This week’s North West appointments

Danielle Knibb, Sunny Thinking

Altrincham-based marketing agency Sunny Thinking has recruited a new senior account executive.

Danielle Knibb, who obtained a graphic design degree from Liverpool John Moores University, has spent the last few years working as an account executive, creating marketing campaigns for clients across various sectors.

Sunny Thinking MD Jonathan Reed said: “Danielle was on our transfer wish list for some time so we’re delighted to announce her as our big summer signing!

“Her eye for design, combined with her knowledge and approachability is already proving incredibly popular with clients such as GreaterSport, Gilpin Energy Services and Making Space.”

Commenting on her appointment, Danielle said: “I’ve been watching Sunny Thinking for the last few years and I always really liked their work and their down-to-earth approach to marketing and design.

“Just as important to me was their philosophy and working with like-minded clients.”

David Burns, Encirc

Encirc, the Cheshire-based glass manufacturer, has appointed David Burns in the role of energy manager as it looks to reduce the environmental impact of its operations.

Following his appointment, David will play a key role in identifying opportunities for Encirc’s sites Derrylin and Elton to further reduce their carbon footprint.

David has been with Encirc for 13 years, first joining the firm’s Derrylin-based quality team before transferring to the Elton facility in 2005. In 2010, David was appointed quality manager.

He commented: “Seeking solutions to boost the sustainability of Encirc’s products and our operations has always been a big focus for me.

“I want to build on the company’s achievements over the last decade to find ways of working that can help us further boost energy efficiency across both sites, so we can make sure we’re offering our customers the most sustainable glass supply chain possible.”

Encirc’s operations director, Robert Rose: “David has done an incredible job strengthening Encirc’s reputation for quality.

“With his new position, he’ll support us in leading the industry as a sustainable supplier, helping ensure we continue to support customers in achieving their own sustainability goals.”

Bruce Moran, Howarth Morris

North West recruitment company Howarth Morris has promoted Bruce Moran to operations director.

In his new role, Bruce Moran will lead the firm’s HR, finance and business support offering across Greater Manchester. Additionally will assume board responsibility for talent across the company’s offices in Liverpool, Warrington and Sale.

Bruce has been with Howarth Morris since 2008, when he joined the company as a consultant.

Howarth Morris’ managing director, Paul Howarth, said: “Bruce has been a key member of the Senior Management Team for a number of years and has been instrumental in developing the company’s offering and reputation across the North West.

“His elevation to the Board was a natural progression based on his experience, reputation, energy and passion to continue to drive the growth of the business whilst staying true to our core values of integrity, value and quality.”

Bruce said of his promotion: “This was a fantastic opportunity to take an integral role in the business during an exciting period of growth, as we grow our headcount and revenue whilst maintaining our long term commitment to our clients and candidates.”

Ross McDyre, CBRE

The Manchester office of real estate advisory firm CBRE has taken on Ross McDyre as its newest senior consultant within its planning and development team.

Ross has joined the company Altus Group Realty Tax Consulting in Vancouver, Canada, where he held the post of managing consultant.

With CBRE, Ross will work on schemes and development opportunities including strategic sites across Merseyside and Greater Manchester.

Iain Jenkinson, the senior director for CBRE’s Manchester-based planning and development team, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ross to CBRE’s busy Manchester team.

“Ross has relocated from Canada back to Manchester and we are looking forward to the wealth of international experience he can bring to the team.”

He added: “We are also very pleased to be taking on our second Cambridge University Graduate.”

Ross commented: “I am excited to be back in the UK and joining the CBRE team in Manchester at a thriving time for the business. I am looking forward to working with new and existing clients to further promote a range of pivotal schemes planned within the North.”

Chorley Wood (pictured) and Libby Jewell, Want That Trend

Want That Trend, the Stockport headquartered online fashion brand, has announced two new hires.

Chorley Wood and Libby Jewell have joined the firm’s 18-strong team as design and social media managers.

Chorley formerly worked as a social media coordinator and freelance designer with fashion magazine Catwalk Yourself, while Libby previously worked as the e-commerce manager of clothing retailer Aftershock London.

In their new roles, the pair will work together to further strengthen Want That Trend’s brand identity.

Want That Trend founder Victoria Molyneux said: “We are passionate about adding value to our team and both appointments bring a range of knowledge and proven skills to help make the brand the best it can be.

“This not only strengthens the business, but also brings in new and exciting ideas for further growth. We look forward to seeing them develop and flourish at Want That Trend.”

Brian Jackson (pictured) and John Hunt, Together

Cheadle-based lender Together has made two appointments to its leadership team.

Brian Jackson has assumed the role of operations director for retail activity, while John Hunt has joined the company as chief risk officer in its retail division.

Brian previously worked as director of credit and collections for energy provider British Gas, before which he spent 18 years with MBNA and Bank of America.

He commented: “The specialist lending industry is thriving and Together is at the forefront of that and growing at a rapid pace, so it’s an exciting time to join.

“The business has a really impressive history, having traded successfully for four decades, so there’s a very strong foundation in place and I’m looking forward to helping improve and enhance our operations as we move forward to the next phase of growth.”

John Hunt (above), meanwhile, has joined Together from Nationwide, where he worked for six years in various senior risk and compliance posts. He brings with him experience in compliance, corporate planning and commercial, unsecured and secured lending credit risk.

John said: “Together’s impressive financial position, strong product offering and robust market demand all contribute to its continuing growth, and the new brand, established last year, creates the ideal platform to build on the current success.

“I’m delighted to have accepted this new challenge and look forward to bringing my experience to bear as we continue to grow and evolve as a leading specialist financial services group.”

Commenting on the appointments, Together chairman Mike McTighe said: “Since creating our new corporate governance structure we’ve made a number of high-profile appointments to create a really dynamic executive team that will drive the business forward.

“Brian and John each bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge in their areas of expertise, and we’re delighted to welcome them to Together as part of our formidable new leadership team.”

Andy Chamberlain, Luke Spilsbury and Steph Hamilton, Stark Brooks

Recruitment company Stark Brooks has welcomed three new members of staff to its offices in Manchester.

Steph Hamilton has been appointed as senior manager, while Andy Chamberlain has taken on the role of principal consultant and Luke Spilsbury, consultant.

Andy, who has over 17 years’ recruitment experience, is joining Stark Brooks from St Helens firm GPW Recruitment. He will focus on recruiting roles across the house-building and construction sector.

Steph and Luke, meanwhile, will be recruiting for finance and accounting roles in commerce and industry.

Stark Brooks chief exec Gron Ffoulkes-Davies said: “Andy’s arrival provides a dedicated resource for our house-building and construction clients, while Steph and Luke give us additional experience and technical expertise to serve our extensive client base for accounting and finance roles.

“We continue to see robust demand for our services despite a slackening of UK economic growth over recent months.”

He continued: “It is imperative that we continue to invest in our business and people to meet this demand. We are looking at other areas of recruitment, and plan to make further appointments over the next few months.

“While our initial assessment of Brexit’s economic impact is slightly negative in the short-term, we intend using the vote as a business opportunity to strengthen our team, as larger recruiters may be hit harder by the economic fall-out and release skilled and experienced consultants.”

Six new partners, PwC

The Manchester office of PwC, the international professional services company, has announced that six new partners are entering the partnership.

The appointments are as follows:

Damien Ashford - Government and Public Sector restructuring team

Daniel Harris - Reward team

Dan Gallagher - Corporate Finance team

Rod Maxwell - Government and Health Industries team

Gareth Henty - P&O pensions team

Simon Vinor - M&A tax team

PwC’s North West Chairman, Iwan Griffiths, said of the appointments: “We continue to increase the number of partners in our business and have focussed on bringing deep specialities in to the firm to better advise our clients.

“These promotions reflect the importance we place on the significant role the North West plays in contributing to the UK’s economic success and our commitment to investing in our people across all our client services.”

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