Gwilliam has been a partner with Baker Tilly for 17 years and for the last four years was the regional managing partner for the London region. Following Baker Tilly’s decision to join the RSM International network in April, he has also been appointed to the network’s European regional advisory council and leadership team.

Also at the mid-tier firm, Kevin Duffy has been named as head of Lancashire, based at Baker Tilly's flagship regional office in Preston. Duffy has been with Baker Tilly and its predecessor firm RSM Tenon since 2003, working as an audit partner focusing on SMEs and entrepreneurial businesses in Lancashire and the North West region. In his new role, Duffy will oversee the firm’s strategy to double the size of its business in Lancashire over the next three years.

The Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA) has appointed Jeff Longhurst as its new chief executive. Longhurst, who was ABFA’s chairman from 2006 to 2007, rejoins from invoice discounter Gener8 Finance and was previously managing director of Credit Agricole Commercial Finance.

KPMG has appointed Steve Labrum as a partner in its UK transfer pricing team. Labrum has over 15 years of transfer pricing experience, spread across a range of industries but with a particular focus on financial services. He was previously global head of transfer pricing at Alvarez and Marsal and was also one of four founding members of EY’s UK transfer pricing practice.  He has also held senior roles at Deloitte and PwC and within investment banking.

The American Institute of CPAS has named Thomas Groskopf as the new technical director for the AICPA Center for Plain English Accounting (CPEA), a resource hub for local and regional CPA firms seeking detailed, clearly explained guidance on complex accounting and assurance issues. Groskopf is a CPA with Barnes, Dennig & Co, a regional firm with offices in Ohio and Kentucky, and a nationally known authority on these topics.

Jonathan Geldart, Grant Thornton’s executive director: markets development, has been honoured for second time for services to the Chinese accounting profession, with a special award from the Greater China ICAEW. Geldart was appointed by the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CICPA) as international advisor on brands in 2013 and is co-author of The Thoughts of Chairman Now, a collection of interviews and thoughts from some of the top Chinese leaders, providing insights and points to consider when doing business with or in China.

The Investment Management Association (IMA) is to merge with the Investment Affairs division of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to create a trade body to be called The Investment Association, with effect from the beginning of 2015. Helena Morrissey, CEO of Newton Investment Management, is to become the new chairman, replacing the existing chairman of the IMA, Douglas Ferrans, who steps down after four and a half years in the role.

Larking Gowen, has promoted Steven Burgess to the position of audit manager in its Ipswich office. As a trainee, Burgess originally joined local firm Manning & Girling which was subsequently taken over by Larking Gowen in 2006.