This week's Yorkshire appointments

Hannah Jenkins, Boardside

Niche employment law firm Boardside has appointed Hannah Jenkins as its first specialist commercial law solicitor.

Hannah qualified as a solicitor in 2009 having trained with a commercial practice, before moving to in-house counsel positions at high profile commercial and private institutions including Aviva and Bannatyne Fitness Limited.

Managing partner, Richard Port, commented: “Hannah’s considerable commercial law experience within both a law firm and in-house setting means she has outstanding business acumen that will influence the way she advises clients.

“This approach dovetails perfectly with our ethos of delivering legal advice to businesses that is both strategic and practical.”

Hannah added: “I’m excited to be part of the growing legal team at Boardside and am looking forward to supporting and working collaboratively with my colleagues to offer a coordinated approach in the delivery of legal services to clients.

“This fantastic opportunity at Boardside is enhanced by the fact that I still have a substantive role as in-house counsel at Bannatyne, continuing to be immersed in a commercial context every single day.”

Ben Ducker, Journey Further

Performance marketing agency Journey Further has appointed Ben Ducker as executive creative director.

Ben has previously worked for VCCP and Fold7, as well as running his own production company where he has written and shot campaigns for brands including Carlsberg, O2, Diageo, Microsoft and Easyjet.

In his new role, Ben will provide an understanding of the traditional creative agency approach to brand advertising and combine it with existing data capabilities to create a performance-led measurable approach to brand marketing.

Ben explained: “The industry and world is changing quickly, so I was looking to join a fast moving company that can keep up with the pace.

“The rebellious yet transparent mindset of Matt and Robin is what attracted me to joining the team, and I can see no better environment in which to create the future of advertising, where data meets creative for true engagement.

“It’s refreshing to be calling out the ways of the past and exciting to develop a creative agency model that’s able to deliver on imagination and insight equally.”

Commenting on the appointment, Robin Skidmore, CEO at Journey Further, said: “Ben has incredible creative pedigree delivering campaigns for many of the world’s biggest brands.

“We have a real opportunity to blend a conceptual and data-driven approach to creative and I’m excited to see how Ben’s expertise and insight enhances our offering for clients.”

Emma Lowe and Cat Tanham, Clarion

Clarion has appointed Emma Lowe as legal director and Cat Tanham as associate in its contentious insolvency litigation team.

Emma is an experienced commercial litigator with a track record advising UK and international clients on high-value commercial disputes. After qualifying in 2006, she went on to work for a number of regional and national law firms, specialising in dispute resolution matters.

Emma has advised clients on a range of complex commercial disputes including shareholder disputes, contractual, confidential information and restrictive covenant claims and civil fraud cases.

Emma has represented clients seeking High Court interim injunctive relief, including freezing orders and advised on search and seizure orders. She is a member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association.

Cat re-joins the Clarion team as an associate with Higher Rights of Audience, having taken six months out to launch her own business.

With five years’ experience in commercial dispute resolution, Cat has managed complex cases at all stages of the litigation process in County Court, High Court and the Court of Appeal as well as advising on disputes involving general contract law, debt, misrepresentation, professional negligence and fraud.

Roger Hutton, Clarion’s joint managing partner and head of its insolvency litigation team, said: “With demand growing in this niche area of law, we are pleased to be expanding our six-strong dedicated team with Emma and Cat’s arrival.

“With 15 years’ experience in commercial litigation, specialising in contentious work and fraud, Emma will be a welcome addition to the team.

“While Cat, as both a business owner and solicitor, not only brings technical experience, but also a true understanding of the real-world challenges businesses currently face.”

Emma added: “As well as having established a reputation as one of the leading law firms in the region, Clarion is also known as one of the best employers in the country.

“I am, therefore, genuinely excited to have joined the firm and to be working with such an experienced and highly regarded, restructuring team.

“I am particularly looking forward to working closely with Roger Hutton, as one of the most highly respected specialists in this area of law, to grow and shape Clarion’s contentious insolvency offering.”

Beth Bearder, Keebles LLP

Law firm Keebles LLP has appointed Beth Bearder as a senior associate of its Employment Law team.

A graduate of Nottingham Law School, Beth has previously worked within the Human Resources department at Amazon and has experience within the retail, manufacturing and construction sectors.

Beth will work with Keebles’ Employment team which offers advice on matters such as discrimination, whistleblowing, redundancies and senior executive severances.

Beth commented: “I am delighted to have joined Keebles, and I am very excited for my future at the firm.

“I was particularly impressed by the number, size and quality of the employment team’s clients. In addition, the firm has a strong corporate team which will give me great exposure to that kind of work.

“Everyone is very friendly and down to earth. I feel very welcomed, even in the midst of a pandemic when we are all working remotely, and there is a genuine desire for me to progress and succeed.”

Catherine Wilson, partner and head of the Employment team at Keebles, added: “Beth has made an excellent impression and has settled in well, which is never easy for a new member of the team when we are all working from home.

“She prides herself on delivering exceptional client care, which was clear to see straight away and reflects the culture of Keebles as a company.”

Nicola Bulley, Scarborough Group International (SGI)

Real estate development and investment company Scarborough Group International (SGI) has appointed Nicola Bulley as commercial executive.

Based at SGI’s Thorpe Park Leeds office, Nicola will head up the group’s corporate and commercial projects marketing and PR strategy in this newly created role.

Nicola brings more than 20 years of property marketing experience, the last 13 spent at Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) where she was national head of marketing and business development. Prior to this she spent seven years working for CBRE in London.

Simon McCabe, chief executive of SGI, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Nicola to the Scarborough team.

“Her detailed knowledge of the commercial property landscape and intuitive skills in strategic marketing will undoubtedly add great strength at a critical time in promoting our ventures.”

Nicola added: “I am delighted to join Scarborough Group International as it forges ahead with some truly transformational investments.

“A long-standing relationship between the Group and LSH means that I already have an intimate knowledge of the business and I am excited to be at the helm of exciting things to come.”

Laura Sutherland, Room to Grow

Children’s bedroom specialist Room to Grow has appointed Laura Sutherland as head of marketing.

Laura has more than 16 years’ experience in the marketing sector, working predominantly across the retail and fashion industries. She previously worked at plus size fashion brand Curvissa, and has experience of developing strategies for digital and offline channels.

In her new role, Laura will head-up the marketing department, directly developing strategies, processes and plans to drive business growth, as well as setting up a team to deliver it.

Laura commented: “Having worked in the fashion sector for the past six years, I am keen to bring my knowledge of scaling turnover for fast-paced consumer brands to the furniture and home market.

“Room to Grow is an incredibly forward-thinking online retailer with ambitious plans, and I’m excited to take on the challenge of helping to deliver those results.”

Anne Davies, owner of Room to Grow, added: “Laura’s experience of developing successful digital strategies is exactly what we need to help bolster our efforts in achieving this year’s targets.

“Laura has made an excellent addition to the team, and we are so happy to welcome her into the Room to Grow family.”

Mike Thornton, RSM

Audit and consulting firm RSM has appointed Mike Thornton as its new office managing partner in its Leeds office.

Mike joined RSM in 2015 as an audit partner following four years as finance director at a medical device manufacturer.

Prior to this, Mike worked within the Big Four for fourteen years - bringing his experience in corporate audit, private equity and quoted companies.

In his new role, Mike will lead the Leeds office which comprises 25 partners and over 260 staff. He will also continue to lead the firm’s national manufacturing sector group.

Mike commented: “I’m honoured to take the reins as office managing partner in Leeds. The fundamentals of our business remain strong and we are continuing to invest in expertise and capability which makes us the first choice for middle market business across Yorkshire.

“We have an exceptional team who have shown passion and resilience in these unusual times and have adapted magnificently to their new working environment to ensure we best support our clients. I look forward to working together with them to shape our future firm.

Alex Tait, regional managing partner for Yorkshire and North East, added: “As a leading professional in the Yorkshire market who has experience advising clients and working within a leading regional business, Mike brings a unique insight to the role.

“He’s the perfect fit to build on the success of the office; and whilst operating in unprecedented times, the Leeds team can draw on key strengths across the firm to help more regional businesses navigate future challenges and support growth under Mike’s stewardship.”

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