PKF has appointed Martin Watson as a Partner in its Financial Services team. Martin is based in the firm’s Leeds office, working closely with the London insurance team, and will work with clients across the UK.
Martin specialises in providing audit and advisory services to life and general insurers, and insurance intermediaries. In addition to external audit, his expertise includes advising on regulatory and financial change, process transformation and control frameworks.
Martin joins PKF after 13 years at Deloitte. He has experience of working with FTSE 100 and AIM listed businesses, as well as large privately-owned financial services organisations and mutual insurers of all sizes.
Martin has previously served as a Board member on the Investment & Life Assurance Group (ILAG), a trade body representing the life assurance and wealth management industry, and currently chairs its Financial Reporting Practitioner Group. He also contributed to numerous PRA and FRC working groups during the design of the audit requirements for Solvency II in the UK, and regularly provides advice and training to clients on regulatory reporting matters.
Carmine Papa, head of PKF’s Insurance team, said: “PKF is one of the most respected providers of audit and advisory services to the insurance sector. Martin further strengthens our expertise in this important industry, and is good news for us and for our clients.
“Martin’s appointment reflects our commitment to investing in our presence in Leeds, which we plan to expand over the coming months. Martin’s arrival complements our existing strengths and enables us to offer additional specialist advisory services to support the increasingly complex demands placed on insurers.”
Martin Watson said: “I’m proud to have joined PKF at such an exciting time. The firm has continued to invest in its people and processes despite the pandemic, and this has been reflected in the major new clients that it is winning, both within the Financial Services team and more broadly across the firm.
“I’m looking forward to playing my part in helping the firm to realise its ambitious plans, developing its offering to insurers across the UK and also building out the team in Leeds.”