Belfast accountancy firm Sumer Northern Ireland has announced two senior managerial appointments across its tax and innovation tax relief functions, as the firm continues a period of sustained growth, as reported by the Belfast News Letter. Michael Pucci joins as practice workflow senior manager and Dermot McElduff takes up the role of senior manager in the firm's innovation tax relief team.

Pucci brings more than 25 years of experience in retail and business banking, alongside four years specialising in financial crime and banking operations consulting. In his new role at Sumer NI, he will assume responsibility for operational leadership and workflow management across the tax department, covering staff management and coaching, workflow oversight, recruitment support, client onboarding, financial management and business development. The firm noted his extensive project management expertise, analytical capability and focus on enhancing customer experience and leading teams through change.

McElduff is a graduate of Ulster University with a BSc in Computing Science and brings close to 25 years of experience in the technology sector, having worked with both start-up businesses and global corporates across software development, technology infrastructure and senior leadership. In his new role, he will work with Sumer NI's clients to assess the eligibility of software and technology projects for R&D tax relief, supporting businesses through the full claims process to ensure compliance, robustness and accuracy.

The appointments follow a period of sustained growth at Sumer NI and reflect the firm's continued investment in operational excellence and client service quality. The innovation tax relief team in particular has seen rising demand as Northern Ireland businesses in technology and software development sectors increasingly seek expert guidance on R&D claims, a function that requires both deep technical knowledge of qualifying activities and rigorous compliance standards.

Sumer NI is part of the wider Sumer Group, a UK accountancy and professional services group that has expanded significantly through acquisition in recent years, building a network of regional practices across the UK with a particular focus on owner-managed businesses and SMEs.

For accountancy firms across Northern Ireland, the dual appointment reflects the growing importance of combining sector-specific technical expertise with strong operational infrastructure as client demand for specialist tax and innovation advisory services continues to intensify.