35 most talented accounting & advisory professionals

Platform Accountancy Age has released the 2015 edition of its ‘35 under 35’ ranking. This list recognises the 35 most talented accounting and advisory professionals under the age of 35. With 5 professionals listed, KPMG leads the pack, followed by Grant Thornton and BDO, with four listings each.

35 under 35
The ’35 under 35’ list from platform Accountancy Age is an annual listing that highlights 35 of the most talented young professionals, all younger than 35, in the accounting and advisory industry in the UK. The fourth edition of the list includes professionals from 19 different firms, including several consulting firms, with KPMG, who has five of its employees listed, topping the list. The other Big Four firms are also represented: PwC with three employees and EY and Deloitte both with two. In addition to KPMG, Grant Thornton and BDO are found among the firms with the most listings and both have four of their young talents named. Other larger  firms on the list incude Mazars and Baker Tilly.

The 35 most promising accounting and advisory professionals under 35 (name; age; function; firm):

Claire Angell (34), Corporate Tax Director at KPMG
Angell is part of KPMG’s Energy and Natural Resources team.

David Beard (30), Client Manager at Rickard Keen
Beard’s portfolio includes GPs, academy schools, charities and commercial enterprises.

Jamie Mackenzie (34), Associate Director at Grant Thornton
Mackenzie works in Grant Thornton’s Pensions Advisory and Restructuring practice.

Peter Smith (32), Senior Audit Manager at BDO
Smith is part of BDO’s Financial Services group.

Daniel Gallagher (33), Director at PwC
Gallagher is Director in PwC’s North-West Corporate Finance practice.

Chris Gaze (32), Senior Accountant at RIFT Accounting
Gaze also functions as a key spokesperson for the firm.

Jessica Howard (34), Technical Director at Mazars
Howard is part of Mazars’ Financial Reporting and Accounting Advisory team.

John Howarth (29), Senior Accountant at Anderson Barrowcliff
Howarth specifically focuses on charities, IT and tech start-ups.

Simon Kaufman (28), Associate Director at KPMG.
Kaufman is part of KPMG’s Private Equity Transaction Services Advisory team.

Obaid Khawaja (33), Senior Manager Asset Management, EY
Khawaja works in EY’s Financial Accounting Advisory Services practice.

Rachel Lai (30), Senior Manager at Harris Lipman
Lai works in Harris Lipman’s Insolvency practice.

Michael Leeds (32), Director at Grant Thornton
Leeds is part of Grant Thornton’s Financial Investigation Insolvency and Recoveries team.

Dan Wesolowski (31), Senior Manager at BDO
Wesolowski works in BDO’s Audit practice in Reading.

Hugo Mansfield (33), Assistant Director at Deloitte
Mansfield is part of Deloitte’s Corporate Finance Advisory team.

Sophie Mottram (26), Manager at PwC
Mottram is PwC’s Graduate Induction Tutor.

Coll Murchison-MacDonald (31), Senior Manager at Saffery Champness
MacDonald works at Saffery Champness’ Inverness office in the Accounts & Audit and Tax departments.

Fiona Walker (29), Adviser at EY
Walker is part of EY’s Financial Accounting Advisory Services team in Edinburgh.

Darryl Light (27), Audit Semi Senior at Haslers
Light works for Haslers’ clients in and around London and Essex.

Lucy Park (26), Business Solutions Senior at Johnston Carmichael
Park works from Johnston Carmichael’s office in Glasgow.

Steve Mortimer (34), Director at Grant Thornton
Mortimer heads the Financial Consulting practice of Grant Thornton.

Susanne Parsler (28) Senior Manager at Mazars
Parsler heads Mazars’ Western European Hub for Global Mobility Services.

Chris Barnard (27), Accountancy Technical Manager at Crunch Accounting
Barnard heads the technical compliance side of Crunch Accounting.

Matt Oliver (26), Partner at Bessler Hendrie
Oliver works in Bessler Hendrie’s Guildfor office.

Simon Reed (30), Partner at Robinson Reed Layton.
Reed specialises in limited company and charity accounts and audits.

Graham Ricketts (33), Audit Partner at Baker Tilly
Ricketts plays a leading role in Baker Tilly's Energy and Natural Resources group.

Claire Robertson (30), Internal Audit Director at BDO
Robertson works as Director in BDO’s Risk and Advisory Services practice.

David Soden (33), Partner at Deloitte
Soden is a Partner in Deloitte’s Restructuring Services practice.

Phillippa O'Connor (31), Director at PwC
O'Connor is a Reward Consultant and Partner within PwC’s Human Resource Services group.

Marcus Richards (30), Senior Manager at KPMG
Richards is part of KPMG’s Public Sector Financial Management team. 

Ian Thoroughgood (31), Associate Director at Grant Thornton
Thoroughgood is part of Grant Thornton’s Audit team in the firm’s Ipswich office. 

Jon Wedge (30), Principal at BKL
Wedge is a Principal in BKL’s Audit and Business Advisory practice based in London.

Tania Roach (26), Assistant Manager at KPMG
Roach is part of KPMG’s Audit team.

Matthew Glover (28), Tax Manager at BDO
Glover acts as BDO’s Relationship Manager for several of its largest clients. 

Rebecca Moult (29), Audit Manager at KPMG
Moult is part of KPMG’s audit team in Birmingham. 

Nikki Waldron (30), Senior Manager Charities at Baker Tilly
Waldron is a part of Baker Tilly’s Audit team in London Senior Audit Manager.

Most talented young consultants
Two months ago, US-basd Consulting Magazine released a similar list highlighting the 35 most promising consultants under the age of 35 in the management consulting industry.