Group Directors

Group Chief Executive Officer - Daren Moore FCCA

Daren Moore has spent his whole career in the accountancy practice sector, having worked his way up from accounts trainee to a member of the Management Board of Price Bailey LLP, a Top 25 regional firm, where he has an outstanding track record of achievement. His Management Board role involved a number of strategic planning functions, looking at business growth, acquisition opportunities, investment analysis, team building and incentive initiatives, innovation in technology, and cloud services and broader operational planning.

Daren joined The TaxAssist Direct Group Board of Directors in 2018 as Group Commercial Director. As Group Commercial Director Daren took responsibility for supporting all group technical and practice development functions. He also took the lead on a number of group wide initiatives, including the development of a tax consulting business and an inhouse payroll bureau to support franchisees and the launch of a new financial services business.

Daren has also focused on broadening service delivery, creating new fee and profit opportunities for franchisees and new income streams for the TaxAssist Group.

In 2022, Daren became Group Chief Executive Officer and oversees the entire Group operation, expansion and development of the franchise and various client services. With a solid knowledge of the accounting and taxation industry, in which he is a well-known and respected figure, Daren brings his 30 years of expertise to his role, to ensure the continued success and growth of the network in the UK and globally.

Daren’s LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.

Group Director & UK Managing Director - Sarah Robertson MSc, Dip M, FCIM, FIDM, Chartered Marketer

Sarah has more than 30 years’ experience in the marketing and advertising industry, working with a broad range of national and regional brands, specialising in financial services. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Fellow of the Institute of Direct Marketing. Sarah joined the TaxAssist Accountants Board in September 2004 and for 12 years was responsible for marketing strategy, brand development, shopfronts, practice management and business development strategies for the UK network.

In 2016, Sarah was appointed as the Group Operations Director with overall responsibility for the operational overview of the UK network and the TaxAssist Academy. She has a vast working knowledge of the network and is fully focussed on the future needs of the business including the utilisation of technologies to improve practice performance and profitability.

In 2022, in addition to her Group Director responsibilities, Sarah was appointed as the UK Managing Director with specific responsibility for the support, guidance and performance of the UK network of franchisees and staff.

Sarah's LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.

Group Business Development Director - James Mattam (BSc. Hons)

James has spent his entire full-time career with TaxAssist Accountants since completing his honours degree in Business Information Systems. After spending five years as our IT Manager building many websites and providing support to the franchisees, he then took on the role as our Marketing Manager in 2004 to face a new challenge. James went on to become Senior Business Development Manager driving a team to deliver record numbers of leads to the network and ensure brand consistency was maintained through online, print media and the shop fronts and offices within the UK network.

In 2018 James launched TaxAssist’s national television brand campaign, the first of its kind in the UK for the accounting sector, and has expanded the social media programme for the UK franchise network to drive more awareness in each local territory.

James joined the Group Board in 2016 and is responsible for marketing campaigns, brand development, shopfronts, and client acquisition strategies are implemented across all Group companies to support growth plans for the business.

James' LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.

Group Commercial Director - Mike Melling

Mike Melling was appointed as Group Development Director on 1st February 2022, becoming the first TaxAssist Accountants franchisee to serve as an Executive Director. He retains ownership of his franchise in conjunction with his director responsibilities.

He joined TaxAssist Accountants in 2012, after purchasing a franchise resale covering Harpenden and St Albans – the first £1m+ resale for the network. Mike bought a second resale covering the High Wycombe and Beaconsfield area in 2015. Keen to continue growing the practices, Mike invested in staff, technology and client acquisition marketing, to build his practice to a growing 25 person team. He now serves nearly 2,000 small businesses, Directors and individual clients from six shops and offices, with the combined businesses being one of the largest TaxAssist Accountants practices in the UK.

Prior to joining TaxAssist, Mike enjoyed a 35-year career as a Senior Financial Services Executive in the UK, USA and Asia for American Express, GE Capital and Marsh & McLennan including board-level roles for subsidiary companies. He also served as UK President for operational consultancy Alexander Proudfoot Company serving large and mid-capitalisation businesses.

Mike’s role is to support the growth of The TaxAssist Group in the UK and globally, help with the development of the UK based subsidiaries and develop further support for UK based franchisees using the experiences he has built up since joining the network.

Mike is also a director and investor in TaxAssist Financial Services Ltd

Mike's LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.

Group Non - Executive Director

Phil Sullivan (BSc. Hons), ACIB

During a 26-year career with HSBC Bank plc Phil achieved Executive Management status and undertook roles covering a wide range of disciplines including retail banking, corporate and commercial banking, credit control, strategic planning, human resources and training. Phil established his own business in 2006 providing corporate and commercial advisory services to selected business clients. His main business interests lie in corporate finance and management/leadership theory and practice.

Phil was appointed as an Adviser to the Board in 2007 and became an Executive Director in October 2008. As a full-time Executive Director Phil's main responsibilities included UK and international finance, internal financial control, company secretarial responsibilities and a major input into strategic planning and management of major projects. In 2022 Phil moved to a part-time Non-Executive Director role. As a member of the Group Board he Chairs the Audit Committee, retains an overview of Group finances and supports the Group MD with strategic planning and talent development.

Phil's LinkedIn profile can be viewed here.