EY appoints Stuart Wilkinson & Karen Kirkwood to Tax
EY’s presence in East Anglia and the South West has been bolstered with the appointment of two new tax partners to the firm. The professional services firm has appointed Stuart Wilkinson, formally at KPMG, as a partner to its Cambridge office and Karen Kirkwood, formally at PwC, to head up its Bristol tax practice.
Karen Kirkwood brings with her 20 years’ experience providing tax advice, with experience for a broad range of companies and private equity backed businesses under the belt. Prior to joining EY, Kirkwood worked for PwC since 1998, advising on sustainable tax strategies, managing tax risk and opportunity, and meeting reporting obligations; Kirkwood leaves PwC as the firm’s M&A Tax Director. Before her role at PwC, Kirkwood was an Accounting Trainee at Hazlewoods, focused on control and tax compliance and specialise in corporate tax.
As Partner and Head of Tax of EY’s Bristol office, Kirkwood is set to lead and oversee service related to the audit of tax, core compliance and bespoke tax advisory services. Kirkwood’s expertise in transaction tax will deepen the firm’s offering in the area, as well as strengthening its capacity to advise on corporate acquisitions and disposals, private equity funded buy-outs and investments, cross border structuring and financing and corporate restructuring. Commenting on her appointment, Kirkwood says: “I look forward to playing an important role in continuing to build the tax practice in the South West by getting out into the market and working closely with new and existing clients, as well as growing our own team.”
Stuart Wilkinson, who joins EY as Tax Partner in its Cambridge office, started his career at KPMG in 1994, where Wilkinson built up 20 years’ experience in corporate tax and 15 years’ experience in M&A, leaving the firm as an Associate Partner. Wilkinson’s KPMG work was based in Cambridge, while working across various locations, including London and the wider East Anglia, and in a number of sectors, including food, consumer goods, energy, technology, and business services.
Wilkinson will join Cathy Taylor, EY’s Senior Partner in Cambridge, to work on improving EY’s market share in the wider East Anglia region though “maximising opportunities” in “fast growing entrepreneurial businesses and across the large corporate, middle market and private/family sectors.” Wilkinson will bring his experience in M&A to bear on advising clients in business restructuring and transactions generally. “I look forward to playing an important role in continuing to build the Tax practice in Cambridge by getting out into the market and working closely with new and existing clients,” remarks Wilkinson.
