Top UK accountancy and business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael has appointed a new Business Advisory Director in its Edinburgh office as it seeks to grow its rural sector practice.

Annie Fleming, who completed her training at Johnston Carmichael and is Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Association of Tax Technicians (ATT) and Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) qualified, returns to the firm after spending eight years in industry, operating at CFO level within some of Scotland’s most well-known and respected businesses.

From a farming family, and married to a farmer, Annie works with owner-managed businesses across a variety of sectors, including professional services and property, but will increasingly focus on rural businesses in collaboration with colleagues across the firm.

Johnston Carmichael has a well-established rural offering, which is led by partner Jenn Stewart, also Head of Dundee, but the firm aims to be more active in southern Scotland and northern England after it opened its first permanent Newcastle office almost two years ago.

Annie said: “The rural sector continues to evolve and adapt to changing markets, and my experience of working across other industries will help these businesses grow and develop.

“It is a difficult time for farmers, especially as we grapple with the challenges of climate change.

“Farming businesses are having to digitise and use much more technology in their day-to-day operations. They are diversifying into new areas, such as holiday lets, and renewable energy including solar and wind.

“Some people perhaps don’t realise just how much work the farming sector is doing to drive positive change. We are feeding the nation and using technology and innovation to maintain the land for future generations, so it’s an interesting industry and there is much work to be done.” 

Annie, who lives on a farm near Ratho, just outside of Edinburgh, will be mostly based at Johnston Carmichael’s Edinburgh office but will use her expertise to support a variety of owner-managed businesses across the firm’s network.

She added: “I feel like I have come home. I’ve been made really welcome by everyone, but at the same time, they appreciate my time away gaining experience at other businesses, which I can now bring back to help advise our clients.

“The firm has grown significantly since I left, but what hasn’t changed is the sense of legacy and the importance of developing the next generation to future proof the business and ensure succession for clients. Johnston Carmichael lives and breathes that, and I am proud to be part of such a firm.”

Jenn Stewart, partner and Head of Rural, Johnston Carmichael, said: “We welcome Annie back to Johnston Carmichael, and it’s wonderful that she has chosen to return to the firm to develop the next stage of her career. Her experience and knowledge will enhance our rural offering as we go to market in new geographies and help our farming community take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead as well as dealing with some of the challenges they face.”