This week’s London appointments

This week’s London appointments include developments at Influencer.com, Rabobank, Forrester, Really Local Group, and CryptoUK.

Suzanne Burrows - Influencer.com

Influencer.com, the global leader in influencer marketing, today announced the appointment of Suzanne Burrows as its new Chief Financial Officer. Reporting to Influencer CEO and Co-Founder Ben Jeffries, Suzanne will oversee the financial and people operations of the company.

Suzanne brings to the role 20 years of leadership in financial operations for a range of high-growth and mature media companies, including extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions.

She most recently served as Group CFO at UKTV and was responsible for all aspects of the Finance function. Prior to UKTV, Burrows was the CFO and FD at BBC Studios, UK region. While there, Burrows was the finance lead of the acquisition of UKTV for £173m.

Before BBC Studios, Burrows notably held the title of CFO at Discovery where she was responsible for the Finance of the European Division (UK and EMEA).

In her new role, Burrows will be responsible for leading all financial activities and optimising business performance in a bid to support the company’s rapid growth, which is on course to grow by 450 per cent this year, and seek new revenue streams.

Ben Jeffries, CEO and co-founder, said: “With her proven track record and extensive financial expertise, Suzanne will help drive our scale to new heights, particularly with her experience in acquisitions, as well as providing strategic value to our executive team.

Suzanne added: “I am delighted to join Influencer.com and support the ambitious growth plans of the leadership team.

“Having closely observed how traditional marketing channels have evolved over time, I believe influencer marketing is the future, and Influencer.com is leading the charge, demonstrating both a growth mindset and sustained focus with a strong emphasis on technology advancements.’’

Lisa Atkinson - Rabobank

Rabobank, the specialist food and agri bank, has appointed a new Head of HR in the UK.

Lisa Atkinson will be responsible for building and managing a commercially focused HR function that provides a comprehensive HR service to the UK branch while further positioning Rabobank UK as an employer of choice.

Lisa has worked for Rabobank for 22 years and was most recently its head of people advisory and development. Her career within the bank has seen her lead on business partnering, employee relations, talent acquisition, learning and development and in developing Rabobank’s diversity and inclusion policies.

She takes over the London based role from Emma Dolby, who has taken up the role of Chief Human Resources Officer for Europe and Africa.

Lisa said: “Human resources has played a key role in supporting management and employees throughout the pandemic. As we continue to navigate the impact of Covid-19 on the world of work in 2022 and beyond, HR teams will have an important role to play in how businesses function and support their people.

“We’re already implementing programmes that embed our diversity and inclusion strategies, hybrid working models, approach to wellbeing and the way we attract the best talent and I’m looking forward to further developing these with my colleagues and our leadership team.”

Will Jennings, Rabobank’s UK CEO, said: “Lisa’s experience, expertise and deep knowledge of Rabobank will be invaluable additions to our management team. She brings a wealth of technical knowledge and specialist skills which will help support our people and shape our HR function throughout the pandemic and beyond.

“Lisa’s appointment is the latest in a series of appointments that occurred throughout 2021 that really consolidate our focus in the UK and will help us deliver on our growth ambitions. “

Tas Quayum - Forresters

Forresters is pleased to announce the appointment of Tas Quayum as chief operating officer.

Tas has been hired by Forresters as part of its commitment for growth, which includes streamlining processes and increasing collaboration across each of the firm’s teams and offices. He will be leading operational and financial management at Forresters and said he is looking forward to working with a dynamic and motivated team.

Tas said: “When I first met the firm’s partners it was obvious that they were a great group of people that worked hard to achieve the best outcomes for their clients.

“Growth and expansion have been a priority for Forresters, and it was good to see that the partners are open to change to help them achieve the results they are after. I want to help unblock bottlenecks and my door will always be open so that people can discuss any issues.”

Tas, who is based at Forresters’ new London office at The Gherkin, joins Forresters from one of the UK’s largest financial and professional services firms where he was chief operating officer (COO) for the Professional Services Division.

He has also previously worked as a COO at a leading global accounting firm, as well as at two leading investment banks.

Matt Shaw, managing partner at Forresters, added: “We are delighted to have Tas join us - he will play a key role in developing and implementing our growth strategy,” said Matt. “Tas’ experience will be invaluable to Forresters as we continue to deliver a world-class service to our clients.”

Crispin Lily - Really Local Group

Pioneering high street regeneration developer and operator, Really Local Group, has today announced the appointment of Crispin Lilly as Business Development Director.

Crispin Lilly, who joins Really Local Group from popular boutique cinema chain, Everyman Cinemas, has nearly 30 years’ experience in the UK cinema sector. The appointment comes at an exciting time for Really Local Group, which has two successful projects under its belt.

During his six years as CEO of Everyman, Crispin oversaw the exponential growth of the company which grew from 10 to 35 sites throughout his tenure.

Prior to this, he worked for over twenty years as VP Business Affairs at Cineworld looking after all aspects of commercial revenues including both the film and retail elements of the business, as well as being part of the launch team for Unlimited, the world’s first subscription cinema scheme, and overseeing the integration of Picturehouse Cinemas in 2012.

For the last five years Crispin has been a trustee of Medicinema, a charity that builds and runs cinemas in the heart of NHS hospitals; in 2021 he took a hands-on role within this team working as Interim CEO.

Preston Benson, Founder of Really Local Group, commented: “Crispin brings a wealth of experience, and we are proud to welcome him to Really Local Group. 2022 is the breakout year for our business which is entering into a period of significant growth. He is a very important addition to the team and his appointment signals a very exciting time for the company.”

Crispin Lilly, Business Development Director of Really Local Group added: “What Preston and the team are delivering at the Really Local Group is both exciting and extremely relevant for the future of our high streets and their communities.

“I have long believed the cinema should be more than just ‘seeing a film’, and the Really Local Group’s revolutionary venues and inspired workforce manage this in a refreshing and accessible way.”

Teana Baker - CryptoUK

CryptoUK, the trusted voice of the UK crypto industry, has today announced the appointment of Teana Baker-Taylor as its new non-executive director (NED).

Teana joins CryptoUK having held a number of critical leadership roles in traditional finance and the digital assets industry, working directly with regulators and Capitol Hill policy makers.

She is currently the chief policy officer for the Digital Chamber of Commerce, a leading US trade association representing the digital asset and blockchain industry, and leads the Chamber’s Policy and Government Affairs activities.

Formerly at Crypto.com and Binance, Teana was responsible for the UK and European market strategy, operations and business development, as well as government relations and regulatory affairs across the region.

Teana said: “The UK digital asset industry is at a turning point and maturing fast as adoption grows. Having been on both sides of the fence as a policy advocate and commercial market operator, I am excited to support CryptoUK in building the bridges between policymakers and market participants.

“CryptoUK is moving the needle on policy and regulatory framework development to ultimately build trust and protect all participants, from retail investors to the crypto industry players.”

Ian Taylor, executive director of CryptoUK, added: “We are delighted to be joined by Teana in an advisory capacity. She brings tremendous expertise and experience leading policy maker and regulator outreach and advocacy initiatives to build a shared understanding of the risks and opportunities presented by digital assets.

“She joins us at the perfect time to build our governance model and support our engagement strategy to inform a runway of policy initiatives that are top of mind for policy makers.”

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