Support Centre Staff

Andy Gibbs

Senior Technical Manager, ATT, CTA

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

Graham Taylor

Technical Manager, CTA

Graham is a qualified Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) with over 30 years’ experience. This has been with accountancy practices ranging from the top 4 to the small regional practice. He has also had a short spell in industry where his experience was used in dealing with UK as well as overseas tax issues for a UK business. He has wide experience dealing with various personal and business taxes including National Insurance. Graham delivers the tax training to new franchisees.

Philip Youngs

Technical Manager, ACCA (Affiliate) and AAT

Philip is a fully qualified AAT and ACCA accountant and has had a career spanning 20 years ranging from practice and industry. His practice experience ranged from small regional practices through to the Top 2 where his primary focus was the preparation of Annual and Management Accounts from incomplete records to completion for small Limited Companies, Sole Traders and Partnerships. This also included VAT returns along with completing Personal and Corporation Tax Returns. Philip joined TaxAssist in 2011 as a Technical Manager providing Technical Support to Franchisees and their staff.

Mike Whiteman

Technical Manager, ACA

Mike trained as an ACA accountant with a big four firm in Guernsey, where he worked in the tax department providing advice to a range of corporate clients including major banks and local businesses, as well as high net worth individuals. He moved back to Norwich in 2014 to work for another top 10 practice, taking a more accounts-focused role and specialising in trusts. Mike joined the technical support team in June 2016 as a Technical Manager.

Rebecca Hollis

Trainnee Technical Officer, AATQB

Rebecca joined TaxAssist Accountants in 2013, following 18 years working within personal banking and financial services for a major High Street bank.

Having spent three years as part of the Support Centre’s Inbound Team assisting potential clients and delivering qualified leads to the network, Rebecca is now a member of the Technical Team and is Association of Accounting Technician (AAT) qualified.

Claire Trudgill

Technical Manager, ACCA, AAT

Claire trained with a local firm of accountants, first completing AAT and then qualifying as a Chartered Certified Accountant in 2006. Claire worked in the Business Services Group, specialising in working with soletraders, partnerships and small limited companies covering accounts, personal tax, corporation tax, VAT, bookkeeping and software training. In her 16 years in practice Claire built very close relationships with her clients, helping and supporting them with various business matters. Claire joined the technical support team in March 2017 as a Technical Manager

Tim Duffield

Technical Planning Manager, BA (Hons), FCCA

Tim is FCCA qualified and originally joined us in 2009 from a large local practice, where his main experience was of preparing annual and management accounts for small companies as well as preparing VAT and Corporation Tax returns. Tim recently returned to us after two years back in practice performing a VAT advisory role. He will provide VAT advice and support to the network, alongside managing technical related project work and carrying out technical audits for franchisees.

Richard Chatten

Senior Business Development Manager, QFP DipFM

Richard joined TaxAssist in July 2015 following seven years at a leading international franchise consultancy and publishing company, FDS. Richard graduated from the University of Northampton with a First-Class degree in Retail Marketing before joining FDS and specialised in creating Franchise Operations Manuals for business expanding by franchising, working alongside experienced franchise consultants and working with a number of national and international clients.

With more than 10 years’ experience in national and international franchising, Richard is responsible for the running of the Business Development department to deliver sales and marketing campaigns across the UK. Leading a team of 12 sales and marketing professionals who are solely focused on winning new clients for the 300+ TaxAssist Accountants shops and offices we have in the network, Richard is also responsible for leading the Franchise Recruitment and International teams to recruit new franchisees and deliver support to our global network.

Richard holds a Diploma in Franchise Management and is recognised as a British Franchise Association Qualified Franchise Professional (QFP), which is a formal recognition of professional knowledge and experience in franchising and demonstrates the individual’s understanding of the complexities, best practice and expertise in franchising.

Danielle Fish

Marketing Manager, CIM Affiliate Professional

Danielle joined the marketing team in 2007 and was promoted to Marketing Manager in January 2013. Reporting to the Group Business Development Director, Danielle leads the marketing team in delivering; national and local marketing support; training to franchisees and their staff; and premises support to franchisees acquiring shops.

Fraser McKay

Communications Manager

After a 20-year career in journalism, Fraser became the highly regarded editor of a leading industry magazine, writing news and features about a number of brands including TaxAssist Accountants.

Having gained further public relations and marketing skills within the NHS in Norfolk and Suffolk, he joined TaxAssist Accountants in May 2016 as Communications Manager. In this role he is helping to increase brand awareness for the network by overseeing media coverage, writing and editing content for print and digital, and managing the company’s social media presence. Fraser will also be using his extensive experience in the media and successfully coaching staff to provide communications training for the network.

Dave Thomas

Inbound Lead Manager

Dave joined TaxAssist Accountants in June 2015, as a member of the Inbound team. Dave was promoted to Inbound Lead Manager in July 2016, managing a team of 3 Inbound Executives. The team are responsible for speaking with up to 200 enquiries a day.

The team discuss the clients' needs and qualify the lead to their local TaxAssist Accountant. He also works closely with the Business Development Director to ensure all new leads are managed effectively and to work on new initiatives to increase the number and quality of Inbound leads coming through to the support centre via the telephone and our website.

Terry Hawes

Marketing Trainer, FCIB, M.A. (Hons), ACIB, CMCIPD

Terry joined TaxAssist in 2014. He is a specialist in leadership, marketing, organisational and people development. He began his working career in banking with the Midland Bank progressing through a number of roles in retail and corporate banking marketing, operations and HR to become a Senior Training Manager in the early 1990’s for HSBC. As a consultant for the last twenty years, Terry has worked with a wide range of different clients both in the UK and internationally in many different cultural contexts. He has undertaken a number of significant learning and development assignments, working on business and people developed in emerging and developed nations in the Far and Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Jo Nockels

Senior Training & Technical Communications Manager, FCCA FMAAT

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. She is now Senior Training & Technical Communications Manager and works alongside the Business Development team, to ensure communications to clients are accurate, timely, relevant and easy to understand. The other part of her role sees her managing our wide range of courses and webinars through the Training Academy, as well as delivering courses herself.

Samantha Skyring

Franchise Development Manager, ACCA, MAAT

Samantha Skyring qualified in 2013 with a medium sized firm of accountants in Norwich. In the 7 and a half years there, she developed strong relationships with her clients and helped them with bookkeeping, VAT returns, Payroll, Accounts preparation and tax issues. She is both ACCA and MAAT qualified.

Sam joined the Technical Support Team in November 2014 as a Technical Manager. In this role she assisted franchisees and their staff over the phone with technical queries, headed up training courses and undertook due diligence visits to franchisees.

In October 2017, Samantha took on a new role as Franchise Development Manager for England & Wales. This involves being on the road, visiting franchisees to help them develop and grow their businesses. Samantha uses her experience in practice to help ensure that systems and processes are being used effectively to maximise efficiency and profitability.