Since the expansion of our Newcastle office last year, we’ve been building up our team of sharp minds. From May 2025, we have welcomed five new talented professionals to our team across a wide scope of roles. 

We sat down to speak with Adrienne, Will, Zita, Rebecca and Alex to find out more about them and their career paths.

Meet Adrienne Paterson, our new Tax Director

With a 30-year tax career, Adrienne brings decades of experience to the team, with key expertise in transaction-based work.

What drew you to Johnston Carmichael at this stage in your career?

Its values and its culture, alongside the amount of tax expertise there is, and the broad range of specialisms that have helped to build up a talented team already within it. When you put that together with the forward-thinking values and the culture, which are demonstrated throughout from joining, it's a perfect fit.

What will your new role as Tax Director involve?

My focus will be to strengthen our profile in the North East, particularly around Transaction Tax. If a business is looking to sell, restructure or expand, I want Johnston Carmichael to be the first name they think of when it comes to expert tax advice.

What unique insights or experiences do you think you'll bring to the firm?

With many years of experience in tax, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a wide range of businesses and professionals across the North East. Over time, you start to see patterns – while the tax landscape continues to evolve, certain challenges and opportunities recur, and that perspective becomes invaluable. I also bring a deep understanding of the North East market, built over years of working closely with clients in the region. Combining that local insight with my technical specialism allows me to offer a rounded and practical approach to supporting businesses here.

Meet our Senior Tax Manager, Will Hamilton

Driven to Johnston Carmichael by its reputation as a fast-moving, growth-orientated business, Will joins the team with 24 years of experience in corporation tax compliance.  

What trends or challenges do you see shaping your area of tax in the coming year?

There are funding requirements in a number of areas across the UK, and the tax system will be called upon to plug those gaps. Large sweeping measures may prove unpopular, as companies like certainty around areas like tax cost, and increases in corporate taxation can work against aims of investment in the UK.

I think we’ll therefore continue to see more targeted behaviour from the authorities to tackle tax leakage, and I expect that some aspects of tax compliance may become more onerous as a result. The world is a volatile place at the moment, and it can be difficult to predict how authorities may react in anticipation of, and as a reaction to, change.

What do you enjoy most about working in tax?

I like having the opportunity to work with and meet people from all backgrounds, and I’m always excited to work with businesses who are undertaking bold and innovative activities.

Meet Zita Duggan, our new Tax Manager

 Zita has a passion for helping people navigate complex areas of tax, and looking after companies’ best interests through expert advice, as well as their customers and investors.

What attracted you to JC, and what excites you most about your new role?

I relish the idea of helping to grow a relatively new team here in Newcastle whilst having the considerable support of a much bigger team in Scotland. The quality of the team was also important to me. I had come across several people in both the Newcastle and Scottish teams in previous roles and knew they were people I really wanted to work with.

What key skills or expertise do you bring to the team?

I have over 30 years’ experience in tax, over 20 of which has been spent advising on employee share plans and employment related securities.

Meet Rebecca McColl, our new Tax Senior Manager

Having owned businesses in both the UK and overseas, Rebecca has a deep understanding of the key challenges that businesses face globally, and the benefits that tax relief schemes can bring when incorporated correctly.

What attracted you to join the team at Johnston Carmichael?

JC is an independent accountancy and business advisory firm with an incredibly wide range of expertise rivalling the offerings of other large organisations. With the company being so well-respected in Scotland, it was an exciting prospect to be part of their expansion to the North East of England. It’s great to be building a base for the innovation tax sector here in my hometown.

What do you enjoy most about working in tax?

The innovation tax sector is somewhat different to the other areas of tax, as we don’t just work with the numbers side of things. As the research and development tax relief scheme and the patent box scheme often work hand in hand, it is great to see how companies can develop their ideas into a commercially viable product and see that product being sold in the marketplace. An outcome of my area of tax is either a reduction in a company’s corporation tax or a cash refund, seeing how either option can have a hugely positive impact to any business no matter what stage they are at, is enormously satisfying.

Meet our new Corporate Audit Assistant, Alex Atkinson

As a recent university graduate, Alex is excited to kickstart his career with JC.

What excites you most about joining the team?

The opportunity to meet with a diverse range of clients across various sectors. This exposure allows me to gain first-hand insight into different industries, business models, and operational structures. Engaging with professionals from a wide range of backgrounds not only broadens my perspective but also enhances my ability to adapt quickly and communicate effectively.

What do you hope to bring to your role?

As someone at the beginning of my career, I can provide a fresh viewpoint, a solid academic foundation, and an acute attention to detail as someone just starting out in my profession. I gained a strong grasp of accounting principles, financial analysis, and audit procedures during my degree program. I've developed my problem-solving abilities and critical financial data analysis skills by working on case studies and group projects that mirrored actual audit circumstances. Even though I don't currently have a very noteworthy career story, I'm excited to make a significant contribution to the audit process right away.