Ecovis Wingrave Yeats - Business Advisors

Partners

Kate Barekati

Partner

Kate leads the Media team at Ecovis Wingrave Yeats as an Audit and Advisory Partner. Kate is particularly passionate about supporting independent television production companies through high-growth periods but her experience spans across right across the sector, to include film, PR, digital agencies and from independent to large and more complex groups reporting under both FRS 102 and IFRS.

A regular at MIPCOM, Kate sits on the Finance Committee of Pact (Producers Alliance for Cinema & Television), providing feedback to Pact Council on its strategic plans. She also supports and advises growing production companies through her sponsorship and support of Indie Labs, a growth accelerator programme for TV companies, backed by the Mayor of London.

When not in and around her office in Soho, Kate is an active member of the ICAS Members in Practice Advisory Board and in her spare time enjoys renovating her home and travelling the world.

T. +44 (0) 207 317 6650
E. kate.barekati@ecovis.co.uk

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Gerry Collins

Partner

Gerry heads up the inbound start up work done in the practice, concentrating mainly on technology and financial services sector clients from the US, Ireland and mainland Europe. Gerry travels on a regular basis to the US, Ireland and throughout the EU. See ‘Entering the UK Market’.

Gerry joined the firm from a top 50 firm where he acted as relationship partner on a varied client portfolio. He previously worked for BDO for 10 years where he gained extensive experience from running a portfolio of corporate clients.

Gerry currently provides a broad range of outsourcing services to a portfolio of clients. These services include outsourcing of the accounting and reporting function and the provision of ad hoc advice as and when required.

Gerry heads up our service team working with online accounting in the restaurant and retail sectors.

He is also Co-Chair of the London Chapter of the Irish International Business Network, IIBN.

T. +44 (0) 207 317 6675
E. gerry.collins@ecovis.co.uk

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Christopher Jenkins

Partner

Christopher co-founded Ecovis Wingrave Yeats in 1983. He heads up the Media team at Ecovis and his speciality is strategic advice to Owner-Managed Businesses, how to manage growth and how change affects financial reporting systems and controls, people management, profitability and cash flow.

After qualifying with PwC in 1979, Christopher became a founder member of the firm’s small business unit and then spent two years in their Paris office working in audit and investigations. He left to work for the Vestey Family, where he was responsible for a portfolio of small trading companies. He then joined a wholesale international bookseller as managing director where he managed 40 people and a turnover of £10m.

Christopher has been a non-executive director of Think London and Financial Director of Soho House, Babington. He writes extensively for the business press and has been a regular contributor to Real Business and Growing Business magazines. He is (still) an oarsman, having rowed in the British Eight in the Junior World Championships in Italy in 1979. Nowadays gardening takes precedence but he is still Captain of Rowing at the Chelsea Arts Club.

He has been voted ‘Best Business Advisor of the Year’ by the CBI in their awards for Growing Businesses.

T. +44 (0) 207 495 2244
E. christopher.jenkins@ecovis.co.uk

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Stuart Hinds

Partner

Stuart is a Chartered Accountant with a Diploma in Corporate Finance and has worked in professional practice for 20 years dealing with a wide variety of businesses in a range of sectors. He has spent the last 10 years as an Audit Partner, the last 7 years at RSM/Baker Tilly acting for entrepreneurs, AIM listed companies, international groups, UK subsidiaries of overseas listed entities and private equity backed companies.

Stuart’s experience in compliance and advisory work means he is uniquely positioned to add significant value to clients as they grow their businesses.

E. stuart.hinds@ecovis.co.uk

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David Miles

Managing Partner

David is the Managing Partner at Ecovis Wingrave Yeats, focused on advising growth businesses and professional practices. He is an expert in strategy development, organisational effectiveness and strategy implementation.

Currently advising several private businesses on strategic growth challenges, including succession planning, grooming for sale, profit improvement and business strategy, much of David’s advisory work includes coaching and mentoring CEO’s, Managing Partners and Board Executives.

His approach with clients is inspirational and dynamic, often drawing on his in-depth knowledge of how businesses grow successfully. David has advised a number of the UK’s leading law firms and architects practices. He also works with several serial entrepreneurs, helping them with growth issues including leadership and management challenges.

He is a former Partner of BDO LLP (15 years), Baker Tilly and former founding Partner of Miles & Partners, a boutique advisory practice.

David also has hands-on MD experience from leading a hyper-growth Support services business and, more recently, from running a niche London Accounting Firm. His extensive practical experience of leadership has been supported by business education at both Wharton and Harvard in the USA.

David specialises in:

Strategy Consulting and Business Planning
Leadership support and Coaching
Succession Planning and Exit Strategies
Profit improvement and Turnaround
Facilitating Workshops, Retreats and Conferences

T. +44 (0) 783 165 0812
E. david.miles@ecovis.co.uk

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Robert McCann

Senior Partner

Robert became a partner with Ecovis Wingrave Yeats in 2003 and specialises in the provision of financial management outsourcing to a range of international and UK based clients. Robert’s client portfolio at Ecovis Wingrave Yeats includes the full range of capital markets clients. He also has a number of long standing international clients with pan-European operations, notably within the hospitality sector. Much of his work is referred to him by partners at the much larger international firms.

Robert is currently the elected Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Ecovis International.

He previously spent 11 years with PwC where he played a senior role in providing audit and accounting services to a portfolio of global businesses across a range of business sectors and industries. He also built up a portfolio of overseas banking clients in the UK, largely from developing markets.

While at PwC Robert also played a significant role in developing the firm’s practices in Central and Eastern Europe and was seconded to the region for a 5 year period. His responsibilities included the co-ordination and management of international assignments (including a number of privatisation initiatives within major industry sectors), the implementation of global procedures and risk management initiatives, staff training and development. He also led a prestigious assignment to convert Bulgarian accounting standards and banking regulations to international best practice.

Robert qualified as a chartered accountant in 1989 with a four-partner firm in Dublin.

Specialties: Accounting and reporting, UK GAAP and IFRS, Banking and Capital Markets; support to UK inbound investors, particularly from the US, in establishing their operations and in maintaining an outsourced finance function to support their business development.

T. +44 (0) 773 615 0163
E. robert.mccann@ecovis.co.uk

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Ben Smith

Partner

Ben is a Partner at Ecovis Wingrave Yeats, having joined the firm from PwC in 2006. In his time at Ecovis Ben has been heavily involved in the development of our Financial Services specialism and has been integral to the successful development and management of our Outsourced Accounting service line.

An ICAEW qualified accountant, Ben has also spent time in industry specialising in Insurance and Capital Markets, having also worked in France as an I.T Systems Analyst as part of his degree in Business Studies.

Ben’s client portfolio spans Financial Services, including all manner of FCA-regulated firms and structured finance vehicles. Aside from Financial Services Ben maintains a keen involvement in inbound investments to the UK, specifically excelling in accounting systems development and improvement.

Ben is a founding member of the Ecovis International Accounting Taskforce and is also our IT Partner.

T. +44 (0) 207 317 6655
E. ben.smith@ecovis.co.uk

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Chris Sparkes

Partner

Chris leads the Tax team at Ecovis Wingrave Yeats, having joined the firm from RSM in May 2017.

He has over 27 years’ experience in providing tax compliance and advisory services to businesses and their stakeholders, and his corporate tax experience covers UK and international tax advice to companies ranging from SMEs to large multinational groups.

Chris has advised clients from a wide range of sectors on tax matters relating to everything from start-ups to growth through acquisition, international expansion, share schemes, group reorganisations and reconstructions and exit planning. Chris has provided corporate and personal tax advice on M&A transactions for over 20 years, and focuses on providing integrated and holistic advice to businesses and their owners.

Chris has extensive experience of advising on tax issues associated with innovation, including the structuring of intellectual property rights, Patent Box claims and R&D claims. He also has a strong track record in advising clients within the Real Estate & Construction, Retail, Recruitment and Leisure & Tourism sectors.

T. +44 (0) 7789 397 660
E. chris.sparkes@ecovis.co.uk

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Our Team

Jamie Allen

Director of Online Services

Jamie has been working with ECOVIS Wingrave Yeats on our cloud accounting solution, ECOVIS Online, since 2011. As a consultant he has been instrumental in the migration of clients onto the Ecovis Online platform and regularly advises on ways to improve our internal processes to ensure we deliver the best possible service.

Jamie is now responsible for the growth and development of our platform, researching new systems to be included in the ECOVIS Online offering. Having a completely customisable product is key to providing clients with the ability and information needed to make critical business decisions, part of Jamie’s role is to make sure that we have the best tools available to service all scenarios.

T. +44 207 317 0958
E. jamie.allen@ecovis.co.uk

Roger Morgan

Director

Roger is Director of Tax at Ecovis Wingrave Yeats, having joined the firm in 2007.

He qualified with a local firm in Kent and then spent 12 years in the corporate and international tax departments at Deloitte & Touche and Grant Thornton. More recently, he has worked for a FTSE 250 company, providing advice to the company’s clients on a wide range of tax issues.

Although Roger specialises in corporate and international tax at Ecovis, he also advises in other tax areas.

T. +44 (0) 207 317 6671
E. roger.morgan@ecovis.co.uk

Reuben Barry

Head of Data Analytics

Reuben joined Ecovis Wingrave Yeats in September 2011 in the Business Advisory department. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in December 2014 and in that time worked on a variety of projects, from statutory audit and compliance to company valuations and business-readiness appraisals.

In May 2016, Reuben completed a 13-month secondment at FTSE 250 listed insurer Hastings Direct, becoming embedded in their Group Financial Reporting function in preparing the business for its IPO, and supporting its operations in the brave new public world in the months that followed. Since then Reuben has been pioneering the firm’s Data Analytics service offering. Allying his commercial experience with a background in Physics and a specialism in data mining applications, he is well placed to understand and identify both the business problems at hand and their analytical solutions.

Outside of the office, Reuben is a keen sportsman in any discipline that involves a ball. His current obsession lies on the golf course, for as much longer as he can bear the frustration.

T. +44 (0) 207 495 2244
E. reuben.barry@ecovis.co.uk

Michael Haig

Senior Manager

Michael joined Ecovis from a top twenty accounting firm having previously worked at KPMG and Grant Thornton where he qualified as a Chartered Tax Adviser.

In over twenty years in practice Michael has developed a wide experience of tax issues including tax planning for large groups and transactions, employee incentives and profit extraction.

Michael looks at tax issues from different points of view in order to deliver creative solutions that meet the needs of all stakeholders while respecting clients’ appetite for risk.

T. +44 (0) 207 495 2244
E. michael.haig@ecovis.co.uk

Philippa Carter

Senior Manager

Philippa joined Ecovis Wingrave Yeats in 2014 as a Business Advisory Manager. She is the Lead Manager in our Professional Services Industry sector group, focused on advising professional practices and managing the accounting, SAR and statutory audit and compliance work for our professional services clients.

She trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Baker Tilly, working in the audit and advisory department with David Miles. Philippa’s specialism in advising professional practices was particularly developed during 2014 when she spent 12 months working in Industry as Financial Controller of Fisher Meredith LLP, Solicitors.

T. +44 (0) 207 317 6699
E. philippa.carter@ecovis.co.uk

Emma Glancy

Practice Manager

T. +44 (0) 798 316 5431
E. emma.glancy@ecovis.co.uk

Gail Swinburn

Senior Manager

Gail is a senior tax manager at Ecovis. She specialises in personal tax and joined the firm in June 2013.

After obtaining a law degree from Liverpool University, she trained with Ernst & Young in her native Newcastle, providing UK tax compliance and advice to company directors, large partnerships and high net worth individuals. She also looked after the compliance requirements for the share scheme of a large plc, and later specialised in advising employees being sent to work abroad or coming to the UK, before joining a small firm in Oxford. The practice later merged with another Oxfordshire firm, and Gail progressed to Manager, overseeing the development and growth of the new private client tax department for the next six years.

Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, cinema and is an avid reader.

T. +44 (0) 207 317 0963
E. gail.swinburn@ecovis.co.uk

Ben Aspinall

Manager

Since joining Ecovis Wingrave Yeats in 2010, Ben has progressed to the position of Manager within our Financial Management Outsourcing department. Working with clients across all of our sector specialisms, Ben’s emphasis is on providing intuitive financial models to both fast-growing owner-managed businesses and large, established corporates.

Ben plays a lead role in our Financial Services team, particularly focussing on Asset Managers, FX Brokers and Structured Finance vehicles, providing a full suite of management accounting services including FCA regulatory support. He has also completed a seven month secondment to FTSE 250 listed insurer Hastings Direct, during which time he assisted the Group Finance function in steering the business through its IPO.

T. +44 (0) 207 317 6685
E. ben.aspinall@ecovis.co.uk

Emily-Jane Grice

Manager

Emily is a qualified ACCA accountant and has worked in our Financial Management Outsourcing department since 2005, during which time she has progressed to the position of team and Client Manager.

In her time at Ecovis Wingrave Yeats Emily has been heavily involved in the development of our outsourced service offering and deals with a large number of inbound investors to the UK. Her client portfolio is diverse and includes a number of substantial clients including Marriott European Holdings. Emily also has experience across a range of industry sectors including retail, property funds and technology specialism’s including Rynda, Bijou Brigitte, D&D Leasing, Hello Fresh and Jean Paul Gaultier.

T. +44 (0) 207 495 2244
E. emily-jayne.grice@ecovis.co.uk

Jessica Jewers

Manager

Since joining Ecovis Wingrave Yeats in 2010, Jessica has progressed to Manager within the Business Advisory department and has a client base that spans a variety of the firm specialist sectors. She holds considerable technical accounting expertise (UK GAAP, FRS 102 and IFRS) and is leading the transition from UK GAAP to FRS102 for a number of clients at Ecovis. During a seven month secondment at FTSE 250 listed insurer Hastings Direct, Jessica assisted the Group Financial Reporting function in steering the business through its IPO.

Aside from her regular client work, Jessica presents at the firm’s Tax and Accounting Technical Update seminar, leads internal training sessions on accounting changes for her colleagues, is part of the Ecovis media team and is a regular member of the firm’s netball team.

T. +44 (0) 207 317 6657
E. jessica.jewers@ecovis.co.uk

Louisa Oliver

Manager

Louisa worked at a Henry Bach & Co, a small central London firm of Accountants, for many years where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

When HB&CO merged with Ecovis Wingrave Yeats in March 2013 Louisa transferred to the tax department as a Manager where she continues to look after the tax and business affairs of her clients.

She is involved in all aspects of providing accountancy and tax services for small companies and individuals.

T. +44 (0) 207 317 6662
E. lousia.oliver@ecovis.co.uk

Rob Page

Manager

Rob graduated from the University of East Anglia in 2006 with a 1^st class degree in Accounting with Management. His career saw him train with PwC London for 3 years followed by another 3 years at Deloitte Cyprus in the Limassol office. In 2012 Rob joined Ecovis Wingrave Yeats where he is a Manager in our Business Advisory department.

Rob’s client portfolio has a focus towards the Financial Markets Sector with a large number of FCA regulated entities. However, a varied portfolio also includes clients ranging from a casino equipment manufacturer to a group of food manufacturing companies.

Outside of work Rob enjoys to be active, he is an avid gym goer and founder of the Ecovis Wingrave Yeats football team.

T. +44 (0) 207 317 0982
E. rob.page@ecovis.co.uk