Meet the team
Meet the team...
Ben de Cruz (BA FCA) - Senior Partner
Ben qualified with Neville Russell (now Mazars) in London and served as Audit Manager with them, before joining Reynolds in Exeter where he was promoted to general practice partner in 1994.
Reynolds became part of the Haines Watts Group in 2005 and Ben became the senior office director of the Exeter office. Ben is responsible for a diverse portfolio of clients, including owner managed businesses, professional partnerships, large insurance network providers and wealthy individuals.
Ben believes that by being pro-active in his approach to the provision of advice to clients they can gain competitive advantage to develop and strengthen their businesses. He also acts as a non executive director for charitable and not for profit organisations.
Since 2003 Ben has been a director and the treasurer of the Exeter Chamber of Commerce.
Martin Harris (FCCA FAAT FATT) - Partner
Martin has been in practice for in excess of 20 years and has exclusively dealt with the needs of owner managed businesses. Before his current position of Partner within Haines Watts Exeter LLP, Martin trained and qualified with Francis Clark whilst maintaining a large portfolio of trading businesses. Following his time with Francis Clark, Martin joined Reynolds Chartered Accountants and rapidly progressed to a senior position within the firm, until the practice joined the Haines Watts Group in 2005 at which point Martin was promoted to Director level and more recently, Partner.
Martin believes that to provide a good service you need to listen to and understand the wishes and ambitions of clients so that the service can be directed appropriately. His experience and expertise, coupled with a sound knowledge of tax and computerised accounting systems, enables him to find a solution to most accounting problems.
Caroline Thomas (BSc ACA MAE QDR) - Associate Partner
Caroline qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2004, before joining Reynolds (a predecessor firm of Haines Watts) in order to specialise in forensic accounting and expert witness engagements. Caroline’s areas of expertise include divorce finance, business valuations, commercial disputes, and personal injury and clinical negligence claims. She is also an accredited and experienced commercial mediator, an associate member of the Academy of Experts, and participates in the Civil Mediation Council. Caroline has a growing reputation for providing sound forensic accounting advice in the South West.
Duncan Barnes (MA FCA MAE QDR) - Forensic Consultant
Duncan qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1980 and held senior positions with KPMG for 13 years before joining Reynolds, a predecessor firm of Haines Watts in Exeter. Duncan specialises in expert witness engagements and has many years of experience in civil and criminal forensic accountancy - he has given evidence in Court on numerous occasions. Duncan’s areas of expertise include divorce finance, environmental and fishery claims, commercial disputes, and personal injury and clinical negligence claims. He is an accredited and experienced commercial mediator, a member of the Academy of Experts, and participates in the Civil Mediation Council. Duncan is a highly regarded lecturer on finance and law for MBL Seminars and a non-executive director of an NHS Foundation Trust hospital.
Paul Benney (MBA ACA FCCA CTA) - Associate Partner
Paul joined Haines Watts in 2005 with over 10 years experience in the profession. He has extensive experience advising a wide range of owner-managed businesses and wealthy individuals. In addition to being a Chartered Tax Adviser he is also a Chartered Accountant and can apply both of these skills to ensure that our clients maximise any tax saving opportunities.
Paul advises on both corporate and personal taxes, including buying and selling businesses, corporate restructuring and personal tax planning. He has particular strengths in providing tax saving strategies for entrepreneurs and their companies and integrating these strategies with commercial and personal objectives. He has a keen interest in the impact of taxation on business and is a member of the Owner Managed Business Sub-Committee of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, which makes representations to government on tax policy.
Lisa Crockford (BSc ACA) - Forensic Accountant
Lisa joined Haines Watts in March 2008 after qualifying with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, and specialising in the internal and external audit of Public Services clients. Lisa now undertakes the role of Forensic Accountant and assists her colleagues in this area by researching and preparing company valuations for small to medium businesses as well assisting on loss of profits cases, commercial disputes, fraud, dependency, and proceeds of crime cases.
Peter Kempster (MAAT) - Audit Manager
Peter joined Reynolds Chartered Accountants (a predecessor firm of Haines Watts) in 1987. He has over 38 years in the profession and has dealt with a wide range of owner-managed businesses during that time. Peter is familiar with solicitors’ accounts and charitable organisations. He also oversees Exeter office clients’ payroll and company secretarial matters.
Outside of his work, Peter has been involved with the Methodist Church and is presently the treasurer of the Exeter Methodist Circuit.
Jade Matthews (BA ACA) - Assistant Manager
Jade undertook a Chartered Accountancy training contract with Haines Watts whilst working in the accounts and audit department. Her main areas of responsibility relate to the preparation of annual accounts and tax for small and medium sized owner-managed companies, partnerships, sole trades, charities and other not for profit organisations. Jade is also involved in the audit of small and medium sized companies in various industry sectors.
Since qualifying with the ICAEW in 2010 Jade has been appointed to the position of Assistant Manager, where she is responsible for a portfolio of small and medium sized enterprises.