BDO has hired Chris Bellairs as a partner within the financial services practice.

The newly-created role will bolster the financial services team as the accountancy and business advisory firm evolves to address changing regulation, complex competition and increasing customer expectations in the industry.

“Last month we confirmed our ambitious plans to grow the financial services practice and Bellairs’ appointment as partner is the next stage in that important process,” said Mark Hunt, head of BDO’s financial services practice.

Bellairs’ appointment closely follows news that Mark Hunt is now leading BDO’s financial services practice, which was announced last month alongside the hiring of Leigh Wormald as financial services partner.

“The financial services sector is facing the challenge of ever-increasing regulatory pressures, and specifically within internal audit, there is the need to embed and demonstrate Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors compliance,” said Bellairs. “My goal is to help organisations be better at managing risk efficiently and effectively.”

Bellairs joins BDO from PwC, where he led the insurance and investment management internal audit advisory service, and acted as senior statutory auditor on a number of external audits in the fund management sector.