Team director Onelia Angelosanto came from rival BDO last year and she has recruited three more former BDO colleagues to join her in the EY unit which is being set up in response to growing demand

EY has set up a new Global Trade team in the North West, in response to growing demand for support and advice from businesses involved in international trade.

Onelia Angelosanto has re-joined EY as Director in the Global Trade team in Manchester, having previously spent nine years at BDO.

Since December, she has been building her team and is joined by Anthony Drozdowski, Nicole Blyth and most recently Rizwaan Zabar, who joined at the end of January, completing the team of four. All join the firm from BDO.

The new recruits make EY’s one of the largest Global Trade and customs duty teams in the North West, with a wealth of experience in advising and assisting businesses on customs and international trade matters from both a practice and industry perspective. It also extends EY’s UK Global Trade team to more than 20 dedicated professionals.

Onelia Angelosanto said: “With Brexit on the horizon and the implementation of the Union Customs Code duty legislation well underway, customs duty is a hot topic for businesses.

“With only a year to go before the UK exits the EU, businesses are starting to wake up to Brexit and, as such, are starting to consider the potential impact to their supply chain operations.

“In this uncertain environment it is tricky for businesses to develop growth plans based on external factors that are likely to change. However, there is a consensus that planning ahead can give you a competitive advantage.

“We are looking to grow the global trade business regionally and take customs duty as an offering out to the marketplace, focussing on those businesses that are highly active from an international trade perspective.”

There are plans to further grow the Global Trade team in the North and EY is looking to recruit into Leeds, working with Penny Isbecque, who has been part of the national Global Trade team for more than 20 years.

Bob Ward, EY senior partner for the North West, said: “This is the right time for us to be investing in our Global Trade team and Onelia, Anthony, Nicole and Rizwaan are great additions to the team. I’m of course pleased to be able to say we will have their expertise and knowledge easily available to the many successful import and export businesses based in the North.”