Sumer Northern Ireland (Sumer NI) has announced two significant managerial hires to bolster its Tax and Innovation Tax Relief functions.

Michael Pucci, who brings over 25 years' experience in retail and business banking and a further four years in financial crime and banking operations consulting, has been named Practice Workflow Senior Manager at Sumer NI.

Pucci has a strong record in operational leadership, team development and delivering efficiency across complex settings.

In his new position, he will lead operational performance and workflow management within the Tax department. His responsibilities include staff management and coaching, workflow oversight, recruitment support, client onboarding, financial management and contributing to wider business development. He also brings extensive project management skills, robust analytical and problem-solving capabilities, and a clear focus on improving customer experience and guiding teams through change.

Meanwhile, Dermot McElduff has been appointed Senior Manager in Sumer NI’s Innovation Tax Relief team.

An Ulster University graduate with a BSc (Hons) in Computing Science, McElduff has nearly 25 years’ experience in the technology sector, working with both start-ups and global corporations across software development, technology infrastructure and senior leadership roles.

In his role, McElduff will support Sumer NI's clients by assessing the eligibility of software and technology projects for R&D tax relief and guiding them through the end-to-end claims process to ensure compliance, robustness and accuracy.