Member Article

This week’s Yorkshire appointments

Gateley, Pauline Munro

The Leeds office of national law firm, Gateley has expanded its practice further with the appointment of legal director, Pauline Munro to head the office’s new Regulatory team.

William Ballmann, corporate recovery partner and head of the Leeds office, commented: “We’ve recently celebrated our third anniversary and what a journey it has been so far as the practice has quadrupled in size.

“We established the office with an initial focus on corporate recovery, restructuring and finance litigation and on the back of success in those areas have been able to make further key appointments.

“We’ve expanded into other disciplines including corporate, commercial dispute resolution, residential development and now with Pauline joining, regulatory.

“We are well on our way to building the full commercial practice regionally that mirrors that of our national network and it’s a really positive start to the year for all of us.”

Grant Thornton, Andrew Devonald

Andrew Devonald has been appointed as business development manager for Grant Thornton based at its Leeds office.

Andrew joins from PwC where he has spent over five years in business development, focussing on building new relationships primarily in the private business and family business market.

Andy Wood, practice leader for Grant Thornton in Leeds, said: “Over the last few years, Grant Thornton has really differentiated itself as a client-focussed firm, committed to developing long term relationships and providing a full range of services to fast-growing businesses in the region.

“We welcome Andrew’s arrival which will help us to ensure that these messages are conveyed to businesses throughout the region.”

DTZ (Leeds), Ben Pretty, William Steel and Harry Mason

DTZ has recruited three new staff to its Leeds based UK Development team as part of its continued growth in response to an improving development market. Ben Pretty, William Steel and Harry Mason join the expanding team as Associate Director, Planning Consultant and Graduate Surveyor respectively.

Keith Hardman, senior director within the team, comments: “I am delighted to welcome Ben, William and Harry to the team. The continued growth of our UK Development team in Leeds reflects DTZ’s response to our client needs and improving market conditions.

“These appointments continue to build on our market leading position as Planning and Development Consultants across the region and enable us to continue to provide a class-leading service for our diverse clients’ requirements.

“We have further ambitious plans for the growth of the team in response to the increasing needs of our client audience.”

Building Product Solutions, Richard Ogden

Barnsley based window and door manufacturer, Building Product Solutions, has announced the appointment of Richard Ogden as its new glass plant manager.

Currently under construction, the glass plant will bring the entire manufacturing process in house, putting BPS firmly in the driving seat when it comes to quality and turnaround.

Sales director, Lynne Darwin added: “It was essential that we found the right person to manage the glass plant – someone with experience and who would fit into the team and be able to get us off to a flying start. We believe that we have ticked all those boxes with Richard.

“He’s currently familiarising himself with the business and our production facilities. The glass plant is on track for completion by the end of March and then he’ll take charge and drive its success.”

Garbutt & Elliott, Allan Dodds

Yorkshire accountants Garbutt & Elliott have bolstered their wealth management subsidiary, G&E Wealth Management, with the appointment of Allan Dodds as director and head of the G&E Wealth Management team.

Russell Turner, the managing director of Garbutt & Elliott, said: “We are absolutely delighted to promote someone of Allan’s expertise, drive and experience at Garbutt & Elliott and his new appointment demonstrates our commitment to the business.

“He is currently creating a very enthusiastic and committed team as we aim to become the first choice for financial advice in North Yorkshire and beyond.”

Creative Capital, Martyn Walker

Creative Capital, a provider of short-term finance to SMEs, has expanded into Yorkshire with the appointment of Martyn Walker as business development director for the region.

Walker joins the privately-funded, Cheshire head-quartered company with over 30 years’ experience in leasing, foreign exchange and asset based lending.

Based in Halifax, his role will see him work closely with companies and advisors in the region to develop selective invoice finance, trade finance and bad debt protection facilities that can be accessed on a transaction-by-transaction basis.

Dai Rees, director of Creative Capital said, “We’ve seen demand grow rapidly in Yorkshire, with many businesses looking to the alternative funding market to support expansion.

“Martyn’s appointment strengthens our presence in this key region and ensures we continue to deliver rapid access to funding for local businesses.”

Beacon, Tennant Hilditch

York based purchasing company Beacon, which helps businesses in the hospitality, leisure and healthcare sectors grow their profitability, has announced the appointment of Tennant Hilditch as its new Director of Sales as part of its continued investment in the growth of the company.

Chief commercial officer, Rob Payne, added: “Tennant is a great addition to the strong and growing Beacon sales team. We are really pleased to have attracted someone held in such high esteem in the industry, his superior commercial knowledge is already proving invaluable to us.”

Aldermore, Stephen Dinsmore

Stephen Dinsmore has joined the invoice finance team at Aldermore as regional sales manager for Yorkshire.

Stephen joins the Bank from the Royal Bank of Scotland where he was a Business Development Manager. Based in Aldermore’s Leeds office, Stephen covers the West Yorkshire area and reports to Leyton Jeffs, Regional Sales Director.

Leyton Jeffs said: “Yorkshire has a wealth of fast growing small and medium-sized businesses, so it’s vital for the Bank to have a strong presence in the region to help those businesses access the funds they need to grow.

“Stephen’s drive and fresh ideas are a great addition to the Leeds-based Aldermore team. He has built a strong reputation among businesses and advisers in the region and I’m sure that he’s the right man to help raise awareness of Aldermore’s growing support for businesses in Yorkshire. We’re all excited to have him on board.”

Jenny Coombes, Freedom Festival Trust

Jenny Coombes has been appointed as executive director of Freedom Festival Trust.

Jenny was previously partnerships & development manager for the organisation which runs Hull’s flagship arts and culture event, Freedom Festival.

Graham Chesters, chair, Freedom Festival Board said: “We are delighted that Jenny was successful in her application for the Executive Director role. She has done a tremendous job in growing the festival in 2014 and 2015, taking it from a three-day event to establishing it as a major arts organisation with plans for year-round programming.

“We very much look forward to working with Jenny as we progress in this exciting new phase.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .