Working on a variety of projects for different companies was among the features of the job that drew Michael Caldwell to the role of head of accountancy services at Scottish professional services firm Hutcheon Mearns. And it鈥檚 this unique range of services under one roof that helps the firm attract and retain clients. Hutcheon Mearns prides itself on providing sought-after specialist services, including corporate finance, finance support, finance automation and finance staffing solutions. From starting out in Aberdeen a decade ago, the firm now has offices in Dundee, and more recently, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It operates under the pillars of deals, people and insights. Caldwell joined the Edinburgh office in March this year as part of the company鈥檚 drive to expand its specialists offering across the central belt of Scotland. He previously worked for EY for many years, including time in Australia, and for Grant Thornton. He says: 鈥淲hat really appealed to me about Hutcheon Mearns is that you鈥檙e not doing the same thing month after month. You鈥檙e meeting different clients on a variety of projects. 鈥淲e provide short-term finance cover, project-related work and support with audit via our in-house, employed specialist team. Short-term cover fills staffing gaps by putting in place a flexible interim resource, for example when someone is off on maternity leave, or on sick leave and the company doesn鈥檛 know when they will be back. 鈥淎nd if someone is leaving their role and a firm wants to take time to hire someone new to make sure they get the right person, we can provide interim cover during that period, including the time it takes to onboard the new employee. 鈥淚鈥檓 currently working with a client where a person is leaving in a few weeks. We鈥檝e helped the company find the most relevant candidates through our recruitment channels as we understood the role very well. We were able to suggest people that were more suitable than those found by traditional recruiters.鈥 Through its broad service offering, Hutcheon Mearns is helping clients deal with various challenges in the market, such as ensuring they find the best candidates for senior roles and avoid the mistake of hiring the wrong person. 鈥淎 company might advertise a finance role and not find the person that meets the requirements, but a month later there are three or four outstanding candidates. It can be a big challenge to get the right candidates and that鈥檚 where we can come in to fill the gaps. This helps avoid the situation where a firm appoints the wrong candidate and incurs time and money in having to recruit again,鈥 adds Caldwell. Another scenario he describes is working for a client which has recently made an acquisition. This means the finance team will have a lot to do, such as getting accountancy policies aligned, that will add to their usual day-to-day tasks. Firms are also having to prepare for the Financial Reporting Council鈥檚 (FRC) revisions to accountancy framework FRS102 which are being introduced from the start of next year. Caldwell says: 鈥淭he UK accountancy framework is aligning with international frameworks with respect to accounting for revenue and leases. That鈥檚 quite a transition. We can go in and support teams and provide guidance. Then with audits, we can manage the process for clients from start to finish. They still need to be involved, but we alleviate a lot of stress.鈥 Hutcheon Mearns also helps improve processes within client companies to make them more efficient by going in with a fresh set of eyes, according to Caldwell. Hutcheon Mearns鈥 has evolved over time to meet the needs of clients. Just last year it unveiled CFO Advisory Services, an expert-led, bespoke offering to support business owners and CFO candidates in achieving their ambitions. 鈥淔rom speaking to clients and working on projects, we鈥檙e able to find out what companies are looking for and expand our teams appropriately. For example, one of our specialists is now trained in sustainability reporting to provide guidance through the evolving ESG landscape. We also have specialists who are well trained in the area of tax and a digital team focused on data. We work closely with others across Hutcheon Mearns to make the most of opportunities out there,鈥 explains Caldwell. Looking ahead, Hutcheon Mearns plans to continue to expand its business and is investing across the central belt to grow its presence.