Elaine Parr, a Senior Manager within our Audit & Accounting Department, has been awarded the Diploma in Charity Accounting (DChA) by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. Elaine obtained the diploma via the experience route which formally recognises expert knowledge of charity accounting and financial management within a strategic, policy and governance context.

Elaine leads the Charity Services team which comprises specialists from across the firm who provide the charity sector with solutions to meet their accounting, auditing, taxation, VAT, strategic and business planning, management information and trustee training needs.

Sponsors of The Robert Gordon University Best Final Year Student in Accounting and Finance BA (Hons), the 2012 prize has been awarded to Steven Massie.
Steven achieved a first class honours degree and has started work in practice, with a view to gaining his CA Qualification.
John Black, partner, said “We have sponsored this award, since its introduction in 1997, and continue to be impressed with the exceptionally high standard of candidates graduating from this course.”

Scottish Business Insider – Top dealmakers in Scotland 2011

We are delighted to announce that AAB has been recognised by the Scottish Business Insider as the top dealmakers in Scotland in 2011 for the 7th consecutive year (2005-2011), both in terms of deals initiated and deals completed. This is a fantastic accolade for the firm and reflects the contribution of a huge number of staff across the office who play a key part in the firm’s corporate finance activities. Please find attached the 2011 league tables.

Steve Warden of Grampian Police, husband of Jeni Warden, one of the firm’s senior managers, was chosen to represent the Scottish Police service at the Scottish Men’s Curling championships in Perth. The Scottish Police Service has never competed in this national competition before, but was deemed an excellent way to promote the Police service through sport and show a unity for the imminent merger of the current eight Scottish Police force areas.

The Scottish Police Curling Association has been in existence for 38 years and in it’s history no-one from four separate force areas have played together. As a result of this momentous occasion and high profile competition, Steve approached Mike Brown who he knows to be an accomplished curler to establish the likelihood of sponsorship for the team. Mike was kind enough to donate the team with four high quality soft-shell Stormtech jackets with A2+B embroidered on both sleeves, as well as the national Police Sport logo.

Mike Brown, Managing Partner said, “I am sure the team will echo the values that AAB brand stands for – high quality service delivery, keen but fair competition, great team spirit and a winning end result”.

Steve said, ” On behalf of the team I can’t thank the generosity of AAB enough, the team jackets are a real success and portray a very professional image whilst being worn on the ice. The partnership between the Scottish Police service and AAB will be seen on the national stage and I am sure the jackets will be well admired”.

Steve has also been known to play along with Jeni for the AAB curling team in the Aberdeen Finance League and between them have been known to play upto seven games a week at both Aberdeen and Forfar ice rinks.

The four players in the photograph are: PC Steve Warden (Grampian Police Dog Section), DS Dougie Telfer (Central Scotland CID), PC Quentin Russell(Lothian & Borders Roads Policing) and PC Graeme MacKenna (Northern Constabulary).

Roxburghe House is a specialist palliative care unit in Aberdeen where care concentrates on symptom control for patients with long-term illness. The multi-professional clinical team is committed to delivering care that ensures the best quality of life for the patient, to enable each patient to live as full a life as possible within the constraints of their illness and also to give support to carers and families.

The firm have been working closely with Roxburghe House all year to raise funds for the long awaited refurbishment of the family rooms there, a project which had slipped down their priority list, as funds raised by the charity were needed elsewhere.

Thanks to the commitment of the staff, they raised fully 50% more than the previous year, which was in no small way due to the efforts of the teams who completed the Baker Hughes run and the Monster Challenge, a gruelling 120km run and cycle relay around Loch Ness over some of the roughest and steepest terrains Scotland has to offer. However, as the saying goes, “every little helps” so from a Race Night to filling Smarties tubes with 20p pieces, cake sales and raffles, everyone contributed.

Mike Murray, Deputy Chairman of the charity commented, “We cannot thank Anderson Anderson & Brown enough for raising this amount for us which is truly remarkable, keeping in mind the current financial climate, and reflects great credit on all those involved. This will make a real difference to our patients and their families”.

For further information please contact Val Huggins – Tel 01224 625111 or val.huggins@aab.co.uk

The partners are delighted to announce the appointment of three new Directors. They are Gordon Steele in Corporate Finance along with Chris Masson and Ian McPherson in Audit.

The leadership role of Director is newly established within the business and they will play a significant role in assisting the partners in ensuring the firm’s continued success and progression. They will take a leading role in attracting and retaining clients, enhancing the firms competitive position and making the best use of the firm’s resources.

Gordon trained and qualified with the firm in audit and then joined the Corporate Finance team in 2004 and was promoted to Senior Manager in 2007. Gordon gets involved in all aspects of corporate finance work and has transacted over 100 deals. He also plays a significant role in the department’s development and has been key in the initiation and execution of a number of high profile and complex oil service deals.

Chris qualified in 2002 and was promoted to Senior Manager in 2007. He has responsibility for the provision of audit services to a large number of clients and has experience across a wide variety of sectors including oil service, construction, manufacturing and the motor trade. Chris has experience in auditing groups with foreign subsidiaries and the global co-ordination of audits of a number of international groups.

Ian, also a Senior Manager, has a wealth of experience in supporting clients experiencing rapid growth, particularly those undertaking international expansion. He has specialised in the Upstream and Oil Service sectors, advising a broad range of clients, including listed and private equity backed companies. In addition to audit and financial reporting his recent assignments include due diligence, IFRS conversions, purchase price allocations and bank refinancing.

Mike Brown commented, “By expanding our senior leadership team, through these appointments, we are confident that these new Directors will further strengthen our ability to deliver only the very best of client service. Each of these guys has had a strong focus on client service throughout their careers, building teams and international networks with a broad range of skills committed to helping their clients, and that is why they are Anderson Anderson & Brown’s first appointees to this new position of Director. We wish them well in what will be a new and very challenging role”.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Derek Mair as a Partner. Derek joined the firm, as a trainee in 1996 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1999, being promoted to senior manager in 2005. Derek has responsibility for the provision of audit, accounting and corporate services to a portfolio of the firms’ clients. These range from local owner managed businesses to international groups. Derek’s specialised experience includes financial due diligence and share valuation work.

Mike Brown, Managing Partner, commented, “It is particularly pleasing to see one of our trainees develop within the firm, culminating in his appointment as Partner. Looking to the future, Derek’s appointment means that we continue to be well placed to provide our clients with the high quality of service that they deserve.”

Anderson Anderson & Brown was formed in 1990 and, following a continuous period of substantial growth, now has 12 partners and over 160 staff. The firm has 6 key service areas namely; audit, accounting, taxation (personal, corporate, international and VAT), accounting and payroll outsourcing, corporate finance and management information solutions.

The Robert Gordon University Best Final Year Student in Accounting and Finance BA (Hons)

Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP, chartered accountants, sponsors of The Robert Gordon University Best Final Year Student in Accounting and Finance BA (Hons), has awarded the 2011 prize to Jennifer Cardno from Lonmay, Fraserburgh.

Jennifer, who plays the violin and enjoys walking and cycling in her spare time, achieved a first class honours degree and has also been awarded the ICAS Charles Scott prize.

John Black, partner, said “This is the 15th year we have sponsored this award, since its introduction, and continue to be impressed with the exceptionally high standard of candidates graduating from this course.”

Anderson Anderson and Brown LLP (“AAB”), Aberdeen’s largest independent firm of Chartered Accountants, is pleased to announce the launch of a new suite of Business Transformation services. AAB has an established track record of providing Strategic Planning and Development services to its clients and understands that Strategy sits at the heart of any thriving organisation and is critical to its continued success and future growth.

AAB’s newly created Strategy and Business Transformation business unit enhances the well established Strategy services by introducing a number of complimentary new Business Transformation services which are as follows:

– Project Management

– Requirements Gathering & Analysis

– Business Process Mapping & Improvement

– Customer Experience Definition & Improvement

– Change Management

The Strategy and Business Transformation offering will provide clients with a comprehensive range of services which can be tailored to meet their specific needs and provide support throughout the entire business lifecycle – from initial scoping and definition of Business Strategy through to implementation and delivery of Business Transformation projects to performance management and monitoring.

To support this new service offering, AAB are pleased to announce the appointment of Ciara Blackwood as Head of Strategy and Business Transformation. Ciara is an experienced Management Consultant, having previously worked for both Accenture and Serco Consulting on a variety of Customer Relationship Management and Business Transformation projects for a number of Multi-National Blue Chip clients. Most recently, Ciara spent 2 years as the Operational Delivery Manager for London Mayor Boris Johnson’s Barclays Cycle Hire scheme which launched to great acclaim in July 2010.

Mike Brown, Managing Partner, commented, “We are delighted to be launching a new suite of Business Transformation services to our clients and Ciara’s appointment brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this area. We have successfully been providing Strategic Planning and Development services to our clients for a number of years and by establishing and developing a complimentary range of Business Transformation services this will enable us to provide a wider service offering to our clients.”

For more details on AAB’s Strategy and Business Transformation service offering, contact Ciara Blackwood on 01224 62511 or at ciara.blackwood@aab.co.uk.

Notes:

Anderson Anderson & Brown was formed in 1990 and, following a continuous period of substantial growth, now has 12 partners and over 160 staff. The firm has 7 key service areas namely; audit, accounting, taxation (personal, corporate, international and VAT), accounting outsourcing (including payroll), corporate finance, management information solutions and fraud investigation.

Moira McMahon has joined the firm as Senior Manager in Taxation Services.

Moira, who is Chairman of the Scotland Branch of The Chartered Institute of Taxation, is also a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. She has considerable experience in a broad range of taxation matters, latterly as Senior Tax Manager in the Corporate Tax Department of BDO LLP in Glasgow. She will be concentrating on research & development tax reliefs, employee share incentives and not for profit organisations.

Gill Pryde, head of tax, commented “We are committed to providing exemplary service and tax advice to our clients and are delighted to welcome Moira, who brings further expertise to our corporate tax advisory team.”

Anderson Anderson & Brown was formed in 1990 and, following a continuous period of substantial growth, now has 12 partners and 160 staff. The firm has 6 key service areas namely; audit, accounting, taxation (personal, corporate, international and VAT), accounting outsourcing including payroll, management information solutions as well as corporate finance and strategy.