Former Head of Tax at Boots joins Cooper Parry as Business Tax Partner
Karen Francis has joined the business advisory firm Cooper Parry. Based at their Derby office Karen has been appointed as a partner to further strengthen their Business Tax team. She brings with her the advantages of having worked as Head of Tax both for a very large PLC and the regional office of a national accountancy firm.
Karen qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1990 and then as a Chartered Tax Adviser only one year later. Soon after qualifying, she went to work as a tax manager for Boots PLC’s property division. She was quickly promoted and became Head of UK tax for the whole of the group in 2000. Later she joined PKF and became head of tax for Nottingham and Derby, specialising in dealing with the tax affairs of SMEs and entrepreneurial clients. Outside of work Karen has spent nearly all her life in Derbyshire and is married with 2 children. She has diverse interests ranging from playing brass and wind instruments to gradually renovating a 250 year old property in the Mayenne region of France which she and her husband own.
Karen said “My years at Boots were invaluable because I took overall responsibility for the entire range of taxes which affected the company and its employees, including Corporation Tax, VAT, PAYE and Stamp Duty. This involved developing and maintaining a good working relationship with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) which also stands me in good stead now that I have returned to professional office life”.
Cooper Parry is a regional-based firm of advisors to private business in Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. The firm was placed 30th nationally in the Accountancy Age Top 50 firms in 2006 and is verified as the largest independent accountancy firm in the Midlands. It has a focused client team of over 250. Derbyshire Business of the Year in 2005, the firm works in all sectors, offers a range of services and was the only UK accountancy firm to be listed in the 2004, 2005 and 2007 Sunday Times Best Companies To Work For listing. In February Cooper Parry were also awarded 2 Star Status in the 2007 Best Companies Accreditation.