Introduction
June saw continued investment in senior talent across the professional services sector, with firms making a range of leadership appointments, partner promotions, and strategic hires. Transaction advisory, tax, and finance transformation remained key areas of focus, while ongoing investment in AI, cybersecurity, and digital capabilities reflected the sector’s continued evolution. Firms also strengthened regional leadership teams and expanded specialist practices across financial services, infrastructure, and capital markets, demonstrating a sustained emphasis on broadening expertise and responding to changing client requirements.
Key People Moves
BDO has announced the appointment of Al Milne as a Partner within its Tax practice. Milne brings nearly two decades of experience in professional services, with a specialism in share plans and incentives. In his new role, he will focus on structuring and delivering incentive arrangements for mid-market clients across the North West region. Milne joins from Claritas Tax, where he served as Head of Equity Reward, and earlier spent a decade at KPMG.
PwC has announced the appointment of two new Directors to its Debt and Capital Advisory team.
Julian Osborne and Craig Monks join the firm to strengthen its capabilities across asset-based lending, leveraged finance, and restructuring.
– Osborne returns to PwC having previously spent four years in the firm’s deals team focused on mid-market restructuring. He joins from Wells Fargo, where he spent ten years in senior roles across portfolio management and originations, bringing 15 years of market experience across advisory and lending in sectors including retail, industrials, and aviation.
– Monks joins from Fellwood Advisory and previously spent nine years in direct lending at TDC, formerly Tosca Debt Capital, where he helped grow assets under management to approximately £1bn. He began his career at EY.
Phillip Whitaker has joined Wolf & Company as Principal and Head of Transaction Advisory Services (TAS). He joins from RSM US LLP, where he spent over a decade, most recently as Director of Transaction Services. Whitaker brings over a decade of experience in transaction advisory and financial due diligence, advising middle-market companies, private equity sponsors and investors on buy-side and sell-side transactions, deal evaluation and transaction execution. In his new role, he will lead Wolf & Company’s newly established Transaction Advisory Services practice.
Derek Sappenfield has joined West Monroe as Senior Partner and leader of the Office of the CFO practice. He joins from FTI Consulting, where he was a Managing Director in the Office of the CFO Solutions practice. Sappenfield brings more than 30 years of experience in finance transformation, operating model design, shared services, outsourcing and automation. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at Tata Consultancy Services, IBM, and founded Exsight Consulting.
Robert Hillard has been appointed CEO of Deloitte Asia Pacific, succeeding David Hill following the completion of his four-year term. Hillard will focus on operations, local market responsiveness, and technology and AI capabilities across the region.
KPMG has appointed Louis Taylor as Director within its Corporate Services & People Consulting team. Taylor rejoins the firm after spending more than three years at PwC, where he most recently served as Senior Manager. Prior to joining PwC, Taylor spent over five years at KPMG, progressing through a number of roles including Management Consultant, Assistant Manager and Manager. He brings more than eight years of experience in people consulting and corporate services to his new position.
David Shanahan has been appointed Head of Tax & Legal at Deloitte Ireland. A Tax Partner and member of the firm’s Executive Leadership Team, Shanahan brings more than 20 years of experience advising clients on cross-border tax planning, mergers and acquisitions, operating models and real estate transactions.
Apex Group has announced the appointment of Paul Cosgrove as Finance Director for its Jersey operations. Cosgrove brings over 25 years of experience in finance and operations across regulated, multi-jurisdictional environments. He joins from TMF Group, where he spent nearly 14 years in a series of senior roles including Chief Financial Officer for the Channel Islands and, most recently, Market Finance Director for British Isles and Ireland.
People Promotions
KPMG has announced the appointment of Callum Licence as Group Head of Advisory for KPMG UK and KPMG Switzerland. Licence succeeds Lisa Fernihough, who has led the group advisory function for the past two years and will move into a Vice Chair role focusing on key accounts. A Partner at KPMG UK since 2020 and Group Board Member since October 2024, Licence brings deep expertise in business transformation and post-merger integration, with a particular focus on financial services clients.
Robert Cullen has been appointed EMEA Managing Partner for Technology & Transformation at Deloitte. He previously served as UK Managing Partner for Technology & Transformation and will now oversee the firm’s technology, digital and AI strategy across the EMEA region. His role will focus on supporting collaboration across Deloitte’s member firms, advancing AI adoption, and driving technology transformation initiatives across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Deloitte UK has appointed Debapratim De as Chief Economist. De succeeds Ian Stewart, who is retiring after 19 years in the role. Having joined Deloitte 16 years ago, De was most recently Director of Economic Research, where he focused on macroeconomics and the corporate sector. In his new role, he will expand the firm’s economic analysis across geopolitics, AI and energy markets.
Siddhesh Mudbhatkal has been promoted to Partner at EY within its Cybersecurity practice. Mudbhatkal has been with the firm for over seven years, most recently serving as Director.
Mudbhatkal has more than ten years of experience in cybersecurity and risk consulting across the Middle East, Africa and India region, supporting clients in government, financial services and healthcare. In his new role, Mudbhatkal will continue to focus on cyber transformation, risk management and resilience.
TPG has announced the appointment of Axel André as Chief Financial Officer. André joins as a Partner, succeeding Jack Weingart, who moves full-time into his role as Chief Executive Officer of TPG’s Global Wealth Solutions business. André joins from Reinsurance Group of America, where he served as Executive Vice President and CFO, and brings extensive experience across insurance and asset management, having previously held senior finance roles at American Equity Investment Life, Jackson National, and AIG. Earlier in his career, André worked at Goldman Sachs in investment management.
PwC Luxembourg has promoted eight professionals to Partner across its Assurance and Advisory practices, as well as other lines of service, further strengthening its leadership bench as client demand accelerates across artificial intelligence, valuation, cybersecurity, transformation and financial services. The promotions reflect the firm’s continued investment in senior expertise across valuation, financial services transformation, cybersecurity and AI-driven advisory capabilities.
– Alix Altenor joined PwC Luxembourg in 2019 after more than a decade with PwC in the United States. A CFA and CPA, he specialises in valuation and financial advisory services and is also recognised for his leadership in diversity and inclusion initiatives within the firm.
– Simon Petitjean has spent over 13 years building PwC Luxembourg’s cybersecurity practice and currently leads its Offensive Security and Red Team activities. He is widely recognised in the cybersecurity community and focuses on cyber resilience, incident response and capability development.
– François Polutnik has been with PwC Luxembourg since 2012 and focuses on the asset management and private equity sectors. His experience spans audit and assurance services for investment funds and alternative asset managers, positioning him as a long-standing specialist in Luxembourg’s financial services ecosystem.
– Benjamin Reis leads fund distribution and regulatory advisory services for asset managers. With nearly 15 years at PwC Luxembourg, he advises clients on cross-border distribution strategies, regulatory compliance and market access across Europe and international markets.
– Rafaël Le Saux heads PwC Luxembourg’s Valuation & Modelling Advisory practice and is a recognised voice in the valuation profession. He serves on the Technical Board of the International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) and is Vice Chairman of the Luxembourg Valuation Professionals Association, with expertise spanning private markets, infrastructure, private equity and valuation governance.
Deloitte Canada has announced the promotion of Tom Stevens to Director within its Project Development and Delivery Advisory practice, based in Calgary. A professional engineer with over 15 years of experience across the energy and industrial sectors, Stevens leads the firm’s national nuclear sector work, advising clients on complex, large-scale infrastructure projects. He joined Deloitte in 2022 as Senior Manager within the Capital Projects and Infrastructure practice, having previously held senior roles at WSP in Canada, Advisian, and Kleinfelder.
Deloitte Ireland has announced the admission of eight new Partners across its Tax & Legal, Advisory, Audit & Assurance, and Technology & Transformation practices, further strengthening its senior leadership bench across key growth areas.
– Gavin Cullen brings 12 years of experience at the firm, specialising in real estate capital advisory and M&A transactions.
– Andrea Fouché, admitted while on maternity leave, has over 16 years of international experience in organisational transformation and human capital strategy across the financial services sector.
– Ross Grehan leads Deloitte’s Data & Analytics practice within Audit & Assurance, with nearly 19 years at the firm spanning Ireland, Australia and Switzerland.
– Shane Kerins joins the partnership from the role of Tax Director, specialising in emerging technology companies and private client tax advisory.
– Frances Lenihan is a corporate and international tax specialist who previously led the Irish Tax Desk at Deloitte US in New York.
– Conor McRitchie brings 15 years of experience in financial services transformation and digital product management within Deloitte Digital.
– Chris Nugent has spent nearly 19 years at the firm and specialises in strategy within the consumer sector.
– Lorna Ryan, based in Cork, has over a decade of experience leading Deloitte’s Investment Management team within Audit & Assurance.
Grant Thornton UK has announced four new Equity Partner promotion, continuing to grow its partnership across the firm.
Ami Sweeney has been promoted to Partner within the Private Client Solutions practice, specialising in Asset Recovery. Having joined the firm in 2009, Sweeney brings over 17 years of experience in complex asset recovery and insolvency assignments, with a particular focus on private client disputes arising from deceased estates, divorce proceedings, and trust and shareholder disagreements.
Irena Scullion has been promoted to Partner within the Tax practice, where she specialises in providing complex tax advice to clients across the consumer and TMT sectors. Scullion has spent the majority of her career at Grant Thornton, having previously served as Senior Indirect Tax Manager at EY between 2018 and 2021 before returning to the firm.
Simon Christian has been promoted to Partner within the Public Services Consulting practice. Christian brings over 18 years of experience across local government and the wider public sector, with a specialism in complex transformation and reform programmes. He has been with Grant Thornton for nearly eight years, most recently serving as Director of Public Services Consulting.
Chris Boddy has been promoted to Partner within the Forensic & Investigation Services practice. An experienced forensic accountant, Boddy specialises in fraud, bribery and corruption investigations, asset tracing, and financial crime, and has been with the firm for nearly 17 years, having previously been a Manager at PwC.
KPMG Switzerland has announced that Pascal Sprenger has been elected by the firm’s Swiss Partners as its next Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 October 2026. Sprenger succeeds Stefan Pfister in the role and currently serves as Head of Financial Services and Member of the Executive Board at KPMG Switzerland. He brings nearly 18 years of experience at the firm, having held a series of senior roles across financial services, regulatory and compliance, and legal advisory. In his current capacity, Sprenger has led the firm’s financial services practice, advising banks, insurers, and asset managers on regulatory and business transformation matters.
PwC has announced the promotion of Vivian Osan de Banos to Director within its Deals practice, specialising in Capital Markets and Accounting Advisory Services. Osan de Banos advises multinational companies and private equity firms on technical accounting, financial reporting, and capital markets matters including IPOs, debt offerings, carve-outs, and acquisitions. She joined PwC in 2022, having previously spent four years at PwC UK specialising in IFRS 17, and prior to that held senior finance roles at QBE Insurance and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Market Intelligence
Accenture has announced the acquisition of creator marketing agency Whalar, which will become part of Accenture Song, its marketing and experience services division. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Whalar’s co-CEOs Emma Harman and Jo Cronk will continue to lead the business following completion of the acquisition.
Accenture Song CEO Ndidi Oteh said Whalar’s capabilities will strengthen the group’s ability to deliver growth through creator-led marketing and cultural relevance. The deal builds on Accenture Song’s recent expansion in the social and influencer marketing space, following its acquisition of Superdigital last year.