Catherine Burnet, an Edinburgh-based director at KPMG, was named accountant of the year at the annual Accountancy Age awards, with the judging panel praising her for having an "immense appetite for work".

Catherine Burnet, an Edinburgh-based director at KPMG, was named accountant of the year at the annual Accountancy Age awards, with the judging panel praising her for having an "immense appetite for work".

Burnet, who was formerly KPMG's group senior manager on an HBOS audit before her recent promotion to director, picked up the award at a glittering event at London's Battersea Park Arena last week.

The judges said she had helped to steer HBOS through some major projects in the past year. These included assisting the banking group with the transition to international financial reporting standards.

She also helped KPMG to retain HBOS as a client following an audit tender.

Burnet said: "It was a real surprise to be nominated, let alone actually pick up the award. I'm fortunate that I love what I do and it's encouraging that KPMG's flexible working policy allows me to succeed in a senior role, working four days a week and therefore have time to look after two young children."

In its awards entry, KPMG said that HBOS has provided "consistently excellent feedback" on Burnet's abilities, and has been impressed by her skills across the full range of its financial services businesses.

"You cannot but be impressed with what she's done," said one member of the judging panel, which included the Lloyds TSB finance director Helen Weir, Jan Brown, finance director at Cairn Energy, and former Bank of England governor Lord Eddie George.

KPMG turned out to be by far the most successful of the Big Four firms at the awards, picking up a total of five gongs. Its former chairman Sir Mike Rake, now chairman of BT, won the outstanding industry contribution award.

KPMG also walked off with the global firm of the year and audit team of the year prizes, as well as bagging corporate finance deal of the year for its advice to GMAC on the acquisition of the controversial lender Provident Financial.

RBS Insurance Finance won finance team of the year, with the judges saying that the award was won "by some considerable distance."

Barclays was winner in the business bank of the year category, while the finance director of the year (blue-chip firms) was won by Ian Dyson, finance director at Marks & Spencer.

The employer of the year award went to mid-tier accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward and personality of the year went to Alex Horne, managing director at Wembley Stadium in London.

The judges said Michael Izza, the chief executive at Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, had come a close second.

Among other awards winners, Deloitte and Ernst & Young were conspicuous by their absence but PriceWaterhouseCoopers won top spot as tax team of the year.

The best report and accounts award was won by advertising and marketing-services group WPP.