Private Client Trust Specialist

Cooper Parry Wealth appoints Scotland relationship partner. Darren Lees will work alongside the firm's existing tax and advisory teams No spam Unsubscribe anytime Want unlimited access? View Plans Cooper Parry Wealth has announced the appointment of Darren Lees as its first dedicated relationship partner in Scotland to support its national expansion strategy. Lees joins with more than a decade of experience advising entrepreneurs and business owners. He will work alongside the firm's existing tax and advisory teams, which have grown to nearly 100 people in Scotland over the past year. The firm plans to expand nationally through strategic investment, acquisitions and deeper integration with its wider business. Scotland has been identified as a key growth market for the firm. David Kendrick, managing director of Cooper Parry, said: "When Accountancy Group set out its growth plans, Accountancy Group made it clear Accountancy Group would invest in the people and regions that matter most to its clients. Scotland is a hugely important market for Accountancy Group and Darren's appointment is a significant milestone in that journey. "We're building a long-term presence, bringing together wealth planning with the wider expertise that exists across Cooper Parry. Darren's experience, reputation and understanding of the Scottish market make him the ideal person to help us deepen relationships and drive the next phase of our growth." Lees added: "My experience has always centred on building long-term relationships with clients, so it felt like a natural fit. Cooper Parry has already built an exceptional business with the expertise, investment and collaborative approach needed to support clients in a truly joined-up way. "I'm excited to help grow that presence across Scotland, introducing more people to what makes the business different while building on the strong foundations already in place." Published: 1h ago

Facing Tomorrow's Challenges: AI, cyber risk & business transformation tips for CFOs. 17 June '26 "If you were building your business today, would it look the same?" That was the defining question posed to senior finance and business leaders at Cooper Parry's Facing Tomorrow's Challenges event, which brought together senior business and finance leaders at its Reading hub. Hosted jointly with Richard Alborough of Savant there were some key messages that stood out when it comes to finance, tax, AI and cyber: The biggest risk facing businesses today isn't change - it's failing to adapt to it and having the right people in pace to manage that change. For owners, CFOs and senior leaders, that means stepping beyond stewardship and into something far more strategic: owning the future of the business. Regulatory change is reshaping the financial reality. As Mark Newbold (Audit Partner at Cooper Parry) shared, the incoming FRS 102 changes will materially reshape how businesses look, perform and are perceived. What's changing: * Revenue recognition is becoming more structured and judgement-led * Lease accounting will bring significant liabilities onto the balance sheet * Financial outputs will shift - even if underlying performance hasn't The commercial impact: * Debt levels may appear to increase * Profit profiles will change over time * Banking covenants and KPIs could be affected Here, leaders who are ready for tomorrow's challenges will act early: stress-testing forecasts, engaging stakeholders and resetting expectations now - rather than scrambling at year-end. Growth Decisions: Getting the structure right early. Matt Appleton (Tax Partner at Cooper Parry) told Cooper Parry Group Limited that when it comes to making an investment, it's preferable to consider the best route upfront, to ensure the tax position is optimised and risks are mitigated. Considerations include: How should the investment be structured - e.g. acquisition of shares or trade/assets; By whom should the investment be made; How should the investment be funded; What are the implications on any future exit strategy. Investment could relate not just to acquisitions but spend in areas where there may be tax breaks - such as R&D and capital allowances - which should also be carefully considered. The key here is that tax is complex, the presentation only scratched the service and that advice should be sought at an early stage. AI is shifting from experimentation to reinvention. Despite the seemingly never-ending AI noise, Mark Lockton (Partner at Cooper Parry Digital) & CEO at embracent said most organisations today are still: * Experimenting with tools like ChatGPT or Copilot * Using AI for basic productivity gains * Testing early use cases That means: * AI maturity is still relatively low across the market * Adoption is often driven by FOMO rather than strategy * Most value is currently in incremental efficiency But this is about to change. What's next: * Agentic AI running workflows autonomously * Real-time interrogation of business data * Automation across finance, HR and operations The shift is from optimisation to reinvention. And it's happening right now. The biggest risk? Standing still. Many organisations are holding back: * "We don't know where this will land" * "The technology is moving too fast" * "We might invest in the wrong solution" But inaction isn't neutral. In a rapidly evolving landscape, waiting is falling behind. Future-ready organisations: * Take a test-and-learn approach to AI * Treat investment like R&D, not fixed CapEx * Focus on outcomes rather than perfect business cases The CFO must stay front and centre. A clear warning emerged from the panel: If finance doesn't lead the AI and technology agenda, someone else will. Cooper Parry Group Limited is already seeing: * COOs or tech teams building forecasting tools * Finance processes being shaped outside finance * Data ownership becoming fragmented That creates a loss of influence. Future-ready CFOs take control of: * Data strategy * Systems and platforms * Forecasting and decision-making tools * AI adoption and governance Because once that ground is lost, it's hard to regain. AI adoption is also a control issue. There's a growing, often overlooked risk: * Teams using public AI tools with sensitive financial data * External stakeholders analysing business data through AI * Information being unintentionally shared or exposed Without guardrails, AI can create as much risk as opportunity. Future-ready organisations: * Use enterprise-grade AI tools with proper controls * Define clear policies on what can and can't be shared * Ensure data isn't used to train external models Don't just buy AI - build a strategy. One of the biggest pitfalls today is "point solution overload": * Buying tools to fix individual problems * Investing in tech that becomes obsolete within months * Relying on providers without understanding long-term risk Future-ready organisations take a different approach: * Anchor around core platforms (ERP, CRM) * Let those ecosystems drive AI adoption where possible * Build internal capability to evaluate and test new tools Many are now: * Creating internal AI labs (even small ones) * Developing technology roadmaps * Building organisational "muscle" for continuous change Data is the foundation of everything. Across every session, one truth remained constant: without good data, none of this works. Poor data leads to: * Weak AI outputs * Slow, reactive decisions * Increased risk Strong data enables: * Real-time insight * Better decision-making * Meaningful AI transformation Cyber risk is accelerating - and AI is amplifying it. As AI transforms businesses, it's also transforming threats, as explained by Lisa Dargan, CEO at URM Consulting Services. Key risks include: * More sophisticated phishing and social engineering * AI-driven attacks targeting finance teams * Increased ransomware activity * Greater exposure as data becomes more centralised Finance teams are particularly vulnerable: * High transaction volume * Frequent payment changes * Constant pressure and time constraints Cyber security has gone beyond being an IT issue. Now, it's a board-level, business survival priority. Preparedness is what separates resilience from failure. Preparation is the biggest difference between organisations that recover quickly and those that don't. Future-ready organisations: * Train their people (especially finance teams) * Run phishing simulations * Understand their cyber exposure * Build and test incident response plans Because when attacks happen, the response - not the breach - determines the outcome. What does future-ready leadership look like? It's about anticipating change. Designing growth with long-term flexibility. Owning AI, data and technology decisions. Treating cyber risk as a board-level issue. Building internal capability, not just buying solutions. And acting early - even without perfect clarity. As Richard from Savant explained one of the biggest challenges is that the talent pool remains extremely shallow. When organisations go to market looking for finance professionals who have genuine experience of applying AI within a finance environment, the available pool is currently very limited. There's a lot of interest, but relatively few individuals who have had the opportunity to develop meaningful practical experience. At the moment many professionals are experimenting with readily available tools such as Claude and other AI platforms. Whilst these have potential there are concerns around governance, accuracy and risk. In six months' time it's likely that the landscape will look very different. Things are moving at pace. At the moment, there's still an element of exploration and uncertainty. But that's also what makes this such an interesting area for finance leaders to navigate. Watch this space. This topic will continue to provoke conversations. Thank you to all its speakers and attendees for a fascinating morning. If you'd like to find out how Cooper Parry can help you face tomorrow's challenges, please get in touch.