This week's London appointments

Emily Beere, Weightmans

National law firm Weightmans has strengthened its offering for corporate clients with the appointment of three lawyers to its Corporate team, including a corporate solicitor in the London office.

Emily Beere joins Weightmans from Capsticks Solicitors. She will be based in the London office as a corporate solicitor, focusing on mid-market M&A, corporate structuring and group reorganisation and demergers.

She has experience advising clients on joint ventures and shareholder arrangements, as well as assisting with private equity and venture capital investment transactions.

Weightmans has also appointed Louise Neave as a Partner in Liverpool and Christopher Galley as a Corporate Solicitor in Manchester.

Emily Beere, corporate solicitor at Weightmans said: “Weightmans is a highly respected firm with significant experience advising on M&A deals for London-based businesses. I’m excited to get involved in the firm’s complex and exciting transactional work where I can use my expertise to deliver the right deal for clients.”

Sarah Walton, partner at Weightmans said: “It has been an incredibly busy time for the team over the past six months, with M&A activity surging.

“Emily’s appointment represents a significant investment in our Corporate team in London – we are committed to supporting our corporate clients throughout this exciting and challenging time for South East businesses, as they work to find new opportunities for growth as they build back post-pandemic.”

Debora Soper, The Government Property Agency

The Government Property Agency hires Debra Soper as chief operating officer in a recruitment drive as part of its strategy to place people at the centre of its property agenda of Her Majesty’s Government.

Debra oversees the operational functions of the GPA which cover key areas such as data and technology, commercial, legal, HR, security, and marketing and communications.

The GPA is an executive agency of the Cabinet Office, responsible for delivering the Government’s property agenda across its office and warehouse portfolios. Formed in April 2018, the GPA has a crucial role in the Government’s Levelling Up, Net Zero and Civil Service Transformation initiatives.

Debra joins from the Cabinet Office where she was an Executive Director and Deputy Government Chief People Officer and Civil Service HR Chief Operations Officer.

Debra has five years’ senior level experience in the Cabinet Office and prior to that held several private sector roles for companies such as Pearson plc, Aon Consulting, Accenture and BAE Systems.

Steven Boyd, CEO of the GPA, said: “Property is about people. We acquire and fit out buildings to deliver great places to work for our customers. And we are reshaping our workplace offering to focus on people rather than buildings.

“Debra’s appointment as Chief Operating Officer, with her background in people, is a key part of our growth strategy. Debra will help us bring to bear the wide range of professionals that we need to deliver some crucial Government initiatives.”

Debra Soper said: “The GPA has a huge mandate to deliver for Government. Every one of our 300 people, and those in our extensive supply chain, has a role to play. I am proud to be playing my own part in this and helping to take forward the Agency’s exciting agenda.

“We are actively recruiting more than 100 roles across various disciplines, and we are looking for people with strong property and commercial skills who are prepared to innovate to deliver for our customers.”

Hannah Fitzsimons, Cashflows

Cashflows, a payment acceptance platform for merchants, has announced the appointment of Hannah Fitzsimons as CEO.

Hannah joins Cashflows following more than 15 years at Elavon, where she rose to the position of president and general manager, Europe. Prior to that, she held senior positions at Citi Bank and Natwest.

Hannah aims to steer Cashflows through the next phase in its trajectory following a period of growth. She will focus on cementing Cashflows’ position as a payments provider for SMEs, committed to delivering the highest quality service and latest technology solutions in line with business’ changing needs.

The hire follows the appointment of Simon Haslam, previously Group Chief Executive Officer at Network International, as Chairman, in September. At the end of last week, Cashflows was also named Best Merchant Acquirer or Processor at the Payments Awards 2021, in recognition of its successes over the last 12 months.

Hannah Fitzsimons, incoming CEO Cashflows, said: “The payments industry is at such an exciting point in its evolution and companies like Cashflows are leading the charge by fostering innovation to push the boundaries of what’s possible for businesses and consumers alike.

“Cashflows has all the ingredients needed to capitalise on this moment - proprietary technology, fantastic customers and partners, and most importantly, a highly skilled and ambitious team. I look forward to working with them all, to shape the future of the business, and the industry as a whole.”

Victoria Herrick, Strat House

Strategy and planning practice Strat House has appointed Victoria Herrick as Strategy Partner.

Herrick joins from the Royal Yachting Association where she was Director of Strategy, and her appointment reunites her with Strat House co-founders Melanie Welsh and Rachel Clarke who all previously worked together at Havas.

Prior to her six years as Strategy Director at Havas, Herrick held senior strategy roles in both the UK and US, including VP of Strategy and Planning, at Invensys.

Herrick will play a key role in leading Strat House’s major client accounts – understanding clients’ business models, culture, and the pressures they face, and assessing the commercial impact of strategic recommendations - and will work closely with the leadership team on developing the business.

She reports to Melanie Welsh, Strat House co-founder and partner, who said: ““Every so often you come across a strategist who has you cursing inwardly every time they share their work, as you think to yourself ‘why didn’t I see it like that??’. Vic is one of those people; always challenging, constantly thought-provoking and never, ever dull.

“She is a true heavy-hitting strategy talent with an impressive spectrum of experience – from CPG and retail to process systems and energy. She brings both gravitas and an inspiring drive to keep improving and seeking to do better and will be an essential part of our growth strategy. We can’t wait to reunite with her and get started.”

Victoria Herrick said: “Melanie and Rachel have the perfect combination of brains, empathy and compassion which makes them brilliant to work with on both a personal and professional level.

“They have a unique way of finding clever solutions to the trickiest of briefs and it will be an absolute pleasure to join them as part of the Strat House team.”

Strat House is a strategy and planning practice designed for future-facing marketing teams. Current client projects include work for Unilever, Kraft Heinz, Checkerspot, the NHS and WPP.

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