This week’s North East appointments

Filip Young - Building Design Northern

Sunderland based Building Design Northern (BDN) has hired Filip Young as architect, having joined from another leading North East practice, where he spent five years delivering a range of projects from both social and bespoke residential to mixed-use master plans and educational buildings.

Filip, who became fully qualified as an architect in 2018, has joined BDN during a period of significant growth. The firm, which also offers structural and civil engineering services to clients across the UK, relocated to a new HQ in Sunderland’s old Simpson Street School in 2021.

The move followed an MBO that saw director Richard Marsden take to the helm in 2019, and he has since guided the firm through double-digit growth in turnover.

Filip said: “I am excited to have joined the team at BDN, and look forward to working with its clients on a range of interesting projects. It’s an ambitious company, with an impressive client list and a dynamic team that I am pleased to be part of.”

Filip is the latest hire to join BDN, with David Bell having recently been recruited to service the company’s growing engineering client list.

Richard Marsden, who helped launch BDN’s architectural division when he joined the practice in 2011, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Filip to the BDN team.

“We have enjoyed rapid growth across all parts of the business, which has created an opportunity to expand and bring in talented professionals like Filip. His skill-set will complement those of the BDN architectural division, and I am really pleased we’ve been able to bring him on board.”

Paul Everett and Andrew Luczynski - Perspective

Paul Everett joins Perspective’s management team in the newly created role of operations manager. He has over thirty years’ experience in financial services, most recently with Manse Capital in Yorkshire, a large regional IFA business, where he was managing director for four years.

Paul will support the group’s operational strategies to further enhance Perspective’s proposition and improve efficiencies to the benefit of its 20,000 clients.

Paul said: “I am delighted to be joining the Perspective team at an exciting period in the growth and development of the group. Having known the top team for five years or so I was very pleased to be offered the role and look forward to making a difference in 2022 and beyond.”

Andrew Luczynski joins as manager in the training & competence function to support further growth in the onboarding of advice teams following acquisitions, as well as developing existing staff. He also has over thirty years’ experience in financial services spent with national firms including Co-operative Financial Society and Chase de Vere.

Andrew said: “I’m really excited to join such a progressive group with real drive, ambition and genuine client centricity. The commitment of my colleagues to building and sustaining long term growth through the ongoing development of the competence and skills of our financial advisers is impressive.’’

Naomi McDiarmid - LDC

Newcastle based mid-market private equity firm LDC has grown its North East team with the appointment of Naomi McDiarmid as an Investment Manager.

Naomi, who will be based in LDC’s Newcastle office on Grey Street, joins the private equity investor following seven years at business advisory firm KPMG, where she was part of its corporate finance and audit teams.

In this role, Naomi supported the region’s business leaders on transactions across a range of sectors. This includes LDC’s recent exit of Newcastle-headquartered transport software provider Mandata and LDC’s investment in surveillance solutions supplier WCCTV.

As an investment manager, Naomi will be responsible for supporting LDC’s existing portfolio businesses and identifying local business leaders seeking the backing of an investment partner to help realise their growth plans.

The firm, which marks its 40th anniversary of backing ambition across the UK, opened its Newcastle office in February 2020, and at the same time announced the appointment of Investment Director Mike Barker.

Commenting on Naomi’s appointment, Gareth Marshall, head of LDC in the North East, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Naomi to the team. She brings new experience and will be a valuable addition to LDC and the management teams we support.

“Naomi’s enthusiasm and expertise will help us to support even more mid-market business leaders across the North East.”

Naomi McDiarmid, investment manager at LDC, added: “LDC deserves its reputation as the leading mid-market private equity firm in the North East. Having grown up in the area, I can’t wait to play a role in helping local management teams to grow their businesses.”

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →