Trading places

ACCOUNTANCY firm Ernst & Young has changed the management structure at its Scottish practice.

The changes will see senior partner Jim Bishop take on the role of non-executive chairman in Scotland following his retirement from the partnership at the end of this calendar year.

Mark Harvey, currently head of assurance at EY Scotland, will become the firm's Scotland markets leader.

Mr Harvey, a graduate of Queen's College Belfast, joined EY as a trainee in 1995 and was promoted to partner in 2006.

He said: "Our Scottish business is in its best-ever shape.

"Demand for our core competencies remains high - and our specialist-sector teams in the middle market, financial services, oil and gas, and government and the public sector continue to win significant engagements with clients renowned both domestically and internationally.

"It is a course we will maintain as we seek to increase our share of the market."

New personnel for Abbeyfield board

ABBEYFIELD Scotland, the organisation which provides housing and support for older people, has made two appointments to its board.

The new non-executive directors are Kevin Toner, sales and marketing director with architects Keppie Design, and Ian Craig, technical director with Ross Developments & Renewables.

Mr Toner is responsible for business development and marketing, in the UK and overseas, Keppie's services in areas such as health, education and commercial. Mr Craig, a chartered surveyor, specialises in property, asset management and renewable projects for Ross Developments & Renewables across the UK.

Abbeyfield chairman James Craigie said: "For an organisation like ours, managing the homes and services we provide for our residents is fundamentally important and the skills that Kevin and Ian bring will significantly strengthen the board at this important time for the organisation."

Livingston goes public with Adam

THE Livingston James Group has hired Douglas Adam to lead the recruitment firm's enhanced focus on senior public-sector and not-for-profit roles.

Mr Adam, who spent more than 17 years with a FTSE-250 recruitment firm, joins the firm as it continues to broaden its areas of focus.

After beginning his career in interim recruitment in Cambridge, Heriot Watt-educated Mr Adam returned to Scotland in 2002, focusing on interim and permanent recruitment in the public and not-for-profit sectors. He has focused on board-level appointments since 2010.

Mr Adam said: "I very much welcome the opportunity to join Livingston James which, though a relatively new player to the market, has brought a fresh approach to executive search and opened up interesting new avenues of choice.

Owens is given SME role at bank

BANK of Scotland has appointed Stephen Owens as its senior business-development director.

He joins from Clydesdale Bank, where he worked with leading businesses with a focus on healthcare.

In his new role he will focus on developing the bank's network of small- and medium-sized enterprises and drive its commercial-broker proposition.

Mr Owens, who graduated from the University of Strathclyde, began his commercial banking career with Royal Bank of Scotland. He rose to the post of senior business manager in 2003, joining Clydesdale three years later.

Donna Kerr-Roscoe, head of SME business development at Bank of Scotland, said: "We are working to grow our lending to SMEs and we are bringing Stephen on board to help us reach businesses that do not already bank with us.

"Stephen brings considerable knowledge of the sector."