Hwuason is pleased to announce 2 new tax hires. On 9 October 2009 Ms [private]Gloria Tang joined its Beijing office. Ms Tang, experienced in all aspects of Chinese taxation, previously worked in the Taxation Services, of Price Waterhouse & Coopers (PWC). Gloria’s practice primarily involves providing enterprises and individuals with professional advice on income tax.
The acquisition of Ms Tang continues Hwuason’s impressive growth in the tax services market in China and its commitment to providing an alternative to the “big four” accounting firms in terms of value and quality of work. Ms Tang will join Hwuason’s International Tax Services team that has expanded as a result of the uptake in outbound investment in China.
Matthew McKee, an Australian qualified lawyer with expertise in Australian and international corporate taxation, has also joined Hwuason’s International Tax Services team in its Beijing office.
Prior to joining Hwuason, Mr McKee worked as a Foreign Legal Counsel at Lehman, Lee & Xu’s Beijing office for a number of years where he worked in the Corporate Taxation team. Mr McKee’s practice primarily involves advising foreign and domestic clients on a wide variety of corporate tax issues, with a focus on Australia and China international taxation.[/private]
The Chartered Institute of Taxation has recognised seven elder statesmen of the industry who have been CIOT members for 50 years, presenting them with certificates of merit at a prestigious ceremony at the Guildhall in the City of London.
The award took place as part of the CIOT’s twice yearly admissions ceremony, which will also include the welcoming of 52 new Chartered Tax Advisers (CTAs).
The new members and 50 year veterans were presented with their certificates by CIOT President Andrew Hubbard.
Andrew Hubbard said:
“I am delighted to be able to honour the contribution made by these veteran tax professionals.
“They have seen huge changes in taxation since they joined the Institute. Back in 1959 there was no capital gains tax, corporation tax or VAT. Total tax receipts were less than £10 billion compared to more than £500 billion today.
“The Institute itself was a lot smaller too, with only 3,000 members compared with almost 15,000 today. The Institute’s third branch opened that year, in Birmingham. Now we have 35 branches, from the west country to Scotland, and even in Australia and the far East. And of course we now have our Royal Charter, which we received in 1994.
The seven veteran members of the CIOT who will receive certificates of merit from CIOT President Andrew Hubbard at the Guildhall are:[private]
Sahib Azhar of London
Ronald Cronin of Banstead, Surrey
Colin Dyson of Ashburton, Devon
Paul Greeley of Purley, Surrey
Peter Grosvenor of Somerton, Somerset
Neville Joseph of Wendover, Buckinghamshire
Ralph Ray of Lichfield, Staffordshire[/private]
Aviva plc (“Aviva”) has announced the appointment of Patrick Regan as chief financial officer (CFO). Patrick will join Aviva during February 2010 and will become a member of the group board.
Patrick is currently group chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Willis Group Holdings (“Willis”), the global insurance broker. Patrick joined Willis as CFO in 2006 and took on the additional responsibilities of COO last year. He recently established Willis Capital Markets & Advisory and is chairman of that business.
Patrick has deep experience of the financial services sector gained in both the UK and USA over 21 years. His previous roles include group financial controller at RSA and finance & claims director, UK general insurance for AXA. He has also held senior finance roles at GE and specialised in corporate finance and investigations at Grant Thornton.
Andrew Moss, group chief executive commented: “I’m delighted that Pat will be joining my executive team. He has a deep understanding of the insurance business and a track record of leading change to improve financial performance and reporting. He brings a global perspective and a disciplined and highly strategic approach. These are key qualities as we seek to realise Aviva’s full potential and establish ourselves as a global group.”
Patrick Regan said: “I’m very excited to be joining Aviva at this key point in the group’s development as a global company. Aviva is a great company which has significant future potential. I’ve been very impressed by both the quality of the organisation and the people that I have met during this process, and I very much look forward to working with Andrew and his team.”
Patrick will succeed Philip Scott who steps down as executive director and chief financial officer of Aviva at the end of 2009, after a career spanning 36 years with the group.
International tax specialist[private] Doug Wibbing has joined Alvarez & Marsal Taxand,
LLC, a founding member of the first global network of the world’s leading
independent tax firms, as a managing director based in San Francisco.
Mr. Wibbing brings more than 15 years of international tax experience to the
firm, having worked on both inbound and outbound international tax issues, with
an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring planning, as
well as the structuring of cross-border financing arrangements.
“Doug brings an impressive background and an unwavering commitment to providing
the highest level of client service,” said Robert N. Lowe, Jr., CEO of A&M
Taxand. “His experience further strengthens our international capabilities and
we are delighted to welcome him to the firm.”
Prior to joining Alvarez & Marsal, Mr. Wibbing spent more than three years in
Brussels advising clients from a wide variety of industries on merger and
acquisitions planning and related cross-border financing techniques. Before
that, he served as a partner within the international tax services groups of
Deloitte and Ernst & Young.
Mr. Wibbing earned a bachelor`s degree in finance from California State
University, Fresno, as well as a master`s degree from San Joaquin College of Law
and a master`s degree in business administration from San Diego State
University. He is a certified public accountant in the state of California.
[/private]
About Alvarez & Marsal Taxand
Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), a leading
global professional services firm, is an independent tax group comprised of
experienced tax professionals dedicated to providing customized tax advice to
clients and investors across a broad range of industries. Its professionals
extend A&M`s commitment to offering clients a choice in advisers who are free
from audit-based conflicts of interest, and bring an unyielding commitment to
delivering responsive client service. Alvarez & Marsal Taxand has offices in
major metropolitan markets throughout the U.S., and serves the U.K. from its
base in London, England.
A founding member of Taxand, a global network of leading tax advisors from
independent member firms in nearly 50 countries, Alvarez & Marsal Taxand was
recently named Tax Restructuring Firm of the Year by International Tax Review as
part of its 2009 Americas Tax Awards.
Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, L.L.P. (CB&H), one of the largest regional public accounting and consulting firms headquartered in the Southeast, has announced the addition of[private] Dawn G. Patrick as a Tax Partner with the Firm.
A Certified Public Accountant with over 27 years of experience, Patrick joins CB&H as leader of the Firm’s Metro Atlanta Tax Practice. She will focus her practice serving the tax planning and compliance needs of public and private companies, primarily in the financial services and technology sectors.
In this new role, Patrick will direct tax department operations for the Metro Atlanta practice, including financial management, quality control, and client and personnel management. She will also serve on the leadership of CB&H’s Technology & Life Sciences industry group, as a member of the Firm’s Financial Institutions industry group, and as leader of the Firm’s INSOURCE™ Tax Stream Provision practice.
Prior to joining CB&H, Patrick spent 22 years in the tax service practices of Deloitte, and almost three years in a large Atlanta local firm working with companies ranging from startups to large, multinational corporations. She also previously served as a tax director with the multinational Intercontinental Hotels Group, where she managed the team responsible for corporate tax operations in the western hemisphere.
Patrick received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Auburn University. She is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in Georgia, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA).
The recipient of the 2009 Pathbuilders’ Inspiria Award for high-achieving women, Patrick currently serves on the board of the Technology Association of Georgia and is a past board chairman. She served as President of Women in Technology and a founding member of the Georgia CIO Leadership Association. She was nominated for Woman of the Year in Technology, and named one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Who’s Who in Technology in Atlanta.[/private]
Baker & McKenzie has elected [private]Raymundo Enriquez (Mexico City) to its Executive Committee.
Raymundo Enriquez
Enriquez was recently the Managing Partner of the Firm’s Mexico offices. He focuses on tax and antitrust and unfair trade practices. Enriquez joined the Firm’s Mexico City office in 1988.[/private]
Baker & McKenzie’s Executive Committee is the leadership body of the Firm. Its responsibilities include: developing and executing the Firm’s Strategy; client development and service; practice development; financial performance of the Firm; quality maintenance and improvement; external relations, marketing and communications strategy; and Partner relations.
Other members of the Committee include Peter Engstrom (San Francisco), Alan Harvey (Dallas), Jeremy Pitts (Tokyo) and Poh Lee Tan (Hong Kong).
Oxford based accountants, Critchleys, has hired [private]Tim Keeley as a partner of their new personal tax & trust consultancy division.
Tim was recently a tax director at Tenon in West London where he headed up their private client team.[/private]
NERA Economic Consulting, a leading global provider of economic research and
analysis in business, legal, and regulatory matters, has announced that[private]Takashi Asayama has joined as a Special Consultant in the firm`s Los Angeles
office.
Mr. Asayama, a transfer pricing and tax specialist, has broad expertise in the
economic analysis of international tax concerns for multinational Japanese
firms. Project work for Mr. Asayama`s clients has included numerous US Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) examinations, and bilateral and unilateral advanced
pricing agreement programs between the US IRS and the Japanese National Tax
Administration.
“Takashi`s perspective as an expert in transfer pricing strategies and his
significant contributions to beneficially resolving disputes between the US and
Japanese tax authorities are a welcome addition to NERA`s transfer pricing
expertise,” said Dr. Harlow Higinbotham, Senior Vice President and Head of
NERA`s Transfer Pricing Practice. “My colleagues and I are pleased that Takashi
has decided to join NERA`s Transfer Pricing team.”
Prior to joining NERA, Mr. Asayama was a Partner with Ernst & Young LLP`s
International Tax Department and a Partner in KPMG`s Tax Corporation in Tokyo.
In addition to his position at NERA, Mr. Asayama is the managing director of his
own consulting firm, Global Tax Advisory Office.
Mr. Asayama is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a degree in economics
from Yokohama National University of Japan.
[/private]
About NERA
NERA Economic Consulting (www.nera.com) is a global firm of experts dedicated to
applying economic, finance, and quantitative principles to complex business and
legal challenges. For nearly half a century, NERA’s economists have been
creating strategies, studies, reports, expert testimony, and policy
recommendations for government authorities and the world’s leading law firms and
corporations. We bring academic rigor, objectivity, and real world industry
experience to bear on issues arising from competition, regulation, public
policy, strategy, finance, and litigation.
