When I first shared our story of bringing Hutcheon Mearns and Cooper Parry together, it was very much about fit – chemistry, culture, and a shared belief that professional services can be done differently.
Since the deal, it’s become clear that when values align, momentum follows. What felt like the right decision on paper has quickly proved itself in practice.
Now, Cooper Parry’s Scotland team is scaling its capability, deepening our client relationships and investing in the regions and industries where Scottish businesses are making bold moves of their own.
The breadth of services (a lot more on that below) we can now bring to the table, combined with CP’s national platform, means we’re solving bigger problems and having more meaningful impact than ever before.
But the real story hasn’t changed. This has always been about people. About creating a business where talent is trusted, bold ideas are encouraged, careers have genuine runway, and our clients reap the rewards of working with a highly engaged team.
In Aberdeen, it resonates more than ever. We’re bringing colour to the Granite City with next-gen, fast-moving advice. Below, you can hear directly from a handful of the people making it happen.
KEITH COPELAND, HEAD OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
What does your day to day look like at CP?
As Head of AI for CP Scotland, I turn cutting-edge AI research into operational firepower, bridging the gap between complex machine learning and practical business solutions. My team builds the engines that automate the ordinary, helping our clients completely rethink how they scale.
What’s the ‘secret sauce’ to your role?
The pipeline between academic research and rapid, real-world application. We constantly monitor bleeding-edge AI research papers, rapidly test those concepts, and deploy them as secure, enterprise-grade workflows. We stay steps ahead of the market by iterating and applying new capabilities faster than anyone else.
What does ‘Next Gen’ mean for our clients?
Total operational freedom. Trading the manual grind for machine intelligence. By letting enterprise-grade AI do the heavy lifting, we give businesses their most valuable asset back: time. Less operational friction, more focus on driving strategy and growth.
KATIE KEAY, HEAD OF INTERIM SPECIALISTS
Tell us a bit about your role
I lead CP Scotland’s Interim Specialists team, a high‑calibre group of practice‑trained, industry experienced accountants who slot into businesses exactly where they’re needed. In short, I make sure organisations get the right finance expertise at the right moment.
How does CP stand out in Scotland?
It’s the breadth of what we offer. We’re shaking up the Scottish market with fresh thinking, boutique energy and Big 4 capability. Our team combines our Strategic Talent offering (interim specialists and permanent recruitment) with outsourced finance and in-house AI and data automation to solve finance problems from every angle and build long-term resilience into the finance function.
What kind of clients do you work with?
I work across a wide spectrum, from high‑growth SMEs to large, complex global organisations, supporting clients across sectors including energy (operators and service providers), food and drink, manufacturing, and estate and property. Whether it be a business in transition, a gap in capability, a pressure point that needs experienced hands (immediately), my job is to deploy the right expertise to remove risk, restore momentum, and give leadership the space to make smart long‑term decisions.
JANE GRANT, RECRUITMENT DIRECTOR
How do you support our clients?
I lead CP’s Finance Recruitment offering across Aberdeen and Glasgow, partnering with ambitious businesses to build finance teams that move the dial. From first‑ever hires to senior leadership appointments, my focus is simple: finding people who don’t just fill a role but help shape what the business becomes next.
How does our approach differ to a more traditional recruiter?
Put simply, our unique offering is unmatched in the recruitment space.
We don’t “do recruitment” in isolation. As part of a next‑gen professional services group, we combine deep market knowledge with real‑time insight from our outsourced finance teams, interim specialists, and data & AI experts, providing a fully integrated service that goes well beyond traditional recruitment. That means smarter hires, faster decisions, and a recruitment process that’s genuinely embedded in how a business operates.
What’s the most important aspect of your role?
People. Always. I’m a qualified accountant by background, so I get finance teams – the pressure, the deadlines, the career crossroads and opportunities. That lived experience shapes how I recruit. I don’t just fill roles. I take the time to understand cultures, ambitions, and what “right” actually looks like for both clients and candidates. That leads to better hires and stronger, longer‑term outcomes.
LACHLAN ROBERTSON, SENIOR CORPORATE FINANCE ANALYST
What do you do at CP?
I’m part of CP’s Corporate Finance team, advising business owners on their strategic options: acquisitions, disposals, and raising capital. Day to day, I support transactions through detailed financial analysis, compelling marketing materials, and coordinated due diligence.
How do we do that differently to other firms in Aberdeen?
Our team blends real industry experience with professional services expertise, giving clients insight from multiple angles. We also operate with a genuine challenger mindset, exploring alternative structures, strategies and routes where others default to the obvious.
Who do you typically work with?
Primarily owner‑managed and shareholder‑led businesses in energy services and industrial sectors, typically supporting shareholders considering exit options or businesses assessing potential acquisition opportunities.
As a team, we’ve advised on several high‑profile deals, including the sale of Port of Nigg, which won Large Deal of the Year (Scotland) for transactions over £50m.
CRAIG SMITH, TRANSACTION SERVICES MANAGER
How do you make your clients’ lives easier?
By truly supporting them through the realities of M&A from financial due diligence to deal execution. I’m confident that by combining strong technical knowledge and commercial awareness, I give our clients the answers, confidence, and trust they need to navigate what can be a high-pressure, unfamiliar process.
Can you give us any examples of the types of clients you work with?
Typically it’s corporates, private equity, and investment firms navigating acquisitions and portfolio growth. Recent examples include:
- Envoy Capital Management – delivering multiple FDD engagements to provide clarity and confidence across transactions.
- Energy Growth Momentum (EGM) – supporting a stake increase within an existing portfolio investment, offering independent validation and deeper insight.
We talk a lot about being ‘Next Gen’, but what does that mean for our clients?
Faster, deeper analysis powered by technology, combined with advisors who are open to change and focused on delivering real value.
SCOTT GARDEN, HEAD OF OUTSOURCED FINANCE, SCOTLAND
Tell us about your role at CP
I lead CP Scotland’s Outsourced Finance team, supporting both our people and our clients on a day‑to‑day basis. Alongside ongoing outsourced roles, I work closely with businesses on project‑based assignments, including acquisition accounting and purchase price work. Regular client contact is key. We aim to be an extension of their business, not an external supplier.
How does CP go above and beyond in the Scottish market?
We’re bold by design. Yes, we deliver core services like outsourced finance, tax, and deals. But CP invests heavily in AI, automation, and data, transforming how those services are delivered. Add in recruitment and interim finance, and clients get a fully joined‑up support ecosystem they can tap into whenever they need it.
What are the most important aspects of your role?
Flexibility and trust. Many of our clients don’t have in‑house finance leadership. They rely on us as a sounding board for compliance, strategy and growth. The key is being proactive, responsive and commercially minded.
EMMA MIDDLER, INTERIM TAX SPECIALIST
How do you make a difference to our clients?
I give hands‑on tax support during moments of business change, growth, transition or unexpected disruption. I often step in at short notice, ensuring continuity, maintaining compliance and keeping critical deadlines on track while clients work through longer‑term solutions.
What does CP bring to the Aberdeen market that other advisers don’t?
It’s the joined‑up blend of specialist finance expertise and finance recruitment under one roof. This dual capability allows us to look beyond a traditional advisory relationship and focus on finding the right solution for our clients. By combining interim specialists with recruitment and advisory services as part of our Strategic Talent offering, we solve tax and finance challenges in real time. It’s pretty unique!
What does being a ‘Next Gen adviser’ mean to you and our clients?
Anticipating change rather than reacting to it. Next Gen is about agility, innovation and forward thinking. It’s about staying ahead of the curve. Continuously evolving solutions to meet emerging needs. Delivering smarter support today while preparing businesses for what’s coming next.
ARE YOU AN AMBITIOUS SCOTTISH BUSINESS LOOKING FOR NEXT GEN ADVICE?
We should talk. With hubs across key geographies in Scotland and a 2,000+ team of UK talents, we’re here to help you scale smarter with joined-up support across the full professional services spectrum.
Take a look around our website to find out more, and if you have any questions, get in touch.
