Crowe Horwath Australia, the accounting and tax advisory firm, has added two advice specialists to its team. 

Mary ODriscoll and Jim Softsis join as business advisory principals with immediate effect. 

O'Driscoll brings almost 20 years of experience as a chartered accountant for a wide range of clients and specialises in succession planning, structuring and profit improvement. Softsis steps in with an expertise in tax, business consulting and compliance. Their appointments are important to the company's expansion strategy, particularly in services involving small to medium enterprises and high net worth individuals, the company said in a statement.

"It is vital for businesses to improve the way they operate at a fundamental level -- only those that do so will survive and even thrive given the current challenging conditions. Their expertise will give our clients the edge in achieving this goal," said Chris Shay, chief executive.

This increased advisory presence marks a growing trend among accounting firms looking to build a solid name in the financial planning industry. Just this month, consulting major KPMG boosted is global advisory practice with the appointment of an accounting veteran as head. 

Crowe Horwath Australia is a member of the US accounting and consulting firm Crowe Horwath International, which has a network of 141 independent accounting and advisory firms worldwide.