The Team

Lewis Van Emden - Managing Director

Lewis qualified as a Chartered Accountant over 18 years ago, and became a partner in a well known Abergavenny based practice in 2007. Training at Deloittes in London, he has a good understanding of the local market place and needs of Welsh businesses due to the fact that he acquired his post qualification experience in South East Wales, holding senior management and partner positions in Newport, Abergavenny and Cardiff based practices. Lewis works with SMEs, and oversees the provision of a full range of accountancy and business support services. Indicative of the proactive and client focused stance that Lewis takes with the enterprises that he works with is the fact that he encourages business owners to take advantage of the progressive, leading edge tax planning schemes that O'Brien & Partners have access to, and champions the highly successful Profit Improvement Programme.

 Mark Aherne - Tax Director

Mark gained his professional qualifications at Deloitte & Touche before moving to a regional firm to focus on owner managed businesses. He then joined the Cardiff Office of National Practice PKF where he was promoted to senior manager and gained significant experience in areas such as mergers & acquisitions, company reconstrcutions, employment issues, property transactions, profit extraction, research and development and many other complex planning matters. Most recently Mark headed up the tax department of a large regional firm and brings over 13 years experience focusing on owner managed businesses and SME's. His role involves dealing with complex tax planning issues and developing bespoke tax saving strategies for clients.

 Huw Sheppard - Audit & Accounts Manager

Huw qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2002 after training with Top 20 firm Bentley Jennison in their Swindon and London offices. During this time he was a prize winner for his professional exam results.Huw has a strong commercial background and understands what makes businesses tick, after working in commerce and industry for several years with Invensys Plc, a FTSE 100 company. From 2005 Huw has worked in South Wales at a senior management level within private practice, servicing a wide range of SME's. Statutory audit and accounts are Huw's core areas of expertise. In addition he has extensive experience of leading specialist work including financial due diligence, management accounts, commercial advice, and expert witness work. Huw's ethos is to provide a great service to all businesses, complemented with proactive advice targeted at improving profitability and encouraging growth.