SIX new directors have been appointed by York-based Garbutt and Elliott, one of the North's leading independent chartered accountants and business advisers.

The six, the largest number of senior appointments made in the company's 100-year history, will each be responsible for driving forward their own area of the business. They are Richard Green, who specialises in business advisory services for owner-managed businesses; Nigel Shaw who specialises in trusts and capital tax planning; Craig Manson, who specialises in professional clients and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); Jeremy Oliver, who specialises in corporate finance, corporate advice and property services; Alan Sidebottom, who specialises in audit, assurance and inward investment; and Russell Turner, who specialises in business advisory services for SMEs. The appointments come as the firm, which has 150 staff across its York and Leeds offices, starts trading as a limited company and they join former partners Bob Elliott, Colin Foster, John Kirman, Michael Backhouse, Susan Reid and David Dickson as directors. Garbutt & Elliott's taxation director, Michael Backhouse, said: "Garbutt & Elliott has gone through tremendous growth in recent years. We have won considerably more business and extended our field of activity throughout the North. Our breadth of expertise now matches or exceeds that of national firms with offices in the region.

"We are delighted to announce the appointment of six new directors who will now work with an extended management team to drive the firm forward to the next stage in our growth."