17th December, 2020, Stephenson Smart
Stephenson Smart accountants has introduced Associate Directors for the first time in a history that spans more than 100 years.
Alex Salmon and Kerry Williams, who are based in East Coast House at Beacon Park in Gorleston, were offered the new roles prior to the emergence of Covid 19 and assumed the positions during the first nationwide lockdown to provide extra support for concerned businesses in the wake of the virus.
Alex, 32, a Chartered Accountant, is supporting Great Yarmouth office Partner Henry Pettitt, while Kerry, 29, a Chartered Tax Advisor, is advising on a broad range of complex tax topics across the company’s six offices as a tax specialist.
Their appointments come as the firm marks 100 years since opening the first office in King’s Lynn, and five years since Stephenson Smart became established in Great Yarmouth, following former office owner, BDO’s, exit from the area.
Alex, who lives in Lowestoft, gained his ACA qualification in 2014 and worked for BDO before the Great Yarmouth office was transferred to Stephenson Smart in April 2015. Kerry qualified as a Chartered Accountant in August 2017 and became a Chartered Tax Advisor in January 2019.
"It has been an extremely difficult time for many of our clients and it is key for them to know that we are here to provide support," said Alex.
"Kerry and I are very proud to take up our new positions. Our aim is to support and help clients through many difficult transitions and processes, from redundancy to business start-ups and recovery.
"The number of referrals has really grown over the five years we have been operating from Great Yarmouth, we have 26 developing trainees across the company and now is the time to really drive the business forward when people need us the most."
Kerry guides clients through capital allowance and research and development claims to ensure maximum tax relief is obtained and informs them of any pending tax changes to assist with tax planning, such as the new Capital Gains tax for the disposal of residential property.
She said: "Part of my remit is advisory work on both an internal and external level. I assist colleagues with any queries they have, while supporting our clients with tax questions and planning opportunities on a broad range of topics, from inheritance tax to succession planning and corporate restructures.
"I also deal with all of the tax returns for our clients here in the Great Yarmouth office, which I really enjoy and will still undertake," she said.
Henry Pettitt, partner at the office, said the addition of two Associate Directors for the company was testament to the considerable growth of the branch and the talent available in the company.
"We were the sixth office of Stephenson Smart to open this time five years ago and to date we have a workforce of 21, 10 are trainees and 11 are under the age of 30.
"We have worked hard to build up a team of accountants, who are experienced in a multitude of areas. Alex and Kerry are extremely dedicated, have a thorough knowledge of the industry and are the perfect candidates to fill these two fresh roles.
"It is a very challenging time for all at the moment and we have made sure information about all of the government support for businesses has been made available for viewing on our website and across social media, as well as making more personal contact with clients who either request our involvement or we believe could benefit from our expertise."
