Meet the team
Meet the team...
Chris Scott - Managing Partner
Chris Scott was the founding partner of Haines Watts in Darlington back in 1989 and was delighted to take on the role of managing partner of Haines Watts North East in 2004. Building on his wealth of experience in corporate finance, the North East HW Corporate Finance division of Haines Watts was set up in 1993.
Chris has over 25 years accountancy experience and has assisted numerous business owners with their corporate finance transactions. Indeed, he has helped several clients become millionaires by helping with the successful sale of their business. His main aim, as managing partner, is to continue to support Haines Watts maintain its position as a premium brand for the provision of specialist financial services in the North East. He is also quite passionate about helping clients understand clearly their own unique circumstances and their options so they can make informed decisions, rather than being kept in the dark.
In his spare time, Chris can be found enjoying the outdoor life with his dog or on the golf course. He is a passionate supporter of Newcastle United and hopes to see them win some meaningful trophy in the coming years.
Steven Richardson - Client Partner & Head of Charity Division
Steven Richardson has been a partner at Haines Watts for over 20 years and has acted for many of his clients through that entire period. He acts for a wide range of companies in a variety of sectors and deals with the full range from start ups to established family businesses.
Steven is also very proud of Haines Watts' role in supporting charities achieve their goals and is delighted that Haines Watts' specialist expertise in this area has resulted in them acting as auditors to over 100 registered charities across the UK. Steven heads up the Charities unit in the North East and has the added advantage of acting as Chair of Trustees for Children North East so he has a good understanding of Charity Governance.
Steven keeps himself fit, happy and healthy by being an active mountaineer and keen golfer and enjoys the outdoor life and camping. He recently achieved one of his ambitions to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and has other challenges in mind for the future.
Paul Collingwood - Client Partner
Paul Collingwood joined Haines Watts as partner in 1995 and has over 25 years experience advising businesses in the North East in all aspects of their financial affairs.
As a General Practitioner, Paul's focus and commitment is working with his clients to help them get the most from their business and dealing with their financial issues in clear terms, which they can easily relate to. He is very proud of the long and trusted relationships he has built up with many clients across the region over the years.
Away from the office Paul enjoys playing golf and spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Donna Bulmer - Client Partner
Donna was delighted to be promoted to partner at Haines Watts at the tender age of 32 and is enjoying developing her career with the firm into a long and successful one!
Donna joined Haines Watts in 1996 as a graduate and then decided to spread her wings and go to work in Sydney, Australia for three years. There she worked for Ernst & Young and qualified as an Australian Chartered Accountant, before returning to Haines Watts in 2003 as senior manager responsible for the audit team at Newcastle.
Donna's area of expertise is in general tax, audit and accounting advice, as well as Sage and the charity sector.
Over the years Donna has developed strong communication lines with HW clients, providing advice and assistance on a wide range of issues.
She is a committed team builder and loves to motivate others to achieve their true potential. She has a passion for travel, DIY, handbags and shoes and is most proud of her achievement at running the Great North Run - twice!
David Maultby - Tax Partner
David specialises in direct tax advice to owner-managed businesses.
He joined the company in 1991 as tax manager and was then appointed to tax partner in 1996.
David is passionate about providing high value tax advice to his clients and excellent service to help them achieve their financial objectives. His is very proud of his involvement in a significant number of multi-million pound company sale and acquisition deals
When he hasn't got his 'Tax Head' on, David enjoys skiing, tennis, bridge and chess!
Ray O'Leary - Director of Business Services
Since joining Haines Watts in 1999, Ray has specialised in General Practice (Sole Traders, Partnerships and Non Audit Limited companies) and is very proud of the work he has done with start-ups and small family businesses. He has provided much needed support, advice and reassurance to many smaller business owners across the region and has helped them through the growing pains of business start-ups. His has developed a particular specialism in incorporation of sole traders and partnerships.
He is passionate about sport in general, in particular football, and is an unswaying supporter
of Sunderland AFC - a cross he is happy to bear!
His other loves are travel and music and of course his lovely wife and two 'grown up' children.
Paul Duncan - Partner - HW Corporate Finance
Paul is a Chartered Accountant and has practiced corporate finance for over 20 years in the North East of England.
After graduating he spent 19 years with two of the Big 4 accounting firms specialising in corporate finance and obtained an MBA from Durham University. Subsequently he spent two years in corporate finance with a UK top 100 legal firm and two years as the finance director of a management buy-out company.
Paul's experience encompasses leading deals for clients of all sizes in a wide range of business sectors. This has enabled him to build a network of funders, lawyers and other contacts focused on assisting North East businesses.
Graham Cornforth - Manager - HW Corporate Finance
Graham, a Chartered Accountant, joined HW Corporate Finance after six years with one of the Big 4 accounting firms. He has worked with a number of high profile North East companies in a range of business sectors. Through a mix of project work and external secondments to clients Graham was involved with acquisitions, disposals and business refinancing.
Since joining HW Corporate Finance Graham has successfully led management buy-out teams and the sale of private companies. Graham has also undertaken a number of due diligence assignments on behalf of acquirers and their funders.
Julie Allan - Corporate Finance Executive
Julie is a Chartered Accountant who joined Haines Watts following five years working with one of the Big 4 accounting firms in the North East and one year working in the banking and finance industry in Sydney, Australia. Julie has worked with a number of high profile businesses across various industries including manufacturing, retail and transport.
Julie has broad experience advising and supporting North East companies through working in the Business Advisory team at Haines Watts, but was delighted to take up a new role in 2007 as Corporate Finance Executive. Julie has worked on a number of assignments including the sale of private companies and grant fund raising.
Doug Shilton - Director of Tax
Doug joined the North East office of Haines Watts in 1993 to head up the personal tax department. His area of specialisation within the firm is personal and capital tax planning and he brings to the team extensive knowledge of a diverse range of associated financial services. He also specialises in assistance with the critical personal areas of Will and Estate planning.
Prior to joining Haines Watts, Doug gained extensive insider knowledge working for eleven years with the Inspector of Taxes and joined Thompson McLintock (now KPMG) in 1986.
Married with two children, Doug is a keen hill walker particularly in Scotland, where most holidays are taken.
Terry Parkinson - Regional VAT Consultant
Joining Haines Watts in 1989, following 12 years with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Terry's area of expertise is all forms of Indirect Taxation, particularly VAT.
Terry acts as advisor to many companies as well as to other accountancy firms. He acts as the main contact and negotiator with HMRC on a complete range of VAT and related issues and also conducts VAT appeals from initial negotiations to full appeal hearings.
He frequently advises on VAT and property matters and has extensive experience of the food and catering industry, the charity sector and many other areas.
He admits to being a "life long sports nut", especially in relation to cricket and rugby. He is treasurer of his local rugby club, which has recently completed a multi-million pound redevelopment. He loves to travel, his favourite destinations including Provence and Cape Cod.
Josie Graham - Business Advisory Consultant
Josie, a Chartered Accountant, joined Haines Watts in 2005. Josie has helped to develop a specialist division in Haines Watts focussing on the unique needs of small businesses and start-ups. This has given Josie an exceptional knowledge of Sage and an in-depth understanding of all forms of grant assistance and funding availability to North East businesses of all sizes.
Josie has been very successful in assisting a number of clients to obtain offers of grant assistance, ranging from circa £2,000 to £250,000 across a variety of business sectors. Josie has also assisted on due diligence assignments and the sale of private companies.
Philippa Kingston - Audit Manager
Philippa joined Haines Watts in 2003 soon after graduating from Newcastle University, and quickly progressed from audit assistant to her current position as audit manager. Philippa's work focuses on audit and accounts predominantly for owner managed businesses, and she has developed an expertise for charity and pensions.
Outside of work, Philippa has visited and experienced many interesting countries during her travels to Asia, Australia, and islands in between.
Stephen Easton - Audit Manager
Stephen has been with Haines Watts for 19 years after joining as a trainee in 1991 and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant soon after. Stephen is now an audit manager, proving to have an in-depth understanding of owner managed businesses. His time at Haines Watts has seen him working across a broad range of industries including; construction, manufacturing and financial service sectors.
As a member of his local cycling club, Stephen is a keen cyclist and enjoys most sports.