A young accountant whose hobby is playing in a brass band is helping to orchestrate a secure recovery from the recession for companies in North East Wales.

Welsh-speaker Joanne Evans, 37, has joined the team at Coxeys.

She spends her days off playing the baritone horn with the Glyndwr University Brass Band and is now tuning up to use her expertise in the fields of audit and tax to help Coxeys' clients.

Joanne, who lives in Wrexham, was born and raised in nearby Coedpoeth and attended Ysgol Morgan Llwyd.

Joanne qualified as a Certified Chartered Accountant in 2001 and was delighted to land the job with Coxeys which represents a wide range of clients from sole traders right through to international market leaders.

In her spare time, Joanne swaps financial spreadsheets for musical scores as a member of the Glyndwr Brass Band with which she has been playing at events across the UK since she was a teenager.

In fact, it was as a result of the band that she met her 39-year-old husband Neil who is a cornet player with the same outfit.

The couple have two children, six-year-old Callum and Mia, three.

Joanne said: "One of the main reasons I wanted to join the firm was because it offers such a wide range of training in all aspects of accountancy and is also extremely committed to the personal development of its staff members.

"Coxeys is famous throughout the industry for its commitment to its staff and their training which was shown when it became the first and only firm of accountants in Wales to be awarded in Investors in People Gold Award in 2011.

"That's an internationally recognised standard and really counted for something when it came to me deciding to come to Coxeys.

"The training may be good but the people in the office are also great. There’s a fantastic atmosphere and everyone has been very helpful since I started my job here.

"I think that sort of friendliness also comes across to the clients and enhances the service we are able to provide for them."

Coxeys Director Anthony Lewis explained that Joanne is the most recent addition to a great of key staff who would enable the practice, which is one of the largest and oldest-established based in Wrexham, prepare for local companies’ emergence from recession.

He said: "We have built up a strong team of qualified accountants plus trainees to supply that high level of professional expertise and Joanne is a very important part of that.

"I think our new staff members are a sign not just of the confidence we have in the future of our practice but also that of the whole local economy."

Anthony added: "We are an approved training practice for the three main accountancy bodies, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England, Wales and the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants and Association of Accounting Technicians.

"We place great emphasis on the personal development of our team members, which is why we gained the Investors in People Gold Award two years ago.

"This commitment is one of the main reasons why people of the highest quality such as Joanne decide to join us."