He has quickly built up a bank of clients who contribute over a six-figure sum in terms of annual gross recurring fees, and this continues to grow month-on-month. The future of accountancy is fast approaching, and it is forward thinkers like Moore who will make a world of difference for their business clients.

Ryan Moore, audit partner, Randall & Payne

Ryan Moore became partner at Randall & Payne in May 2022. In doing so, he became the youngest partner in the firm’s 143-year history at the age of 30 years old. Moore is an enthusiastic and driven leader who is committed and passionate about changing the public perception of the audit industry. He is proud of his achievements this year, particularly those which have had an impact on staff satisfaction in what has been a difficult and challenging year of work.

As well as being a partner at Randall & Payne, he leads the audit and assurance team. Having initially trained for his qualification at one of the Big Four, he joined Randall & Payne as the firm’s RI in October 2020 and drew on his experiences of working in larger accountancy firms to help create genuine value for his clients from their audit process.

In the last year, he has continued to develop the client base at Randall & Payne and introduced technology and data analytics into the work that the audit team perform. Since joining the firm, he has successfully grown head count in the team by 15%, taking on several new trainees. In addition to being able to attract high-quality resource to the team, he has successfully increased fees by >20% annually, won and delivered the firm’s biggest ever audit client and created new strategic and geographic partnerships with other firms of accountants which has seen it expand dramatically into Bristol and the South West.

In 2022, he redefined the firm’s audit strategy and delivered on a series of audit technology projects, including creating an interactive impairment analyser in Power Bi. This has been very well received from Randall & Payne’s larger corporate clients.

Outside of Randall & Payne, he has a continued interest in audit regulation and is currently a member of the Disciplinary and Regulatory Committee and the Audit Monitoring Committee at the ACCA. This year, he introduced a new staff initiative called ‘Do Something New in 2022’ encouraging staff to learn a new skill or try a new experience. The activities chosen by staff members are funded by the firm and he has been amazed to see how employees have challenged themselves this year.