People in the news: Crowe, Forvis Mazars, Kingsley Napley. Editor, Business & Accountancy Daily 13 Mar 2026 In this week's career moves, partner promotions and hires at Crowe, Forvis Mazars, Kingsley Napley, S&W, Duncan & Toplis, Xeinadin, PIMFA, Leonard Curtis, Henry Costa Partners RSM has appointed Kim Ashley as a corporate tax partner in its innovation and capital tax reliefs team. Ashley will support large corporate clients across London and the south, with particular focus on financial services, energy and infrastructure industries. As a chartered tax advisor with over 25 years' experience, she advises large corporates on maximising capital tax reliefs, and her international tax experience spans US inbounds for financial services as well as energy and infrastructure development throughout Europe. Previously she was a director capital assets tax services at EY. S&W has appointed James Wright as a partner in its business tax team, based in Birmingham. Wright brings nearly 20 years of technical experience working with complex and high profile clients, and advising UK businesses and multinationals on a wide range of tax matters, including corporate structuring, international tax, transactions, and compliance. Previously he was a tax director at EY in the management and business advisory services team. Pictured: James Wright Forvis Mazars has promoted Fred Dearden to partner, and he will continue as head of private equity. Based in London, Dearden will focus on developing the specialist cross-service line private equity team alongside continuing to build a private equity centric M&A practice, servicing business owners who are looking to take on new or further investment. With close to 15 years of experience, he has a strong background in private equity and has led the firm's focus on private equity in the UK. Crowe has appointed Bhavin Bharakda as a partner and head of financial services internal audit, delivering assurance services across insurance, banking, and wealth and asset management. Bharakda brings more than 16 years of experience in financial services in accounting firms and banking, advising clients across global banks, listed wealth managers, private equity firms, insurers and family investment offices, strengthening governance, enhancing control frameworks and delivering independent assurance. He joins from BDO where he was an advisory director, and before was an assistant vice president at Citi bank. Kingsley Napley has appointed Kelly Greig as a partner and Abbie West-Kelsey as tax manager in the international tax team. Greig is a dual qualified chartered tax adviser and tax lawyer with nearly 20 years' experience in tax advisory planning for globally mobile HNWs with particular expertise in UK/US tax rules. She joins from Blick Rothenberg where she has spent the last 18 months as a tax adviser helping HNW clients navigate international taxation rules. West-Kelsey is a specialist tax accountant with a particular focus on succession planning for HNW clients, and joins from Lubbock Fine, where she was a private client tax manager. PIMFA, the trade association representing the wealth management, financial advice, and financial planning profession, has appointed Lord Tyrie as chairman, succeeding Lord Deben. The former MP and long-time chair of the influential Treasury Select Committee, Andrew Tyrie brings extensive experience, expertise and a proven track record of championing industry standards and fairness, having played a significant role in and reshaping many aspects of financial regulation over the past two decades. Leonard Curtis has appointed Liam Griffin as head of restructuring advisory service to lead the firm's offering alongside Dane O'Hara. He will be based out of Manchester and brings more than 16 years of experience advising corporates in a range of challenging situations involving financial distress spanning retail, manufacturing, technology and construction sectors. He joins from Teneo where he was a director. Duncan & Toplis has appointed Charles Burrell as assurance director in the leadership team in Derby. He will play a key role in expanding the client portfolio in the city and support growth ambitions. With over 15 years of experience, chartered accountant Burrell brings extensive audit knowledge, working with large clients in a range of sectors including charity, manufacturing, healthcare and automotive. He joins from Botham Accounting where he was head of audit. Xeinadin has appointed Simon Laurie as director and George Cannon as tax associate director in the Sittingbourne, Kent office. Chartered accountant Laurie brings more than 15 years of experience supporting owner-managed businesses through periods of growth, providing compliance and strategic advisory services. In his new rule he will focus on the SME client base, and will also play an active role in driving business development across north Kent. Laurie joins from Gerald Edelman where he was senior accounts and outsourcing manager. Cannon has a background in compliance and also provides advisory support in employment taxes and personal tax planning. Henry Costa Partners has appointed Jeanie Kim as partner to lead the advice & principal investment business segment, and Katherine Rainwood as partner and initially will act as seconded group chief operating officer at the independent merchant bank for the financial services sector. Kim brings more than 20 years of experience in banking, and was previously managing director, group head of mergers & acquisitions at HSBC Holdings plc, where she led global acquisitions and disposals across banking, insurance and asset management. Rainwood brings experience in private fund formation, fund finance and institutional restructuring from international law firm Gowling WLG, where she was a partner. If you think this article would be useful to a friend, click the 'Share with a Friend' button below Good Evening, Expats face 10-year tax clock when returning from Middle East conflict, GPs sign off increasing mental health fit note requests amid crisis, and badgers will replace British figures on banknotes Summary provided by AI Sara White | Editor, Business & Accountancy Daily Sara White is editor of Business & Accountancy Daily...

The number of ‘zero deposit’ residential mortgages taken out increased 32% in 2024 to 622, up from 470 in 2023*, says chartered accountants and business advisers Lubbock Fine. The total value of these 100% loan to value mortgages was £197 million in 2024.‘Zero deposit’ or 100% mortgages are loans where the value borrowed matches the value of the property being purchased. These products are primarily designed for individuals who haven’t been able to save enough to pay a deposit.Loans where the value borrowed matched or exceeded the property value were popular before the Global Financial Crisis – with Northern Rock notorious for offering 125% mortgages. The value borrowed under these 100% LTV mortgages is typically capped at 4.5 times the applicant’s annual salary. To reduce risk, lenders require a guarantor – usually a family member – for the loan.Andy Noton, Partner at Lubbock Fine, says demand for these products has grown steadily in recent years, driven by the cost-of-living crisis and rising house prices. He adds that the recent increase in zero deposit mortgages suggests more young and low-income buyers are relying on them to access home ownership.Says Andy Noton: “Sluggish wage growth and high house prices have made zero deposit mortgages an attractive option for people looking to get on the property ladder.”“Practically all these loans will be to first time buyers who aren’t able to save large cash sums for traditional mortgage products and can’t rely on the Bank of Mum and Dad for a deposit.”. Zero deposit mortgages are nevertheless risky productsNoton warns zero deposit mortgages still carry risks for buyers