Two hard-working professionals are helping Baines Jewitt plan for the future.

Grace Stobbs of Ingleby Barwick and Jemma Hoggard of Darlington have recently been promoted to become associate directors at North East chartered accountancy firm Baines Jewitt.

Grace joined Baines Jewitt in 2017 direct from Durham University, where she graduated in accounting and finance. Keen to stay in the local area within a professional firm, Grace was impressed by Baines Jewitt’s investment in the ongoing skills and qualifications of its employees.

Grace completed a three-year professional training programme in 2020 to become an associate chartered accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW).

Jemma took a different route to progress her career. Following on from sixth form college, Jemma initially trained with a top 15 international accountancy firm where she achieved an Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualification in 2006 and became a chartered accountant with the ICAEW in 2009.  Jemma joined Baines Jewitt in 2015, where she was awarded an ICAEW Certificate of Fellowship in 2019.

Initially employed as an audit manager, and becoming a registered senior statutory auditor in 2023, Jemma’s recent promotion to associate director means she will take a more strategic role within Baines Jewitt, although she will continue to work closely with clients to oversee and approve annual audits.

Talking of Grace and Jemma’s promotion from within the firm, Don Adams, director of Baines Jewitt said: “As well as focusing on the importance of day-to-day tasks, we recognise the significance of looking to the future through strategic decision making and succession planning. This means we can keep things running smoothly by transferring knowledge, developing new skills and rewarding emerging talent.  Grace and Jemma are prime examples of this. Both have built a wealth of expertise which is valued by colleagues and clients alike.”