Susan Roberts and Yomi Solanke join Grant Thornton Scotland

Professional services firm Grant Thornton UK has made two senior hires to its Aberdeen team. Yomi Solanke has been appointed as an Assistant Manager in the Audit team, while Susan Roberts has been appointed as a Senior Manager in Corporate Tax.

The Aberdeen city region is one of Scotland’s most economically important, and is seeing a strong recovery in both corporate profits and rising employee salaries following the oil price crash in 2014. Alongside the offshore industry, Grant Thornton is seeing growth in the food and drink, construction and real estate sectors, which has driven the expansion of its team.

Jenny Junnier, Senior Audit Manager at Grant Thornton said, “It’s a really exciting time for Aberdeen right now and we intend to build upon our strong client portfolio to invest in other promising companies. We are excited to welcome two highly-accomplished individuals to the Aberdeen team.”

Now, the firm has further bolstered its offering in Scotland with two appointments to its team serving high-growth businesses in the North East of the country. Oil and gas sector expert Susan Roberts has been appointed as a Senior Manager in Corporate Tax, while Yomi Solanke has been appointed as an Assistant Manager in the Audit team.

Roberts joins from The Kanoo Group, based in UAE and Oman. The move follows an extensive career within international tax which has seen her collaborate with a wide range of businesses across Europe and the Middle East, working with global leaders across highly competitive sectors including construction, oil and gas, and hospitality.

Commenting on her move to the firm Susan Roberts, said, “Grant Thornton has a strong client portfolio in Aberdeen, and I am delighted by the opportunity to join the firm at such an exciting period of growth. Its combined reputation as a leading advisory firm, the impressive team, and world-class clients have all helped to make the decision to join an easy one.”

At the same time, joining the Aberdeen office is Yomi Solanke, who arrives from Big Four firm EY. He has worked alongside senior directors and partners to garner considerable expertise in managing the audit process, and with years of experience exclusively within commercial auditing, Grant Thornton believes he has demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of technical accounting frameworks, including UK GAAP and IFRS.

Yomi Solanke added, “My past experience in commercial auditing has given me a deeper understanding of the many challenges affecting the audit process. Grant Thornton’s strong position within the mid-sector audit market offers an excellent opportunity to apply my industry knowledge to an already strong team.”

Heather Smallwood, Director at Grant Thornton, remarked, “Susan and Yomi bring further depth and strength to our growing team. Their unique perspectives and combination of skills is an important step in strengthening and developing our position within the regional market, further benefitting the way we support businesses across North East Scotland and operating internationally.”

Professional services firm Grant Thornton has been working consistently to strengthen its Scottish wing in recent months. In August, the firm promoted Joanne Brown to Partner to lead its public services offering, bringing the best part of two decades of experience to the role.