PricewaterhouseCoopers has appointed Brittney Saks as head of US personal financial services. 

Saks brings 20 years of financial planning experience to her new role, where she will lead a team of tax and wealth management professionals. She replaces Richard Kohan, who retired on 1 January 2012. 

"The tax and wealth management landscape has become increasinly complex with changing regulations and continued economic and legislative uncertainty. Bringing all aspects of wealth management together is crucial," said Saks. 

Saks joined PwC's San Francisco tax practice in 1993 and has been working for the personal financial services division since 1996. She became a partner in 2004.

The personal financial services group of PricewaterhouseCoopers is part of the private company services practice, which works with around 60 per cent of the companies on the Forbes list of America's largest private firms. The unit employs some 1,800 financial planning professionals who specialize in the affairs of high net worth individuals and their families.