The firm has announced the appointment of Graeme Robertson as Senior Manager in their specialist joint venture and contact audit business, John F Daly Associates. In this role, Graeme becomes a key member of AAB’s specialist Upstream Oil & Gas team.

Graeme has a wealth of experience in joint venture and contract audit, due diligence and risk and cost simplification projects. He joins from Spirit Energy where he was a senior member of the E&P Finance Team with input into key change projects and the identification and management of commercial and supply chain exposures. Most recently, he held a Finance Partner role for one of the company’s flagship assets, liaising between Asset and Finance teams as a member of the Asset Director Leadership team.

Ian McPherson, Head of Upstream Oil & Gas at AAB commented “Graeme is a fantastic addition to our Upstream Oil & Gas team. We have built considerable upstream expertise across our business and his experience adds a new dimension to our team which will bring huge benefit to our clients, particularly across our increasing number of specialist projects. I have no doubt that with Graeme on board we will continue to grow our market share in E&P as we work in partnership with E&P companies on some very exciting opportunities across the globe.”

On his appointment Graeme added “I am delighted to be joining AAB at a time of considerable growth and look forward to the challenges and opportunities which await as a result. I am really impressed by the consistent recognition of AAB being a great place to work along with the strong emphasis of its people giving back to the community. In addition, the specialist Upstream Oil & Gas service team are undertaking some tremendous projects and I look forward to working with my new colleagues to accelerate the firm’s growth in that space.”

Pictured (from left to right): AAB’s Senior Upstream Oil & Gas Team – John Black, Graeme Robertson, Ian McPherson and Alasdair Green

AAB are delighted to announce that Partner Steven Fraser has been name in The Reward 300. This prestigious index celebrates professionals who are uniquely influential within payroll, HR, employee benefits & workplace pensions and is chosen by a panel of experts from Reward Strategy Magazine (Formally Payroll World Magazine). Steven was also named in the 2017 list.

Commenting on this recognition, Steven said “I am extremely proud to have been selected as a member of the Reward 300. However, the recognition received is truly for the effort and ability of everyone in our team, not just me. Our service offering is delivered by a team approach, so it is fantastic to see us being featured among some big names in the reward and pay arena by being selected for this list and the achievement is as a great testament to the services we offer in the pay and reward space.”

Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP (AAB), one of the UK’s leading independent firms of Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors, has announced its arrival in Edinburgh with plans to create 100 jobs in the capital within three years, with a quarter of those positions already filled.

AAB’s move to Edinburgh is pivotal to delivering the firm’s growth strategy to double revenues across the group to £40m. The firm’s specialist tax, corporate finance, wealth management and consulting teams have led the charge with over 20 recruits including 9 key senior appointments – Kevin Meaney (tax), Lyn Calder (corporate finance), Fraser Porter (wealth management), Bill Kane, Lesley Fordyce, Mark Bell, Alex Matthews and Brian Mooney (all consulting), along with Ricky Cowan, the firm’s new business development director – demonstrating the firm’s significant commitment to Edinburgh. Further moves include the establishment of a team to deliver outsourcing and cloud accounting services.

From 1 June AAB’s Edinburgh team will be based at 1 Lochrin Square in Fountainbridge, the heart of the city’s “digital corridor”. The firm has been building its presence in Edinburgh over the last 6 months but considerable growth, allied to a number of very significant client wins, and the further recruitment of key senior individuals, prompted AAB to move to 1 Lochrin Square.

Commenting on the Edinburgh move, Managing Partner Graeme Allan said “We have always worked with clients in the Central Belt and have been considering our market entry strategy for the last 12 months as part of our growth plan. The decision to move into Edinburgh is incredibly exciting as we look to create 100 new jobs and deliver 20% of our group revenue from Edinburgh within three years. These are ambitious targets but ones which we feel we can deliver on with the immense quality of the team we have already established in Edinburgh.

1 Lochrin Square is a natural fit for us being a very vibrant and collaborative office, offering an all-round inspirational environment to work in. The location itself is ideal for us and our clients with our entrepreneurial culture and growing client base in the technology sector.”

Ricky Cowan, Business Development Director, added “The new Edinburgh team are massively enthusiastic about being at the heart of the next stage of the firm’s development. We look forward to capitalising on the numerous opportunities which we shall be actively pursuing and establishing AAB as the go-to firm for accountancy and business advisory services in the Central Belt. The growth we have achieved in the last 6 months has been outstanding and we are looking forward to continuing this pattern as we further develop and strengthen our team and service offering; providing clients with an unrivalled, first-class service and expertise. We very much look forward to welcoming clients and contacts to our new offices at 1 Lochrin Square over the coming weeks and months.”

The firm has announced the appointment of Lyn Calder as Corporate Finance Partner.

Lyn, a Chartered Accountant, has worked within this specialist area for almost 20 years within both lead advisory and banking, most recently, with Johnston Carmichael’s Corporate Finance team in Glasgow. In particular, her experience includes all forms of deal execution including acquisitions, disposals, MBO’s & MBI’s, debt and equity fundraising, financial due diligence and valuations. Having advised clients in a wide variety of sectors, Lyn has significant expertise across food and drink, technology, engineering, support services, professional services and IT.

Graeme Allan, Managing Partner commented “We are delighted to welcome Lyn to the firm and have her join our growing team in Edinburgh. She brings a wealth of knowledge and varied experience within the corporate finance arena in the Central Belt which further adds to our ability to provide a fantastic service to our clients.”

On her appointment, Lyn added “I am very pleased to be joining AAB and it is exciting to now be part of the top team of dealmakers in Scotland*. I look forward to being able to play a part in further developing our corporate finance offering and enhancing the presence of the team in the Central Belt and beyond.”

*Based on AAB being the accounting firm top of the Scottish Business Insider deal tables for 13 consecutive years from 2005-2017.

The firm has announced the appointment of Ricky Cowan as Business Development Director.

Ricky brings extensive knowledge and experience within the professional services arena and a wealth of business development experience to AAB. Most recently Ricky was Business Development Director at legal firm Gilson Gray, whom he joined during the start-up phase, a role which has seen him be accredited for his contribution to the rapid growth of the firm across the Central Belt.

Douglas Martin, Head of Growth at AAB, commented “Ricky is an excellent addition to our senior leadership team at AAB, and brings an in-depth knowledge of the Edinburgh business community gathered over the years which will complement the growing portfolio of AAB clients and contacts in the Central Belt. He will spearhead the pursuit of new business development opportunities across the firm which will be key to deliver on our growth aspirations as we continue to grow our presence across the UK, and indeed internationally with our ever increasing number of clients operating across the globe.”

On his appointment, Ricky added “I am delighted to join such an ambitious and forward thinking firm at what is an incredibly exciting time. There are a huge number of growth opportunities available to us and I look forward to forging relationships with both private and commercial clients in introducing AAB’s capabilities across the length and breadth of Scotland and beyond.”

Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP (AAB), one of the UK’s leading firms of Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors, has announced that the firm has secured position 12 on Best Companies to Work for in Scotland 2018 list.

AAB’s position on this list was achieved as a result of feedback from AAB employee’s responses to the Best Companies engagement survey, which examines the ins-and-outs of company life and reveals how employees really perceive their work environment. Earlier this year AAB announced that as of 2018 the firm has been a Best Company for eleven consecutive years, and also secured a place on The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies To Work For List for three consecutive years. This regional list, represents the 50 organisations with the highest Regional Best Companies Index (RBCI) scores. According to Best Companies, RBCI is the most “rigorous way of measuring engagement” by using the employee’s responses to the Best Companies b-Heard Survey.

Karen Stewart, Chief Human Resources Officer at AAB commented “We are incredibly proud to be 12th on the Best Companies to Work for in Scotland list. We were delighted to hear the news earlier in the year that we were again a Best Company to Work For and again on The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies To Work For List, and this new regional listing has now added a further dimension to these achievements. What is most rewarding about these accolades is that they are given purely because of our staff and how they feel about life at AAB and so it is humbling to know that we have created a firm where people are genuinely happy, engaged and feel valued.”

Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP (AAB), one of the UK’s leading firms of Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors, has secured local luxury fashion brand Aphrodite x Venus Limited (AxV) a six figure equity investment. The funding secured will aid in the continued development of the product range and help establish the brand worldwide.

AxV, founded and run by Daniel Crozier, designs and manufactures women’s luxury demi-couture evening and bridal clothing. The business began in Aberdeen and all key operations, such as product design, manufacturing and garment finishing still take place in the city. Daniel himself studied locally, graduating with a BA (Hons) degree in Fashion Design from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen. He then went on to join the design team at renowned New York City couturiers Marchesa, where he assisted with the design and construction of luxury garments for various couture and bridal collections, private clients and celebrities including Beyoncé, Kate Beckinsale, Charlize Theron, Rihanna, Sandra Bullock and First Lady Michelle Obama, before then coming back to Aberdeen to start AxV.

Brian McMurray and Stuart Cooper of AAB’s Corporate Finance team worked with Daniel, delivering fundraising advice, sourcing potential investors and ultimately securing the desired investment to facilitate in the expansion and development of this local brand.

Brian McMurray, Head of Equity Finance commented, “We are delighted to have secured Daniel and his business the investment needed to accelerate the growth of AxV. Over the past few years we have seen an increase in clients enquiring about fundraising advice; this, along with our long standing relationships with high net worth individuals, venture capital and private equity investors, means we are becoming a go-to firm for helping businesses grow. Having worked closely with Daniel to secure this fund, we look forward to continuing our relationship and supporting AxV to become an established and successful Scottish business reaching clients worldwide.”

Daniel added “I am thrilled to have secured this significant investment into AxV, and wish to pay thanks to Brian and Stuart at AAB for their hard work and support throughout the process. After several years planning, it is with great satisfaction that I now look to create a collection of exquisite garments and develop the AxV brand on a global scale.”

The Partners are delighted to announce the promotion of Callum Gray to Director, as well as the promotion of five members of their Management Team to Senior Manager positions.

Callum has extensive experience in the corporate finance arena, where his focus is on the delivery and execution of M&A transactions with a specific focus on deal initiation activities.

Charlotte Stewart is an employment tax specialist with both UK and international clients across a variety of industries. She is also a key member of the firm’s Global Mobility team.

Heather Brown is a member of the firm’s Audit team. She is responsible for audit engagements across a number of industries, with clients ranging from owner managed businesses to international groups and private equity backed companies.

Laura Campbell trained and qualified with the firm before joining the HR team as Training and Development Manager where she is responsible for students undertaking professional qualifications with the firm.

Andrew Blair is a corporate tax specialist with a particular focus on the innovations tax arena – assisting companies to gain tax savings through successful R&D claims and Patent Box reliefs.

Ian Campbell is a Chartered Financial Planner at AAB Wealth. He has significant financial planning experience and helps clients navigate the complex world of investment and wealth management.

Graeme Allan commented “these promotions demonstrate the broad range of specialist skills we continue to develop within AAB as we respond to client demand for our services. As well as this, the strength of our senior team is key to the continued growth and development of our firm and our ability to deliver a first class service to our clients both in the UK and across the globe.”

Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP (AAB) has announced the promotion of three new Partners; Steven Fraser, Brian McMurray and Kevin Meaney.

Steven is Head of Payroll & Employment Taxes at AAB, specialising in global employment tax and social security compliance and planning matters for both UK and International clients who face ever changing legislation and reporting requirements.

Brian has a wealth of knowledge and experience across all areas of Corporate Finance, however as Head of Equity Funding he has specialised in delivering fundraising projects across a broad spectrum of industries including the technology, oil & gas and food & drink sectors. Brian divides his time between the firm’s Aberdeen and Edinburgh offices.

Kevin is a tax specialist with his key area of expertise being the provision of tax planning and structuring advice to an entrepreneurial client base across areas such as EIS, entrepreneurs relief, M&A transactions, corporate restructurings and demergers. Kevin is based in the firm’s Edinburgh office.

Graeme Allan, Managing Partner commented “Each of these partner promotions are thoroughly well deserved and are as a result of the significant contributions each of these individuals have made in their respective teams and across a number of the firm’s key growth initiatives. It is an exciting time at AAB as we continue to develop and grow our firm, whilst also expanding our operations into new locations. Appointments and promotions like these will ensure that as we continue to grow, we also continue to strengthen the delivery of the very best client service and are able to tailor our approach to client needs, wherever they are in the world.”

Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP (AAB), one of the UK’s leading firms of Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors, has announced the appointment of Brian McMurray as Head of Equity Funding. Brian brings together AAB’s extensive experience of delivering equity fundraising projects across a broad spectrum of industries including the technology, oil & gas and food & drink sectors.

Brian’s appointment follows a period of significant growth for AAB in delivering equity funding for privately owned companies aligned to their business needs. This follows an increase in enquiries and demand for fundraising advice over the past year as we develop a growing reputation for delivering growth capital for clients across the UK.

Douglas Martin, Head of Corporate Finance at AAB commented “in the last 6 months we have worked with both new and existing clients to help them raise required equity funding to grow and develop their businesses. By introducing Brian to this new role we are confident that our success and reputation in the market will continue to grow. His focus and expertise will be invaluable as we strive to be the go-to firm for growing businesses looking to raise funding.”

Commenting on his appointment, Brian said “we work with clients on a number of fundraising initiatives, whether it be for organic or acquisitive growth, working capital purposes, or an equity investment to unlock the value held by existing shareholders. This comprehensive knowledge, coupled with our long standing relationships with a number of high net worth individuals, venture capital and private equity investors, enables us to work with our clients throughout their entire lifecycle and ultimately assist them in achieving their goals. Helping to support our clients both now and in the future is hugely important to us at AAB and so we look forward to developing our growing reputation in this space further.”