“Having spoken with the group we are all honoured to be mentioned and to share the credit with the great teams we work with,” said Francesca Lagerberg, Grant Thornton Global leader - tax services. “Grant Thornton strives to provide the highest tax services in the more than 130 countries in which we operate, and at the same time, create a workplace where women can unlock their potential for growth.”

International Tax Review’s 'women in tax - leaders' award highlights the credibility of some of the best women in tax in the world, as nominees are judged on technical ability, achievement of client objectives, seniority in own organisation, leadership in policy development with government and profile in representative associations.

The award recipients are:

• Roopa Aitken – Roopa is a corporate tax partner at Grant Thornton UK. She has significant experience of advising multinational groups on a wide range of tax matters. She specialises in EU claims and related tax issues and has advised many clients on the compatibility of UK and EU law. Most recently, she successfully advised in the Philips Electronics case which was heard by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Roopa's wider tax team and colleagues provide advice concerning all tax matters including indirect taxes and private client in addition to corporate tax, ensuring that all aspects of her clients' tax affairs are catered for.

• Francesca Lagerberg -Francesca is the global leader for tax services at Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL) and also serves as a member of the Grant Thornton global leadership team. She is responsible for Grant Thornton European member firms and global legal issues. She is the only woman running a global tax practice among the six largest global accounting organisations. Francesca is a regular commentator on tax and womens issues, having appeared in numerous major press outlets including the Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Reuters, Bloomberg TV and the BBC.

• Wendy Nicholls – Wendy, Grant Thornton UK, has more than 25 years' international experience advising clients in the UK and overseas and is a member of the Grant Thornton members firms' global transfer pricing leadership team. She is acknowledged in the Euromoney/Legal Media Group guide to the 'World's Leading Transfer Pricing Advisers' and the guide to the 'World's Leading Women in Business Law'. She sits on the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD and the Joint Transfer Pricing Forum which consists of government, tax authority and business representatives, and has the remit to help solve practical transfer pricing issues within the EU.

• Monica Söderlund – Monica is head of tax for Grant Thornton Sweden.  Previously, she was global head of tax at IKEA services and worked as an official at the Swedish tax agency. Monica has developed substantial expertise within the field of corporate and international taxation focusing on inward investments, restructuring and mergers and acquisitions. She leads more than 75 tax consultants, dealing in all areas of domestic and international taxation. Monica is a council member of the tax department at FAR, the institute for the accounting profession in Sweden, as well as FAR's tax authorisation committee.

For further information please contact:

John Vita

Director of Public Relations and External Affairs

T +1 312 602 8955

E John.Vita@gti.gt.com