New partner in Hong Kong

We are very pleased to announce that Mr Stephen Weatherseed, a current Grant Thornton United Kingdom partner, will be joining us on 3 January 2011 as a director in Hong Kong. Stephen was previously with Grant Thornton Hong Kong for 16 years until 2005 before transferring to the UK. He is now returning to Hong Kong and we are delighted that he is joining us. Many of his former clients/contacts in Hong Kong will also be pleased to hear of his return as this will provide him with an opportunity of reconnecting.

Stephen’s role within the firm will include international audit clients, both as contact and/or engagement partner, and special projects in relation to mergers and acquisitions and litigation support. He will also focus on practice development for the firm with a view to increasing Mazars brand awareness within Hong Kong. He will be a member of the firm’s Management Committee.

Stephen is a senior partner who has spent almost 30 years in professional financial services, over half of which have been based in Hong Kong and Asia, and the remainder in UK and Europe. He is currently the engagement partner for the audit of KPMG Europe. His experience includes practice management; developing new service lines; establishing and appointing representative firms in new countries; advising clients on corporate finance, audit, risk management and cross border transactions, and also on China/Asian investment/trading strategies. He has a recognised track record of building and managing businesses, establishing profile, advising complex, multi-national clients; developing new business; executing transaction services, and acting as financial expert.

With a Degree in Economics and Law from Durham University in UK, Stephen is a Fellow member of the ICAEW and HKICPA. In terms of foreign languages, he has varying levels of fluency/knowledge of French, Russian and Mandarin.