Krista Woodman boosts KPMG's London private client team

Big Four firm KPMG has announced a new senior appointment to bolster its private client practice in London. Krista Woodman has been hired as Head of Trusts in the professional services giant’s capital city presence.

KPMG’s private client practice, based in London’s Canary Wharf, comprises 55 tax specialists, including three partners and five directors. The firm anticipates a boost in demand over 2018, with clients looking to prepare for international and national changes to taxation resulting from Brexit, among other variables. Within the last 12 months, this has seen the Big Four group work to strengthen its practice in the area, with Claire Angell promoted to Head of Tax for Energy, in the company’s London locale.

Tax codes are also becoming more complex and individuals and companies need to ensure they comply with all of their tax obligations around the world and that their tax policies are appropriate in this ever-changing environment. To this end, KPMG recently moved its global centre of excellence for family businesses to the UK capital. The move saw the UK arm of the international network invest considerably in its family business consulting practice, offering access to the firm’s global resources in the area of family business development.

Now, former PwC Tax Consultant Krista Woodman has joined KPMG in order to further strengthen the firm’s tax offering. Woodman, who becomes Head of Trusts at KPMG’s London office, will focus on expanding the team’s capabilities in advising family-led businesses with complex ownership structures. In the role, she will advise on a broad range of issues from compliance matters to business disposals and successions.

Prior to joining KPMG, Woodman spent four years as a Partner at Smith & Williamson, where she advised a number of high net worth individuals on international tax, due to the increasingly global nature of the business environment. This followed on a 12 year spell with RBC Wealth Management, where Woodman was most recently a Senior Tax Manager, having arrived from KPMG’s Big Four rival PwC in 2002. She spent two years with PwC, having first cut her teeth as a Tax Consultant with Hazelwoods between 1995 and 1999.

Commenting on the challenges facing her in her new role, Woodman said, “A changing tax landscape, as well as an increasingly global business environment is creating new challenges for family-owned firms… I’m looking forward to working with clients, and using my previous experience to enable clients to confidently manage their financial assets. I’m excited to join the growing tax team in London, as we continue to build our presence and reputation in this exciting market.”

Jo Bateson, London Head of Private Client Advisory at KPMG, added, “Krista brings a wealth of experience in private client to our London senior team. Her focus on family-led businesses along with her tax expertise really meets an increasing demand from our clients. We are growing at all levels within both our London and national private client practice and Krista is a fantastic addition.”