Nine new directors and a new partner have been appointed by global accountancy group PwC’s West & Wales region as it heads into its new financial year.
New audit partner Stuart Couch, pictured, joined PwC in the region as a director in 2014, having been with the firm in London since 2001. 
Born and educated in South Wales, Stuart provides assurance, accounting, treasury and due diligence support to all types of businesses across the West of England and Wales – mainly start-ups, private equity and owner-managed businesses in the manufacturing, technology and life science sectors.
He is joined by PwC’s new directors, who will be based in either its Bristol or Cardiff offices.
The nine are Anton Horne (consulting), Emily Davis (global), Janet Fernihough (consulting), Katie Rimell (tax), Laura McSweeney (risk), Rhys Balcombe (tax), Stafford Moran (audit), Bruan Treharne (audit) and Lucy Stock (audit).
PwC employs 580 people in its West of England office at Temple Quay and has 12 partners across the region.
Stuart Couch said: “I am delighted to be admitted to the partnership and I’m very excited about the opportunities in front of us.
“We have a fantastic group of people in our Bristol and Cardiff offices and our continuing investment in the region will ensure that we remain in the very best position to service new and existing clients, which is particularly important as many businesses try to recover from what has been a very challenging last 18 months or so.”
PwC West & Wales regional market leader John-Paul Barker added: “I would like to congratulate Stuart on making partner. He has demonstrated over a number of years his leadership and commitment to clients and our people in the region.
“Our nine new directors will further strengthen our position in the market in the West and Wales, following on from the six new directors we gained in January.
“It’s testament to how we are growing as a practice, allied to our reputation for solving our clients’ most important problems, that we are able to invest in our people in this way.
“It augurs well for a busy year ahead, which will see further investment and growth in the region for us as a firm.”
PwC also promoted 15 of its people to senior manager and 30 to manager.
