This week’s Yorkshire appointments

James Hall, who joined private equity house Key Capital Partners (KCP) a year ago, has been promoted to the position of partner.

Based at the firm’s Leeds head office, James has been working alongside partners Peter Armitage and Owen Trotter to source investment opportunities in SMEs across the North of England following the first closing of KCP’s latest fund.

With 17 years’ experience within the sector, James has held senior positions with private equity houses such as Royal Bank Development Capital, ISIS Equity Partners and NorthEdge Capital; and he has also acted as a non-executive director for a number of businesses.

James commented: “It’s been an exciting year with KCP, deal flow remains very strong and we were delighted to complete our investment in Routes Healthcare which is the first deal in the new fund.

“The lack of funding for SMEs remains a problem and, with the majority of PE houses not making investments under £15m, KCP is in a great position to recognise potential and support fast-growing businesses as demonstrated by our recent exit from Gear4Music, having helped it to grow from a £10m turnover business to £55m in just four years and is now valued at over £80m.”

KCP investment partner Peter Armitage, said: “As an experienced PE investor, James has proved a valuable asset to the team.

“We now have a number of potential deals in the pipeline and his expertise will be instrumental in helping us to give these entrepreneurial businesses the operational support, in addition to the funding they need, in order to grow and develop further.”

KCP has offices in Leeds and London.

Leanne Kirtley, The Partners Group

PR and communications agency The Partners Group has welcomed a new member to its York-based team.

Leanne Kirtley joins Partners as a senior account executive following two and a half years at one of the UK’s longest running trade magazines.

Commenting on her appointment, Leanne said: “One of my main strengths has always been finding the best way to convey a message, so I’m really looking forward to learning more about the world of PR and I can’t imagine a better company to grow with during this stage of my career than Partners.

“Already the team has made me feel welcome and I’m enjoying working with some of their fantastic clients.”

Monica Green, Partners group director, added: “Leanne’s trade press experience is a perfect fit for this role, and she’s already proving to be a great asset to the business.

“With a degree in English and Creative Writing, as well as an MA in Journalism, she knows the value of storytelling and creating content that differentiates.

“Her strong editorial skills will enable her to create effective PR and content strategies for clients, and it’s great to have her in the team.”

Leanne will be working as part of Partners’ eight-strong team to support glazing and manufacturing sector clients across the north of England with traditional and digital PR, alongside broader marketing communications.

Jay Bhayani, Law Society Women Lawyers Division

Jay Bhayani, employment solicitor and managing director of Sheffield-based Bhayani HR & Employment Law, has been selected to join the committee.

The Women Lawyers Division is a division of the Law Society of England and Wales. The current committee began its life as the Association of Women Solicitors in 1926. Its role is to support women lawyers, from trainees to retirees, no matter their area of practice.

This is done through the delivery of key news, regulatory and management information, and networking events.

Having risen through the ranks to become a partner at two Yorkshire firms and the managing director of her own firm, Jay understands the challenges that women within the legal profession face.

As an employment solicitor, with over 25 years’ experience, Jay has advised and represented many women who have been discriminated against, harassed and victimised in the workplace, showing compassion and empathy with the difficult situations that they face.

Although there are more women than men entering the law, there are still big issues around pay and promotion and pregnancy related discrimination.

Jay commented: “I have always been really keen to promote the interests of women in our profession and am delighted to have been selected, enabling me to represent the Yorkshire region.

“I have mentored many women over the years and am excited to be taking on a national role to strengthen my connections with the fantastic women across the UK who make up our profession.”

Brian McAlinden, Band of Birds

Band of Birds, the Sheffield-based creative content and communications agency, has appointed Brian McAlinden as its account director.

Brian joins Band of Birds from indoor climbing centre, The Climbing Works, bringing with him a wealth of insight into the UK outdoor industry.

This will support Band of Birds’ growing client base in meeting the future opportunities offered through the increased participation in outdoor sports and climbings inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games.

With over 12 years experience working in the outdoor industry, Brian has helped build the Climbing Works business on a local and international level as the industry has gone through a growth period.

He also led the development of The Climbing Works International Festival into a major global climbing competition that attracts elite athletes from around the world with a huge crowd watching within the venue and online.

Furthermore, he has been involved with Sheffield’s The Outdoor City project from its initial concept to gathering research and writing articles, and is a member of the steering group behind The Outdoor City Weekender event.

Jenny Brown, Band of Birds communications director, said: “Brian brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge and we are incredibly excited to welcome him into our team.

“A well respected and valued member of the outdoor community, Brian will join us in supporting outdoor brands to achieve meaningful engagement with their audiences using our distinctive approach of combining research with design and communications.”

Shannan Errington, Asa Buckley and Sophie Moore, Doncaster Chamber

Three apprentices at Doncaster Chamber have received permanent contracts to continue their work supporting local business and education.

Asa Buckley, Shannan Errington and Sophie Moore started working at the Chamber as part of their Level 2 Business Administration apprenticeships run through Doncaster College, and will continue indefinitely in their posts as business administrators.

As part of their apprenticeship work, they have gained experience in all business aspects of the membership organisation from finance and international trade services to marketing and communications.

Tina Slater, business and education manager for Doncaster Chamber, said: “We welcomed our three apprentices straight from school and they were quick to jump in and get involved with all aspects of the Chamber’s activities.

“They’ve been a huge asset to the team and our members and I know that just one year on they feel a lot more confident in the world of work.”

The Chamber will continue to support the professional development of its three new permanent recruits as Shannan looks to study digital marketing, Sophie begins a bookkeeping qualification and Asa considers further study options that will benefit both himself and the Chamber.

Jason Denmark, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce

Jason Denmark, managing director of ITI Network Services, has been appointed to join the Council for the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce.

Jason has been managing director of ITI Network Services since June 2015, and is chief executive of The Templand Group.

Other members of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce Council include David Capper of Westfield Health; Tracy Viner of The Cathedral Archer Project; Louisa Harrison-Walker of Benchmark Recruit; Tim Bottrill of Fernie Greaves; Yuri Matischen of MLS Contracts; and Ann Cadman of The Source Skills Academy.

Jason has experience of working with Chinese investors: as director of Bosideng Retail (2011-2014, and the only UK-based board member), he led the brand development and implementation of the group’s first overseas retail proposition.

He project managed the delivery of Bosideng’s and China’s first flagship retail presence in central London (from land acquisition to delivery of the completed building), and was pivotal to the successful launch of this unique project.

As retail director at Greenwoods Menswear &1860 Hire from 2010-14 Jason managed execution of the group’s three-year turnaround plan.

Again reporting directly to the COO and Chinese board, this role entailed a complex restructuring process including process re-engineering, cost rationalisation, store development, supplier and manufacturer procurement, brand and marketing planning.

Jason’s career includes further experience in retail direction and business consultancy: head-hunted by retail restructuring organisation Hilco, he handled Woolworths PLC while in administration; from 1996 to 2006 he delivered the turnaround strategy for failing womenswear business Mark One, moving the business to profitability within two financial years.

Jason Denmark, ITI’s managing director, said: “Our business is about technology and communication: installation of technology to facilitate the communication that our customers require.

“And with a growing list of blue-chip multinational clients and a successful management buyout concluded in June 2016, ITI is justifiably proud of its resilience in an industry that is evolving rapidly and offers unique challenges to network engineers.

“As the businesses within the Sheffield City Region seek to navigate the uncertainties ahead and adopt to new challenges, I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with other members of the Council and other Chamber members, and to harness our collective skills and expertise to boost the region’s resilience, productivity and performance.”

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