ACCOUNTANCY company KPMG has appointed a restructuring partner to its Newcastle office.

MARK FIRMIN, from Spennymoor, County Durham, has worked for KPMG for 14 years, since joining the audit practice in its Darlington office within a year of graduating from UMIST in Manchester. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, he moved to the Newcastle office to focus on restructuring work.

His career then took him to London for a 15-month secondment with a UK clearing bank where he advised on lending decisions relating to financially distressed corporate customers.

Mr Firmin then joined the Leeds office of KPMG in 2001, and was promoted to director in 2004.

He said he was delighted to return to the North-East.

"I look forward to assisting the boards and stakeholders of underperforming companies with a broad range of turnaround support including providing advice on cash management, cash generation and rapid cost reduction," he said.