Brian Thomson has been promoted to audit partner and Ian Brown to indirect tax partner.

The investment is part of Dains’ expansion across Scotland, helping both its clients and its people realise their success.

Mr Thomson, who joined Consilium in 2022 as audit Responsible Individual was promoted to director in 2025. He will now lead the audit function in Scotland alongside Consilium founding partner David Holt.

Mr Thomson specialises in owner-managed businesses and charities, managing and running statutory audit services for a portfolio of clients that includes large corporates and charities.

Mr Brown joined the group as part of housing and third sector tax specialists S3Tax as a director in December 2023. He will be supporting businesses across Scotland and Northern England in regard to their VAT and other indirect tax risks, opportunities and savings.

Alongside the partner promotions, Andrew McKay has been elevated to audit director, and Laura Nicoll has been promoted to accounting & business advisory director.

Mr McKay’s promotion to director is part of the new, enlarged audit function in Scotland. This follows his promotion to associate director in 2025. Mr McKay manages the statutory audits for a portfolio of major clients and became a Responsible Individual (RI) in early 2025.

Ms Nicoll specialises in the Healthcare Sector in Scotland, alongside a portfolio of owner-managed businesses. She works closely with GP Practices, locums, consultants, dentists and other healthcare providers, and is a National Board Member of the Association of Independent Specialist Medical Accountants (AISMA). 

Ms Nicoll trained and qualified with the then William Duncan + Co, becoming an associate director in 2025 and now director, taking over leadership of the Healthcare Team in the West of Scotland as Stephen Bargh approaches retirement from the firm after 43 years.

Graeme Bryson, regional managing partner for Scotland, said: “I’m proud to recognise the progression of colleagues across our Scotland teams and to congratulate them on this well-deserved achievement.

“Our teams work closely with clients and build long-standing relationships. These promotions reflect the strength of those teams, ensuring clients continue to receive consistent support from people who know their business and understand the challenges they face.”

Richard McNeilly, CEO of Dains, said: “We are incredibly proud to recognise the achievements of 100 colleagues across the Group. These promotions reflect the strength of our team, our continued growth, and our commitment to developing talent at every level of the business.

“As we continue to expand, it is vital that we invest in our people, ensuring we have the capability and expertise to support our clients and deliver high-quality advice across all of our service lines.”

Androulla Soteri, chief people officer at Dains, added: “Creating opportunities for progression is central to our culture. These promotions recognise not only strong performance, but also the attitude, commitment and impact our people bring to their teams and to our clients every day.

“It is fantastic to see so many colleagues taking the next step in their careers as we continue to grow as a business.”