Hall of Fame - Yorkshire Accountancy Awards

Welcome to the Yorkshire Accountancy Awards Hall of Fame

Click on the tabs below to find out who has won every category since 2019.

2023
2022
2021
2020
2019

Team of the Year

“Shorts Payroll is a team of unsung heroes. They stand out for continually taking the initiative and producing excellent results. They are an integral part of the overall service provided by their firm and play a pivotal role in its growth.”

Diversity and Inclusion Award

“Mazars hardwires an inclusive approach into everything it does, right down to the habits of individuals. Its clear, impactful initiatives across areas such as social mobility, ethnicity, disability and LGBTQ+ are excellent examples of this firm’s work. Mazars also recognises the important role that senior leaders have to play in delivering real change.”

Corporate Finance Service Award

“KPMG uses complex strategies and concrete expertise to dominate in this area. It takes a tailored approach to ensure the best outcome for all parties and its staff work tirelessly and diligently to achieve some truly outstanding results.”

Support Staff of the Year

“Joanne Wade from BDO really embodies the concept of support staff. She brings a human, personal touch to her work when supporting colleagues. Joanne’s day is spent projecting a ‘can-do’ attitude and ensuring work is being completed in the most efficient and effective way. Going above and beyond in every aspect of the job, this is a fully deserving winner.”

Tax Service Award

“Deloitte is doing innovative work across a diverse range of projects. A true leader in the tax field, Deloitte continues to grow and function with a clear understanding and purpose to everything that it does. A superb achievement for an outstanding firm.”

Independent Firm of the Year

“Naylor Wintersgill stands out in a highly competitive category. It’s an integral provider in the Yorkshire region that consistently and successfully provides an expert service to clients, a trend that’s set to continue as it brings more specialties in-house. This firm is also big on local engagement, including with charities.”

Best Employer of the Year

“Shorts is a business that puts the development and welfare of its employees at the forefront of its work. From expanding their skill sets through tailored training plans to focusing on mental health following the pandemic, Shorts continues to shine as a leading employer within the profession.”

Large Firm of the Year

“KPMG is highly involved in local not-for-profit work and the level of its ESG activity deserves recognition. KPMG also demonstrates a desire to continue evolving in Yorkshire to attract the best staff and help its clients grow.”

Audit Service Award

“BDO boasts Yorkshire talent with a national reach. This firm is committed to helping staff reach their full potential through training and enhancing its offering with data analysis tools to gain a deeper understanding of clients’ businesses. The result is a firm that’s at the forefront of audit services.”

In-House Finance Team of the Year

“The Asda Finance Team receives the recognition of this award for its outstanding efforts during the pandemic and beyond. The team focuses on programmes that protect the business while supporting growth and acting as a vital partner to stakeholders. Its plans are clearly set out and expertly followed, demonstrating its credentials as a top in-house team.”

Niche Firm of the Year

“Chambers Accountants truly defines a niche firm. From its organic growth through word-of-mouth to building models tailored to create the best client outcomes, the personal service that this firm delivers is consistently a success for clients. This is a fantastic niche firm and a very worthy winner.”

Brand of the Year

“Evelyn Partners stands out for planning and executing a unique marketing strategy that embraced innovative and novel methods to promote a new brand in a highly competitive market. This is one brand to watch as the rest of this year unfolds.”

Consultancy/Advisory Service Award

“Shorts has a strong focus on empowering clients that’s highly impressive. The firm also has a structure that encourages staff to meet deadlines while delivering exceptional outcomes. All-in-all, Shorts’s ability to fill in gaps in clients’ financial knowledge ensures that they make better business decisions.”

Trainee of the Year

“Jasmin Kang from BDO consistently demonstrates a high standard of work at her firm while carrying out significant networking activity. Jasmin boasts skills well above expectations and continues to make excellent progress. The standout candidate for Trainee of the Year and no doubt one to watch in the future.”

Rising Star of the Year

“Jack Sunter from Mazars really embodies what this category represents. Not only has Jack quickly progressed in his professional journey but he is also well known throughout the accounting profession for his hard work and contributions. Jack’s outstanding networking has also led to numerous new business opportunities.”

Partner of the Year

“Dan Brookes from BDO clearly demonstrates the importance of building and maintaining strong client relationships. Dan’s innovation led him to create a highly successful local forum, which continues to generate significant new business opportunities. Dan is the role model of an active partner, leading a range of events and activities.”

Managing Partner of the Year

“Victoria Wainwright from Naylor Wintersgill is an active leader who is still very much involved in maintaining a portfolio. As well as leading the team, Victoria also heads up employee engagement plans to ensure she offers her staff opportunities to enhance their development.”

Yorkshire Advisor of the Year

“Alex Hird from Azets has a strong passion for the industry that’s reflected in his work and ripples across the firm. Alex has an excellent reputation both internally and externally as co-creator of a service that is being rolled out on a national scale across the wider firm. Alex is a top advisor who consistently achieves fantastic results and revenues.”

Yorkshire Accountant of the Year

“Sam Newton from Gravitate Accounting is doing exceptional work, going above and beyond to continue the growth of the business. Sam is a fantastic fee earner and committed to business development. He is always working to make accounting more accessible and is well involved with the local business community. All of this and much more makes Sam a standout candidate for this award.”

Audit Service Award

“Azets is gaining lots of new business and undergoing significant growth, all while achieving incredible rates of staff retention, serving clients to a high standard and investing in technology to complement its excellent audit service.”

Best Employer of the Year

“Azets is not only a fantastic job creator in Yorkshire, but an employer that works very hard to keep its staff. The winner’s focus on developing soft and technical skills, its use of apprenticeships and efforts to improve wellbeing set it apart from the competition.”

Brand of the Year

“Northern Accountants is cultivating an authoritative and trusted brand that’s also relatable and focuses on people after deciding to refresh its marketing strategy. The result is a high level of performance across social media and a leading website that’s making a real difference to both the firm and its clients.”

Consultancy/Advisory Service Award

“Ford Campbell Freedman offers a compelling proposition that covers the life of a business. Stellar work is backed by glowing client testimonials. The winner is clearly a trusted partner to the clients it serves.”

Corporate Finance Service Award

“Shorts provides an innovative service that’s consistently delivering for clients. An early adopter of employee ownership trusts, the winner is a sought-after specialist in this field.”

Diversity & Inclusion Award

“Mazars stands out for its comprehensive approach. Senior leaders are driving the diversity and inclusivity agenda within the firm, resulting in lots of activity across a range of networks and initiatives to create an impact in a variety of important areas.”

Finance Director of the Year

“Neil Beardsmore from Ice Travel Group deserves the recognition of this award for their superb work in supporting their organisation through the unusual and difficult period that was the pandemic. They are also a fantastic mentor to junior staff.”

Independent Firm of the Year

“Hunter Gee Holroyd excels on all fronts and ticks every box. Its focus on technology is serving it well, as are incredibly strong initiatives for clients that go above and beyond the norm.”

In-house Finance Team of the Year

“Burberry has driven significant internal improvements and change, while playing a key role in achieving the sustainability goals of the organisation. This team is also highly active in the local community.”

Large Firm of the Year

“BDO provides extensive support and resources for businesses and their employees, aiming to prepare them to face current and future events. The sheer breadth of its internal initiatives to boost its own business and support employees is equally impressive.”

Managing Partner of the Year

“Phil Ellerby from Northern Accountants is an inspirational leader who has overseen huge growth in the business and made the organisation an exciting place to work. The winner puts client service at the heart of the business and its clients are reaping the benefits.”

Mid-Tier Firm of the Year

“Mazars is experiencing impressive high growth and staff retention travels, as it trains a new generation of professionals and successfully engages with the local community to ensure the bright future of the Yorkshire professional services sector.”

Niche Firm of the Year

“YesTax has a unique and notable mission that it carries out with great success, demonstrated by an excellent client retention rate. Its work in the R&D sector is particularly impressive.”

Partner of the Year

“Andy Northern from Fortus is a fantastic success story. They have developed into an innovative practitioner who strives to do things differently. They are an expert at forging alliances and put staff morale at the top of their agenda.”

Rising Star of the Year

“Laura O’Regan from Fortus is a client champion who eagerly passes on their own knowledge and skills through extensive mentoring and coaching. They are widely respected within their organisation and a shining example for others to follow.”

Support Staff of the Year

“Claire Featherstone from Naylor Wintersgill is highly dedicated to their organisation’s whole workforce and goes above and beyond expectations, spearheading internal initiatives, serving as a mental health champion, and even diversifying revenue streams with consultancy work.”

Tax Service Award

“KPMG boasts an impressive local team that consistently delivers for a wide range of clients while actively engaging in national consultations that will shape the future of tax in the UK.”

Team of the Year

“Azets is a highly skilled group of specialists who have been encouraged to combine their love of the technical side of accountancy with impeccable client service and delivery. The results have been superb and this team is now making a national impact.”

Trainee of the Year

“Charlotte Holland from Haines Watts Leeds is highly regarded internally with many colleagues considering them invaluable and already a go-to expert for help with accounting software. They are an exceptional trainee with a very bright future.”

Yorkshire Accountant of the Year

“Peter Sawrij from Thomas Coombs is highly innovative and dedicated to clients. They led impressively on a change to flexible working and a wealth management initiative that is yielding superb results. A respected practitioner and colleague who deserves the recognition of this prestigious accolade.”

Audit Service Award

“Armstrong Watson emerged victorious in a closely fought category. Armstrong Watson demonstrated good growth and client wins for its audit service offering, underlined by a glowing endorsement from the Law Society of England and Wales.”

Best Employer of the Year

“Haines Watts received excellent feedback from staff, who have always felt supported, particularly during the pandemic.Haines Watts is also a big believer in developing staff through training and received great reviews for its work, including the Leadership Development Programme.”

Brand of the Year

“BDO adopted an entirely new model for its marketing activity over the course of the pandemic, to better communicate with clients as they dealt with unprecedented issues. An emphasis on developing personal connections and delivering brand promises yielded excellent results and BDO intends to carry on using this model in 2021 and beyond.”

Corporate Finance Service Award

“KPMG delivers a high-quality service that is appreciated by clients and reflected in the quantity and value of deals completed. The service is high-calibre, expertly delivered and was pinpointed as the key to making deals much easier to complete.”

Finance Director of the Year

“Anthony Elston from Ridley & Hall displayed impressive leadership during the pandemic, supporting colleagues and overseeing lots of growth at the business. Colleagues showed a lot of respect for this finance director and the judges couldn’t help but admire Anthony’s commitment.”

In-house Finance Team of the Year

“Shorts demonstrated a focus on continuous improvement, carrying out a transformation programme that really impressed the judges, and showed how they were integral to the overall success of the business.”

Independent Firm of the Year

“Hunter Gee Holroyd was head and shoulders above the other finalists, with an impressive client list, the recognition of its peers and a valuable contribution to the wider community. The judges were very impressed with this firm.”

Large Firm of the Year

“KPMG has carried out an extensive range of work over the past year, including projects that positively affect the Yorkshire region’s economy. KPMG has a big impact locally, such as using its scale to provide a forum for the region’s business leaders to network with peers.”

Managing Partner of the Year

“Managing Partner of the Year was hotly contested, but Michael Chamberlain from Chamberlain & Co stood out with a reputation for high-level, high-quality work. Michael’s contribution to the community and charity work are also unparalleled.”

Mid-Tier Firm of the Year

“Clever Accounts has an established Yorkshire team that is celebrated by clients for its flexibility, superb customer service and easy-to-use client portal. Clever Accounts repays its Leeds and Yorkshire clients’ faith by giving them a platform to market their products and services to the wider business community.”

Niche Firm of the Year

“Dow Schofield Watts works at a high level across a diverse range of deals, with the Leeds team considered experts in their field. The judges were very impressed with Dow Schofield Watts, finding very few if any weaknesses.”

Partner of the Year

“The judges found Partner of the Year very tough to call, with the three finalists all showing promise. But Chris Etherington from RSM has clearly delivered success in a number of areas and demonstrates significant commitment to clients.”

Rising Star of the Year

“Nick Charman from BDO is one to watch. Nick’s management of clients is particularly impressive, as is Nick’s contribution to the wider community through raising money for charity.”

Support Staff of the Year

“Moosa Sacha was a standout performer for Hentons at the outbreak of Covid-19, working long hours to complete IT projects that were necessary to support the shift to working from home. The judges were delighted to recognise Moosa’s achievements with this award.”

Tax Service Award

“KPMG edged this category with fantastic client testimonials that clearly showed the value of its service. This service is also backed by great technology that makes tax assessment highly simple and easy to understand.”

Team of the Year

“The Hentons digital team utilised a fantastic approach in response to the pandemic and lockdowns, utilising technology and people power to not only specialise but excel in an underserved area of the profession.”

Trainee of the Year

“Molly Womersley-Stroud from RSM excelled in a fantastic category. The judges noted the number of brilliant candidates and were pleased to see so many strong trainees. Molly stood out for great achievements in both professional and personal capacities, including vital mental health work.”

Yorkshire Accountant of the Year

“Beverley Flanagan from Mind Your Assets prevailed in a competitive category that generated serious debate among the judges. But Beverley stood out for playing a vital role in securing dozens of client wins, a commitment to leading from the front and for flying the flag for Yorkshire accountants and the profession.”

Yorkshire Advisor of the Year

“Cassandra Fennell from CFA Tax was the clear and obvious choice for the judges. Cassandra has built a firm and in just two years developed a solid client base. Cassandra is also highly collaborative, putting the needs of the client at the heart of service, and very active in the local community through support for a range of initiatives.”