This week’s Yorkshire appointments

Investment manager Seb Wilkinson has joined the Leeds team at private equity house Key Capital Partners (KCP).

The private equity firm, which launched its new £80m investment fund in November, has seen over 70 investment mandates in the last three months, and is growing its Leeds team to deal with this flow of investment opportunities.

Seb joins from Jaguar Land Rover where he has spent two years in the role of finance manager – group strategy & global business expansion, working on new investments and leading due diligence on new business opportunities.

Prior to that, he worked for PwC in London and Leeds in their corporate finance team and he also spent three years with EY in Leeds as an executive in audit. Seb is an ICAS chartered accountant.

Seb will work alongside Leeds-based partners Peter Armitage and Owen Trotter and director James Hall as they seek to invest equity sums of between £3m and £15m in profitable businesses across the North of England.

Peter Armitage, KCP investment partner, said: “With Seb’s varied experience in corporate finance and proven business acumen, he has the skills needed to work with entrepreneurial businesses across the North to help them grow and build value. We have seen around 25 opportunities each month so far this year and we expect it to be a very busy year for the KCP team.”

Natalie Walker, Robertson Construction England

Robertson Construction England has appointed Natalie Walker as the business development manager for Robertson Yorkshire and East Midlands.

With more than 10 years of experience in the construction industry and the international retail market, Natalie is aiming to help the business increase turnover to £55m by developing relationships with partners and clients in the region. She will operate from the company’s Sheffield office.

Natalie joins Robertson Yorkshire and East Midlands after a career which began when she pursued a degree in construction project management at Salford University, where she was sponsored by a major national contractor.

She then spent five years as a project planner, working on an array of developments in and around Greater Manchester including Manchester United Football Club’s corner quadrant stands and the redevelopment of Manchester Arndale shopping centre.

A change of direction saw Natalie enhance her career by gaining global business experience after relocating to the Middle East.

Paul Turner, regional managing director of Robertson Yorkshire and East Midlands, said: “I am delighted to welcome Natalie to the team.

“Her diverse experience, underpinned by her in-depth knowledge of the construction sector, means she will be a huge asset to the Robertson business and I look forward to watching her work with the rapidly expanding Yorkshire and East Midlands team on the path to becoming the region’s leader in the construction industry.”

Kathryn Oldale, Rob Brewster and Phil McKennell, DB Cargo UK

DB Cargo UK has appointed three new people to its sales team.

The Doncaster-headquartered rail freight operator welcomed Kathryn Oldale as bid manager and Rob Brewster and Phil McKennell as account managers for Intermodal.

Kathryn joins the company from Johnson & Johnson Ltd, where she was bid manager for three years. She will lead DB Cargo UK’s bid management process and drive business growth in developing industries including automotive, construction and intermodal.

Rob Brewster and Phil McKennell bring decades of experience to their new roles as account managers for DB Cargo UK’s intermodal sector.

Phil McKennell joins the company from EDW Logistics Ltd where he worked for 16 years, most recently as a transport consultant.

Rob Brewster has a strong background in the intermodal sector, having previously worked as general manager for business development at PD Ports. He has held senior roles for over 20 years at market leading global shipping lines, third party logistics providers and ports.

Les Morris, head of sales at DB Cargo UK, said: “We are delighted to welcome Kathryn, Rob and Phil to our Sales Team.

“They are integral to the growth of our business in target sectors and bring with them a range of experience and understanding as well as a fresh approach. We look forward to seeing the new ideas they bring to the business and the benefits these inspire.”

Paddy Sturman, Irwin Mitchell

The Leeds office of national law firm Irwin Mitchell has appointed Paddy Sturman as a partner in its banking & finance team.

Paddy specialises in advising institutional lenders and corporate clients on all aspects of banking and finance including corporate acquisitions, real estate investment and development and asset based lending and led the banking team at Gordons in Leeds.

Paddy’s appointment as a partner in Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office follows the recruitment last year of Leeds-based corporate partner Philip Goldsborough, who moved to Irwin Mitchell from Pinsent Masons.

Paddy brings Irwin Mitchell’s banking & finance team up to eight partners, following the Akhil Sharma recently joining in London from Wragge Lawrence Graham.

Niall Baker, chief executive of Irwin Mitchell’s business legal services team, said: “Paddy is an excellent addition to the Irwin Mitchell team, complementing our range of business services offered in Leeds.

“He is well-regarded in Yorkshire and his appointment sends out another clear signal to the market of our commitment to keep investing in high quality lawyers who are capable of providing first-class legal services for businesses across the UK.”

Andrew Fearn, Langleys Solicitors

Langleys Solicitors has appointed Andrew Fearn as its first ever chairman.

The York and Lincoln-based firm has also strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of family lawyer Mark Day as head of private law - a role previously held by Andrew Fearn.

Andrew, who retains the position of deputy managing partner at Langleys, has a wealth of experience in advising high net worth clients, farmers and land owners. He also deals with agricultural property cases.

Mark specialises in family law and divorce cases, dealing almost exclusively with complex and high value cases. He is the only divorce solicitor in York recommended in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners directories.

David Thompson, managing partner at Langleys, said: “Both appointments are well deserved and I congratulate Andrew and Mark.

“They will play an important role in the strategic decisions taken by the business as we continue to build our reputation for high quality advice to clients across a wide range of legal services.”

Langleys employs 340 people at its offices in York and Lincoln.

Louise Hutchinson-Chambers, Redfern

Redfern, the Bradford-based travel management company, has appointed Louise Hutchinson-Chambers head of account management.

Louise joins Redfern following a career at Thomas Cook which spanned almost 25 years. Louise held a number of senior management positions, which included heading up the customer legal function for almost 15 years and a number of project management, sales and commercial roles.

Louise also spent a period of time on secondment in London working alongside Thomas Cook’s group chief executive delivering and managing a portfolio of projects as part of an extensive transformation programme.

Most recently, Louise worked for niche travel lawyers, mb LAW, based in Leeds where she was head of health and safety and incident management.

Mark Bowers, Redfern chief executive, said: “We are investing in the very best people to help drive Redfern forward.

“Coupled with our continual investment in technology, we are committed to ensuring our clients get the absolute best service and value from their relationship with Redfern. It’s a pleasure to welcome Louise to the Redfern team.”

Louise added: “I am extremely excited to be joining the Redfern team at such an important time, as the business continues with its growth and expansion. I am very much looking forward to leading and developing the Account Management team and delivering a ‘best in class’ service for all of our customers.”

Joanne Fearnley, Gordons

Yorkshire law firm Gordons has promoted commercial property partner Joanne Fearnley to junior equity partner.

Joanne now operates at the level created by the firm to identify and develop people capable of attaining full equity partnership status. It is a role which introduces her to the strategic running of the business and involves a greater level of decision making.

Over the past ten years, Joanne has forged a reputation as one of the retail sector’s leading property lawyers. During that time, she has been principal legal advisor to nationwide variety retailer B&M on all property matters, including advising on more than 400 store openings.

Paul Ayre, Gordons managing partner, said: “With so many sites acquired for B&M and other retailers Joanne has more experience of this type of work than virtually any other lawyer in the UK.

“She can justly claim to possess an unrivalled understanding of what retailers want in a sector known for the pace at which it moves. Joanne also develops strong relationships from the shop floor to the boardroom to ensure that her advice works where it matters.

“We’re excited about the growth of our retail specialism and Joanne will play a vital role in its continued success.”

Gordons’ current retail clients also include Buy It Direct, Charles Tyrwhitt, Costcutter, Iceland, Morrisons, Nisa, Original Factory Shop, Pep & Co and Wren Kitchens.

Simon Dove and Sarah-Jayne Lishman, Dove Haigh Phillips (DHP)

Yorkshire property consultancy Dove Haigh Phillips (DHP) has strengthened its team with the appointments of Simon Dove and Sarah-Jayne Lishman.

Both Simon and Sarah-Jayne join the Leeds-based consultancy from Landwood Group, where they worked together.

Mike Haigh, partner of Dove Haigh Phillips, commented: “These are two significant appointments for us, which strengthen our team considerably. This is our 10th anniversary year and we are looking to build on our success so far. Simon and Sarah-Jayne’s expertise and commitment will enable us to do this.

“Their combined knowledge of all aspects of the property sector in Yorkshire and beyond will be invaluable to DHP, giving our team a breadth of skill and knowledge which will of great benefit to our clients.”

Simon Dove, who joins as a partner, commented: “My main remit at DHP will be agency and development work. This is a wonderful opportunity to join a very successful niche Yorkshire Partnership, with a fantastic skillset, a superb track record and an impressive number of high-quality and high-profile clients”.

“I am also delighted that one of my closest colleagues at Landwood Group, Sarah-Jayne Lishman, is joining DHP with me as Surveyor. She will be assisting the agency and valuation departments and will strengthen the teams considerably.”

Sarah-Jayne added: “I am delighted to be joining a company as progressive and as successful as Dove Haigh Phillips. This move is a great opportunity for me and I am looking forward to becoming an integral part of a close-knit and hard-working team.”

Steven Millward, Schofield Sweeney

Law firm Schofield Sweeney has announced the promotion of corporate lawyer Steven Millward from Associate to partner.

Martin Sweeney, managing partner at Schofield Sweeney, said: “Steven is a highly regarded lawyer and a well thought of member of the team. I’m delighted to recognise his achievements through his promotion.”

Steven specialises in corporate and commercial law acting for a wide range of clients from SMEs through to large national companies.

Steven trained with Schofield Sweeney and has over 10 years’ experience of advising on a variety of transactions including corporate acquisitions and disposals, management buy out and buy-ins, joint ventures, shareholder and partnership arrangements, fundraisings, refinancing and reorganisations.

The firm, which recently merged with Armitage Sykes, now employees over 150 staff across offices in Bradford, Leeds and Huddersfield.

Terry Peel, Hica Group

Hica Group, the Hull-based care operator, has appointed a new operations director.

Terry Peel, formerly Hica regional director south and west, has been promoted to take overall responsibility for operations and will be the primary contact person with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). He brings more than 20 years’ experience in health and social care to the role.

He joins a senior management team reporting to CEO Penni Brown, which also includes finance director David Harrison and Phil Hill, director of villages and business development.

Prior to Hica, Terry’s career progressed through multi-site roles to managing director level positions. He also brings extensive experience of care regulation having spent three years as a regulation inspector with the National Care Standards Commission (now CQC).

Penni Brown said: “Terry’s appointment was made following an extensive review of our support services and management structure.

“We wanted to create a new operations director post to build on our success but also to help us meet new challenges facing the care sector. I am delighted to welcome Terry to our team.”

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