Our People

Senior Management Team

Roy Barton, Chairman

Roy trained on the Island and after qualifying in 1970, joined Price Waterhouse. Having spent 5 years in Jamaica, Roy joined Bright Brown and became a partner in 1977. Roy has a broad client base, which has enabled him to gain experience in a variety of industry sectors. This in turn has led to Roy providing a management support service for our larger clients. Roy also specialises in providing tax planning advice.

Fay Seabourne, Managing Director

Fay joined Bright Brown in 1986, qualified in 1993 and became a partner in 1996. Fay specialises in audit work and has a large client base of limited companies and charities. Fay also specialises in assisting clients with business acquisitions. As the managing director, Fay is responsible for the day-to-day running of the practice and organises the timing of assignments.

Mike Russell, Director

Mike trained with a medium sized firm in Eastbourne and qualified in 1990. Mike moved to a large firm in Southampton in 1991 and spent 7 years there as a manager. Mike joined Bright Brown in 1999 as a senior manager and became a partner in 2001. Mike spreads his time between our two offices and has a broad client base in each office. Mike heads up our tax department and specialises in providing tax-planning advice.

Betty Fokias, Director

Betty trained with Deloitte Touche in Cardiff and, after qualifying in 1975, moved to their London office as a manager in their business services department. In 1990 Betty spent a year in Spain auditing for Spicer Oppenheim in their Gibraltar office. After gaining several years’ experience in industry, Betty joined Bright Brown in 1998 as a senior manager and became a partner in 2001. Betty’s client base includes small owner managed businesses and audit clients.

David Stevens, Director

David joined the firm in 1999 having completed a HND course in Business at the Isle of Wight College. David qualified in 2002 and became a director in 2005. David spreads his time between our two offices and is building a broad client base in each office. David’s clients range in size between small sub-contractors to medium sized companies and charities.

Managers and Seniors

David Worters, Manager

David joined the firm in 1998, having gained a Physics degree from the University of Southampton, and qualified in 2002. David manages our payroll bureau and provides management support for a number of our larger clients. In addition, David prepares the accounts and tax returns for a number of business clients.David is also responsible for preparing business plans and cashflow projections for clients looking to start up a new enterprise or purchase an existing business.

Kay Arnold, Manager

Kay joined the firm in 1999 and fast-track qualified in 2002. Kay  looks after those tax clients with more complicated affairs, providing a complete compliance and tax planning package for them. Kay is also responsible for managing audits in respect of a number of our larger charity and limited company clients. In addition, Kay manages a small team of trainees, ensuring they receive the appropriate supervision and support.

Gavin Kelly, Manager

Gavin joined the firm in 1999, having obtained a degree in Economics from the University of Portsmouth and qualifying in 2003. Gavin is responsible for managing limited company, charity and pension scheme audits. Gavin also prepares tax returns for a number of our personal and business clients. In addition, Gavin is responsible for our firm’s computer systems, including the administration of our network. Gavin also manages a small team of trainees, ensuring they receive the appropriate supervision and support.

Karen Long, Management Accountant

Karen joined the firm in 1996 and qualified as an Accounting Technician in 1998. Karen has overall responsibility for our management accounts support team and ensures that the firm delivers a quality bookkeeping package for those clients who do not wish to maintain their own records. Karen also prepares monthly management accounts for a number of our larger clients. In addition, Karen spends a significant part of her time providing Sage support to our clients either at their premises or over the telephone.

James Palmer, Qualified Senior

James joined the firm in 2001, having obtained A levels in Pure Mathematics & Statistics and Business Studies, and qualified in 2007. As James is newly qualified, he has a varied workload, working predominantly in the areas of accounts preparation, taxation and audit. James also supervises junior trainees, ensuring they receive appropriate supervision and support.

Mandy Phillips, Qualified Accounting Technician

Mandy joined the firm in 2001 from the retail sector and qualified as an Accounting Technician in 2003. Mandy is responsible for preparing the payroll for some of our larger clients and supervises the payroll preparation in respect of other clients. Mandy maintains customer records for some of our clients, using whichever system best suits our clients. Mandy is fully trained on, and very experienced in, the Sage suite of products and provides Sage support to our clients, either at their premises or over the telephone.

Support Staff

Chris Deacon, Qualified Accounting Technician

Chris joined the firm in 2005, having obtained the double A level equivalent AVCE in Business Studies and an A level in Geography. Chris has recently qualified as an Accounting Technician and is now studying for his professional exams. Chris has always been drawn to a career in business and was a founder member of the Isle of Wight Young Chamber of Commerce. Chris has a varied workload, including preparation of accounts, audit assignments and payroll. In addition, Chris undertakes the role of company secretary for a significant number of our corporate clients.

Lynn Hiles, Qualified Accounting Technician

Lynn joined the firm in 2005, having obtained the double A level equivalent AVCE in Business Studies and A levels in Art & Design and English Literature. Lynn has recently qualified as an Accounting Technician. Lynn has a varied workload that includes preparing accounts, audit assignments, payroll and bookkeeping. Lynn is very experienced and competent in using Sage and maintains a number of our clients’ records using this software.

Claire Smith, Qualified Accounting Technician

Claire joined the firm in 2006 having obtained A levels in Mathematics and Business Studies. Prior to joining us, Claire worked as a trainee accountant for a medium sized firm of accountants in Lincolnshire. Claire is a qualified Accounting Technician and has a varied workload including preparing annual and management accounts, preparing payroll and VAT returns for clients and bookkeeping assignments. Claire has also been trained to use the Sage suite of software, which she regularly uses on behalf of our clients, both in our office and at our client’s premises.

Kyle Stevens, Qualified Accounting Technician

Kyle joined the firm in 2006 having obtained the double A level equivalent AVCE in Business Studies. Kyle has a very strong IT background, and contributes towards the day-to-day smooth running of our own IT systems. Kyle is a qualified Accounting Technician and has a varied workload including preparing accounts, preparing payroll and VAT returns for clients and assisting with audit work. Kyle has also been trained to use the Sage suite of software.

Vino Subramaniam, Qualified Accounting Technician

Vino joined the firm in 2008 having worked for four years in the retail sector. Vino is a qualified Accounting Technician and has a varied workload including preparing annual and management accounts, preparing payroll and VAT returns for clients and bookkeeping. Vino is fully trained on the Sage suite of products.

Sharon Moye, Administrator

Sharon joined the firm in 2006 having previously worked in the retail sector. Although Sharon only joined us recently she is already getting to know our clients and has increasingly taken on a greater burden of administrative tasks. In addition to the usual front of house administrative duties, Sharon also maintains the firm’s sales ledger.

Jenny Bond, Administrator / Company Secretarial Support

Jenny joined the firm in 2008 moving from a fee earning / administrative role in the legal profession. Jenny assists with day-to-day administrative tasks as well as undertaking a company secretarial role for a large number of our corporate clients. In addition, Jenny also prepares payroll for clients.

Anita Corney, Administrator

Anita joined the firm in 2008 moving from an administrative role in the legal profession. Anita undertakes day-to-day administrative tasks including the maintenance of our electronic document management system.