Search: financial focus

AMS Group has announced two appointments to its payroll and employment tax team in Aberdeen, including the recruitment of Michael McAllister as partner and head of payroll and employment taxes. Mr McAllister joins the accountancy group from Johnston Carmichael, where he led its payroll services team

More than half (55%) of Scottish small to medium enterprises (SMEs) anticipate growth in their business over the next year, but confidence and optimism have dipped slightly compared to 2024, according to new research. The findings came from the second annual Business Baseline survey, conducted by th

William Grant & Sons is undergoing a significant leadership transition, following the sudden departure of its chief executive, Søren Hagh, and the appointment of a new executive board member. Mr Hagh has left the company less than two years after taking on the role on 1 January 2024. His

Scotland's labour market is showing signs of increasing pressure, with new official figures revealing a fall in the employment rate alongside rises in both unemployment and economic inactivity. According to data for June to August 2025, Scotland's employment rate for people aged 16-64 fell by 0.6 pe

An East Lothian skin therapist has launched a partnership with an award-winning local skincare brand following support from Business Gateway. Caryn Fower Advanced Skin Therapy, led by experienced skin therapist Caryn Fower, delivers personalised, results-driven treatments tailored to each client. He

PwC UK has reported a sharp halt in its revenue growth for the year ending June 2025, a stark contrast to the buoyant expansion of the previous three years. The Big Four firm’s revenue, which includes its Middle East operations, grew by just 0.4% to £6.35 billion, compared to growth rate

Two specialist executive search companies are merging in a move the partners forecast will deliver significant growth in fee income over the next 12-18 months. New Town Partnership and Hanover Berkeley, both headquartered in Edinburgh and with London offices, are announcing a formal merger with

People living in Scotland who expect to rent during retirement could need an additional £372,000 in savings compared to those with no housing costs, according to new analysis by Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group.

New research highlights concern from across Scotland about the role of industrial forestry corporations and asset management organisations who increasingly dominate the ownership and management of Scotland’s forests. The research concludes that more community ownership and management of woodla

NatWest Group has announced a new, five-year collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Accenture to transform the way it serves its customers by accelerating the modernisation of its digital, data and analytics, and AI capabilities. The collaboration will enable NatWest to provide more intuit

Legal firm Thorntons has expanded its commercial real estate team with two appointments. Simone Young, who has more than 25 years’ experience of advising all parties involved in the construction sector, joins as partner, and Stephanie Zak, who has worked in both practice and industry during he

AAB has announced that Goldman Sachs Alternatives has agreed to acquire the firm from private equity investor August Equity, pending regulatory approval. The transition marks a significant milestone for AAB, reinforcing the firm’s trajectory of sustained growth while ensuring continuity for cl

The UK government’s new Modern Industrial Strategy has been met with cautious optimism, as its key aims appear to align with the pressing needs of Scotland's manufacturing sector, according to accountancy firm MHA. Over the weekend, MHA revealed the findings of a survey that asked manufacturin

International law firm Womble Bond Dickinson is launching its Financing Decarbonisation campaign in Scotland, aimed at highlighting the work it does to help overcome legal obstacles to facilitate investment in projects that drive environmental impact and sustainability. Based in Edinburgh, Womble Bo

Business confidence in Scotland fell significantly in April, dropping 15 points to 40%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking. Companies in Scotland reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down four points at 61%. When t