The Kelsall Steele ethos
We treat your business and financial affairs as seriously
This year we are aiming to raise £1,500
The breadth and depth of expertise on offer at Kelsall Steele enables us to provide a holistic service and foster close relationships with all our clients, which we have done successfully for more than 60 years.
, the South West and farther afield. The services we provide include:
• Chartered accountancy and business advice
We have a specialist tax team within our chartered accountancy department and, together with the independent financial services department in our sister company
, we are able to provide unique, wide-ranging advice on inheritance tax matters.
Our philosophy
To fully understand your needs, we get to know you and find out what makes you tick. Only then can we begin to treat your business and financial affairs as seriously as we treat our own, which is the goal that underpins everything we do.
A passage adapted from The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley, 1979, perfectly illustrates our philosophy to treating each and every client as an individual:
No two businesses or individuals are the same, so we implement a programme tailored to your current needs only once we’ve understood what those needs are. And because we understand business and finance, our approach to everything we do is both pragmatic and flexible.
Bernard, a fellow of the ICAEW, trained and qualified with KPMG. After qualification, Bernard moved to PricewaterhouseCoopers where he became a taxation specialist before returning to Cornwall to become a partner in Kelsall Steele.
Bernard acts for a wide portfolio of businesses, including substantial private companies and partnerships, advising on their financial, taxation and commercial activities. As part of his professional work, Bernard acts as a non-executive director for a number of companies, including the UK subsidiary of a substantial European plc.
Building on his professional and business experience, Bernard provides clients with advice and support on a range of corporate finance assignments, including finance raising and grants, the purchase and sale of businesses, commercial negotiations and due diligence exercises.
Clare, Fellow of ACCA and Member of ICAEW, heads up Kelsall Steele’s corporate department, focusing on business development, company valuations, profit maximisation and extraction, and exit strategy planning within a wide range of client type and size. She also specialises in audit, charities and solicitors and is a responsible individual for audit purposes.
Following graduation from King’s College London with a BA (Hons) in Classics, Clare trained in the London branch of Mazars before returning to Cornwall and working in a small local practice. Clare joined Kelsall Steele in 2005 and believes in a personal approach with a friendly, professional service tailored to each client’s needs.
Malcolm joined Kelsall Steele as a trainee in 1986 and gained membership of the ACCA in 1997, also being promoted to Manager within the firm. Malcolm, a Member of the ICAEW, became a Director of Kelsall Steele in 2011.
Malcolm comes from a Cornish farming family and uses this interest and knowledge to advise clients on all issues surrounding farming and rural business. He also deals with the accounts and tax affairs of a range of small and medium-sized businesses, focusing on Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax, succession planning and maximising client wealth.
Business Director
Cara brings more than 15 years of experience in information technology, communications, finance and human resources to her role as Business Director at Kelsall Steele.
Cara joined the firm in 1997 as a trainee with a Business and Finance qualification. After completing her AAT studies and exams, and while performing an accounts senior role, she began developing the internal IT support role. In 2001 this became her full-time role. As part of this development she has trained in IT, networking, project and conflict management, Microsoft specialisms and as a Business NLP practitioner.
Her core role has since evolved into providing support for not only technology and communications but also human resources and the firm’s financial information. She is on hand for both Kelsall Steele and Kelsall Steele Investment Services.
With the support of her team, Cara is fully equipped to provide all internal support as well as being perfectly suited to assisting clients with ICT systems necessary for their specific needs.
Neil started his career in taxation working for the Inland Revenue in London, initially dealing with Stamp Duty, before moving on to specialise in Company Directors and the taxation of partnerships and the self-employed. He left the Inland Revenue and moved to Plymouth in the early 1980s to join the tax department of a Chartered Accountant before moving on to Cornwall.
Neil joined Kelsall Steele in 2006 bringing with him more than 30 years of experience in all areas of direct UK taxation. Outside of the office Neil has been a keen local cricketer and enjoys the occasional pint of real ale!
Martyn commenced his articles with the Institute of Chartered Accountants with the Penzance firm of Chown and Robins in 1975 before relocating to gain much more wide ranging experience with Kelsall Steele in 1978.
Lisa joined Kelsall Steele in 2001 as a trainee Payroll Administrator and has progressed to managing the Payroll department. In her time at Kelsall Steele she has developed an understanding of the payroll requirements of employers from a variety of industries including retail, agriculture, leisure and tourism, law and healthcare.
Lisa prides herself on building excellent working relationships with all her clients, anticipating many of their needs, meeting strict deadlines and making sure all aspects of PAYE legislation are complied with.
