Accountants celebrated in King’s Birthday Honours 

Accountants celebrated in King’s Birthday Honours 

EY’s former managing partner and chair, the group finance director at Holland & Barrett and an AccountingWEB contributor shared the spotlight with celebrities like Gary Oldman, Roger Daltrey and David Beckham in the King’s Birthday Honours. 

The former UK chair of EY Steve Varley, Meredith McCammond from the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) and Jonny Jacobs from Holland & Barrett are some of the names from the accountancy and tax profession to receive recognition in the King’s Birthday Honours this past weekend.  

Steve Varley 

Varley received a CBE for services to professional services. The newly minted CBE became managing partner at EY in September 2005 before being anointed chairman of the organisation in July 2011. He held the role of chair, alongside remaining managing partner, until June 2020.  

He stepped back from the role of chair after his near-decade stint to become the global vice chair for sustainability and then a senior adviser. He eventually left EY last summer, ending a close to 19-years run at the Big Four firm. It emerged earlier this year that Varley is behind a new accountancy firm, having secured over £200m in private equity investment from Warburg Pincus.  

Unveiling his new venture to the Financial Times, Varley explained: “People are looking for a proposition that is super client-centric, has really low administrative cost, is artificial-intelligence-led rather than based on legacy infrastructure and, crucially, has no conflicts.” 

In a statement posted on LinkedIn, Varley said he was incredibly honoured to receive the CBE following a recommendation by the prime minister. “It’s been an amazing career journey so far, with a lot more to come,” he wrote. “I’ve enjoyed every single minute. Even the bad times have been, in hindsight (and sometimes a lot of hindsight was needed (!)), pretty good fun!” 

He went on to thank his family and also to shine a light on the role of professional services. “I’ve always believed in the power of professional services to create opportunity for all, drive economic growth and deliver lasting social impact—and I remain committed to those ideals.” 

Varley follows his Big Four rival Kevin Ellis, the chairman and senior partner at PwC, who received a CBE in the 2024 New Year’s Honours list.  

Meredith McCammond 

Meredith McCammond is a name that should be familiar to regular readers of AccountingWEB, having contributed a number of articles over the years on the loan charge.  

The chartered tax adviser and technical officer at the LITRG was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to vulnerable groups. Since joining LITRG in 2013, McCammond has been a voice for unrepresented taxpayers, whether that’s seen in her work on the loan charge or her volunteering work for the tax charities TaxAid and TaxHelp for Older People.  

As evidenced by her articles on AccountingWEB, McCammond has been at the forefront of providing technical and practical information for low-income workers on navigating the loan charge.  

As further recognition for her technical skills, she was recently seconded to HMRC for six months.  

McCammond said she was “totally surprised and honoured” to receive the BEM, but she highlighted that the award reflects the work of the entire LITRG team. “From all of the personal experiences we bring to LITRG, we know the chaos and disadvantage that can shape people’s lives. Add a tax issue into that mix – one that, without support, can spiral and stay with someone for years – and it becomes clear why LITRG’s work remains so vital.  

“Whether it is a care leaver whose first ever job offer is on a falsely self-employed basis or a migrant worker in our public services at risk of being paid through disguised remuneration, through our work, we see the transformative impact that being able to understand and navigate your tax position can have. We’ll continue to push for better systems and processes to ensure no one is left behind.”  

Jonny Jacobs 

Jacobs, the vice president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) and the group FD at Holland & Barrett,  received an MBE.  

Qualifying with ICAS in 2003, Jacobs has gone on to hold a number of senior finance roles across recognised brands. Jacobs previously served as the finance director at Starbucks EMEA for four years and was head of finance at M&S Food. He has been in his role at Holland & Barrett since February 2024.  

He started his career at KPMG in Glasgow before moving to Heineken as a commercial finance manager. He spent seven years at pladis Global, a British confectionery company, which includes brands like McVitie’s, Jacob’s and Flipz.  

Commenting on his MBE, he said that he “couldn’t put into words how deeply grateful I am to everyone who has been part of this journey”.  

He added: “Growing up in a challenging working-class family in Glasgow, my path could have been very different; each day I count myself truly lucky. But this recognition is not about me, it represents the collective efforts of so many of those who have inspired me, supported me, offered me tough advice and opened doors.”  

Michael Cox 

Elsewhere, chartered accountant Mike Cox received a CBE for his contributions to political and public service. Qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1985, Cox is a senior partner at Dorset-based Cox Costello & Horne – the two-office accounting firm he founded and has led for almost 28 years.  

Alongside his day job of advising businesses on corporate finance, tax strategies and consultancy work, Cox has served his local community in his roles with the Liberal Democrats. As part of this work, he is also the treasurer of the Liberal Democrats nationally where he has spoke to members on tax matters.  

Recently, he stood as a candidate to become an MP for the Lib Dems in last year’s General Election.      

Writing on LinkedIn, Cox noted: “While the receipt of this award is deeply personal, it also serves as a reminder of the collective achievements that come from collaboration and a shared purpose. 

“It is my belief that politics is a valuable force for change, and I am more committed than ever to continuing to serve with integrity, enthusiasm and an enduring sense of community.” 

He thanked his family and those who have supported him throughout his career and vowed to continue supporting his local community and the Liberal Democrats.  

Beckham and HMRC 

David Beckham, of course, received a knighthood for his football achievements and charity work, but it’s his activity off the pitch that’s led to him to be previously featured on the pages of AccountingWEB.  

Beckham was one of a number of celebrities who invested in the Ingenious film tax scheme, but HMRC had argued that the scheme was a means to avoid tax. According to reports at the time, these investments have previously caused HMRC to “red flag” a knighthood nomination for the footballer in 2014.  

Speaking of HMRC, a healthy contingent of individuals from the tax department also received gongs:  

Nicholas Down, head of payments (OBE)  

Zoe Gascoyne, deputy director, offshore corporate and wealthy (OBE) 

Rhys Deas, lead IT product manager (OBE) 

Sybille Graham, technical lead (MBE) 

Kelvin Shorte, Deputy director, individual and small business compliance (OBE) 

Also, Nicholas Stroud, the head of accountancy profession at Serious Fraud Office was given an OBE.   

This article is sourced from the following link: 

https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/practice/people/accountants-celebrated-in-kings-birthday-honours