Senior Management Team

As well as leading a team operationally in their own business area day to day, they work as a group to use their wide-ranging skills and experience to deliver key strategic projects and initiatives for the network.
 

Digital Technology

Richard Washington - Head of Group Technology

After five years of working with one of the UK’s leading franchise consulting and recruitment companies, Richard joined TaxAssist in 2010, bringing with him a high level of technical knowledge in programming and database administration. Since joining, Richard has pushed forward the TaxAssist Accountants online presence, implementing a local website for each franchisee, rebuilding from scratch the TaxAssist Accountants Support Site and implementing a custom ticketing system for the Technical helpdesk. Richard is responsible for the relationship management with our recommended IT and partner, as well as for the continuing development of our global web-based systems. In January 2024 Richard was asked to join the Operational Board to share his IT and technology expertise and to help deliver a number of critical group projects. Richard's LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.

Software and Systems

Simon Hutchinson - Head of Group Business Intelligence

In April 2024 Simon Hutchinson was appointed to a new position of Head of Group Business Intelligence. Simon joined TaxAssist in 2016 as a Software Training Manager progressing to his most recent role as Head of Group Software and Systems role in 2022. Simon has been instrumental in the design, deployment and training of the TaxAssist software suite and played an integral role in a gap analysis project, software, contract design and negotiations.

Simon's role reflects the importance of utilising, standardising and structuring the data we have as a network, for the benefit of servicing clients and the network of TaxAssist Accountants. Simon works alongside his Support Centre colleagues, reporting on new sources of data internally within TaxAssist Accountants and other Group Companies.

 Simon's LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.

Training

Samantha Skyring FCCA, MAAT, ACIPP - Head of Group Learning and Development

Samantha qualified in 2014 with a medium sized firm of accountants in Norwich and developed strong relationships with her clients, helping them with bookkeeping, tax returns, payroll, accounts preparation and tax issues. Samantha joined the Technical Support Team in 2014 as a Technical Manager, assisted franchisees and their staff over the phone with technical queries, headed up training courses and undertook due diligence visits to franchisees. Samantha took up the role of Franchise Development Manager in 2017 and was then promoted to Group Training & Communications Manager in 2019 with responsibility for looking after all of the training needs for the network, alongside preparing client-facing technical marketing material.  Samantha's LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.

Practice Capabilities

Jo Nockels FCCA, FMAAT - Head of Group Practice Capabilities

Jo is AAT and ACCA qualified and before joining TaxAssist Accountants in 2010, looked after a range of clients in the small business sector at Larking Gowen.

Jo has held a range of roles at the Support Centre. Initially she was the Senior Training & Technical Communications Manager and worked alongside the Business Development team, to ensure communications to clients were accurate, timely, relevant and easy to understand. She then moved to managing the TaxAssist Accountants Training Academy, as well as delivering courses herself.

Jo was then promoted to Financial Controller and in 2022 to Head of Group Finance with responsibility for the day-to-day management and ongoing development of the group finance team and functions for the TaxAssist group of companies.

In 2024, Jo was promoted again to Head of Group Practice Capabilities, with a focus on supporting the growth of the network, utilisation of the software estate, best practices, efficiencies, productivity, profitability and staff recruitment and retention. Additionally, Jo has a focus on franchise resale values, customer acquisition and satisfaction levels, cross selling of services, as well as the design of new TaxAssist Academy courses. Jo's LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.

Technical

Andy Gibbs ATT, CTA - Director of Services

Andy is a qualified Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), holds the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trust and Estate Accounting, and has dealt with both tax compliance and tax advisory projects across a range of industry sectors.

He joined us from one of the big four accountancy firms where he looked after the affairs of high-net-worth individuals and private equity executives. Prior to this he worked at a local regional practice where he dealt with the affairs of owner managed businesses and private individuals.

In January 2024 Andy was promoted from Head of Group Technical, to Director of Services, leading two of our Group companies which provide payroll and tax consulting support to our network of accountants. Andy also manages a highly qualified and experienced team providing technical support and offering practical solutions in relation to the accounting, tax and practice needs of TaxAssist franchisees and staff. Andy's LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.

Compliance

Tim Duffield BA (Hons), FCCA - Head of Group Compliance

Tim is FCCA qualified and originally joined us in 2009 from a large local practice, where his main experience was preparing annual and management accounts for small companies, as well as preparing value-added tax and corporation tax returns. Tim returned to us in 2019 after two years back in practice performing a VAT advisory role. Tim looks after all aspects of Group compliance and regulatory functions, as well as providing advice and support to the network. Tim's LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.

Marketing

Kelly Chick - Head of Group Marketing

Kelly joined the Business Development Team in July 2020, following an extensive agency background working for a number of national brands in both B2B and B2C environments. Reporting to the Group Business Development Director, Kelly oversees the Marketing, Social and Inbound teams, implementing the national and local marketing campaigns for the acquisition of network leads. Kelly's LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.