Here is the latest East Midlands jobs news:
RSM UK
RSM UK has appointed John Bryant as corporate finance partner to grow the firm’s mergers and acquisitions capability in the Midlands. He joined on April 1 and will be based in the Nottingham and Leicester offices.
He has 18 years’ experience in corporate finance and will support businesses on M&A deals valued at between £10 million and £150 million and coordinate corporate finance activity across the East and West Midlands. He will also be responsible for launching and developing a new national industrials team.
He is the fourth partner to join the Midlands corporate finance team – alongside Helen Brocklebank and Phil Parkes who joined last April to work with James Carnegie. He began his career at NatWest handling debt transactions for private equity clients and prior to joining RSM, held senior roles at national audit and accounting firms in Nottingham either leading or developing their corporate finance teams.
John Bryant, corporate finance partner for RSM UK in the Midlands, said: “I’m really looking forward to raising the team’s profile across the Midlands, and building the new national industrial team, co-ordinating RSM’s approach to transactions in this sector on a national basis.
“It’s exciting to be joining the firm at this time of growth and investment in our region.”
Air IT
Nottingham-based managed IT services provider Air IT has appointed James Steventon as its new chief executive. James joins the business – which is aimed at SME clients – to take it to the next level of growth, having scaled several PE/VC-backed businesses.
Air IT has been pursuing a “buy and build” strategy backed by August Equity, and provides a range of services across IT, communications, and cyber security.
He said: “Air IT has proven that the right solutions and passionate support are more valuable to UK businesses than ever.
“I’m excited to be taking the business forward and continuing to build the team, expand our footprint and enhance our offering. I want Air IT to be the go-to partner for managed IT services in the UK for the SME community.”
Air IT chairman Ian Brown said: “We’re delighted that James has joined Air IT.
“He brings extensive leadership experience and a strong track record of growth and client-focused excellence in private equity-backed technology businesses like ours.”
Fisher German
Commercial property agent Fisher German has announced 26 promotions at its two Ashby offices, including one partner promotion and three progressions within the partnership.
Sam Parton, who is part of the firm’s infrastructure services division, has been invited to join the partnership.
He joined Fisher German as a graduate in August 2010 and initially assisted with the management of various rural estates before moving across to work in utilities and infrastructure in 2012.
In 2017 took over the role of manager of the Exolum Pipeline System contract, leading a team which completes the land agency and pipeline protection administration for approximately 1,200 miles of cross-country oil pipelines.
As a partner he will also lead a team involved in the delivery of a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project in the East of England.
Fisher German has made a total of 54 promotions across its 25 offices, including seven progressions within the partnership, as part of its career progression framework which gives employees a clear pathway to advance within the business.
Sam said: “I’m extremely proud to have been invited to join the partnership. I joined Fisher German as a graduate and have always aspired to make it into the partnership, which is something that the firm has strongly supported.
“There is a clear pathway for progression in place for those who want to advance in their careers with line managers being extremely supportive, encouraging and willing to have open and honest conversations with colleagues about what they want to achieve.
“I have worked with some fantastic clients on some challenging projects over the years and I look forward to the challenges ahead, including a large-scale project in the East of England.
“It’s an extremely interesting time for the infrastructure sector as we move towards net zero, and I look forward to continuing to support the growth of this area of the business.”
Avant Homes
Housebuilder Avant Homes has strengthened its East Midlands construction team with the appointment of Phil Marshall as construction director.
With 35 years’ experience in the housebuilding sector, Phil joins to lead Avant Homes’ construction team in the East Midlands.
He will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the developments and overseeing the wider construction team to ensure excellent delivery of homes within the region.
He said: “I have a genuine passion for ensuring only the highest of standards in delivering high-quality homes that not only meet the needs of customers, but instil the whole construction team with pride.
“Avant Homes has ambitious expansion plans and there is a great opportunity to further strengthen its position as a leading housebuilder in the East Midlands whilst supporting the company’s wider growth strategy.”
In addition to its Nottingham office, Avant Homes’ other regional businesses are based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire; Stirling, Scotland; Chesterfield in Derbyshire and Sunderland in the North East. Avant Homes’ head office is at Junction 30 of the M1, near Sheffield.
PKF Smith Cooper
PKF Smith Cooper has welcomed audit director Barbara Sims to the team, focusing on audit quality and providing technical support to the audit team.
Barbara has over 15 years practice experience, working with a variety of clients from owner-managed businesses to charities and academies. Prior to joining the firm, Barbara worked for five years as CFO for a multi-academy trust.
The audit team at PKF Smith Cooper works with all types of clients from large corporations to SMEs and not-for-profit organisations, across a variety of sectors, providing tailored advice on all manner of audit, assurance, and advisory matters.
Sarah Flear, partner and head of audit, said: “I am pleased to welcome Barbara to the team, who will have an integral role in the development of the firm’s audit team, internal quality, and compliance.
“Barbara brings with her valuable industry experience, including the education sector, and I look forward to working with her as we continue to provide tailored advice and recommendations, helping our clients achieve their objectives.”
Mather Jamie
Specialist land development and property consultancy company Mather Jamie has appointed Karla Williams as a new associate director specialising in land acquisitions and disposals.
Having started her career in land buying during a sandwich placement, Karla has spent the last decade working for volume house builders including Countryside Properties and Avant Homes where she was responsible for acquiring sites of various sizes for a mixture of tenures.
She said: “Mather Jamie is a very reputable property consultancy and after many years working for volume housebuilders I thought the opportunity to work on the other side of land transactions would be an exciting challenge.”
Karla graduated with first class degree in planning and development from Nottingham Trent University in 2014 and is now a guest lecturer supporting the next generation of graduates.
Originally from Nottingham, Karla now lives in Derby with her husband, two children and a rescue cat.
IoD
The Institute of Directors (IoD) has appointed Craig Bentley as vice-chairman for Leicestershire and South East Midlands.
Craig is director of specialist management consulting firm Bentley Management and Consulting. He is also co-founder of Swotly, an ed-tech business which uses voice technology to improve parental engagement with children’s learning.
Prior to setting up his consulting business Craig led commercial and operations teams for global companies in manufacturing, logistics and supply chain management.
He succeeds Dr Shamir Ghumra and will remain as the branch ambassador for policy and governance.
As vice-chairman, Craig will work closely alongside branch chairwoman Sarah Canning and a team of specialist ambassadors to provide connections, professional development opportunities and an influential lobbying voice for all directors.
Craig said: “I am delighted to take on this role. We want to support local directors to deal with the challenges facing their organisations but also to provide them with the tools they need to prosper.
“I will be using my experience in helping clients to manage change and think through better ways of working.”
Yusen Logistics (UK)
Global transport and logistics provider Yusen Logistics (UK), whose UK business is headquartered in Northamptonshire, has appointed David Goldsborough as its managing director.
David has worked within the Yusen Logistics group since the acquisition of Tibbett Logistics in 2017 and what is now Yusen Logistics Romania, where he was managing director and also regional managing director for Yusen Logistics in Central and Eastern Europe since January 2020.
David’s early career began in the UK almost 30 years ago with Tibbett & Britten Group where he gained experience in leadership roles at home and in Austria and Germany before moving on to Eastern Europe with Keswick Enterprises and Delamode in Romania.
He said: “I am delighted to have this opportunity to lead the continued excellent development that YLUK has demonstrated over the past years.
“Through our ongoing commitment to delivering sustainable services and customer focussed solutions I am convinced that we will be successful in helping our customers face their future challenges both in the UK and across Europe.”
Yusen Logistics Co. Ltd. was established in 1955 and currently has over 24,000 employees worldwide at more than 550 locations in 45 countries, plus almost 3 million sq ft of warehousing space.
MTMS
A former site engineer who started his career as an electrical apprentice has been appointed to lead one of the UK’s biggest rail depot maintenance firms as it seeks further growth and prepares for the Great British Railways era.
Matt Forst has been promoted to managing director of Midlands-based MTMS, with previous MD Malcolm Prentice taking up the position of group chairman.
MTMS, based in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, services and maintains rolling stock and rail depot specialist equipment and carries out routine infrastructure tasks at more than one third of rail depots across the UK. It serves mainline rail clients such as First MTR South-Western Railway, Govia ThamesLink Railway, Hitachi Rail Europe, Arriva and Siemens.
Over the past 12 months it has invested heavily in new IT and telecommunications systems as well as moved to a new purpose-built headquarters.
It is now seeking to recruit more engineers to become the market leader in depot maintenance for train operators, ahead of the implementation of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, which will see Network Rail replaced by Great British Railways and the replacement of franchises with Passenger Service Contracts.
Matt started as an electrical apprentice in Burton before becoming a site management technician working in a wide range of organisations, from schools to distilleries, and working on a variety of systems, from high voltage cables to pneumatics.
He was headhunted by Malcolm Prentice in 2015 as the MTMS venture was taking shape.
Matt said: “I am proud and honoured to have been appointed managing director of MTMS ahead of what is set to be an important time for the company and the rail industry as a whole.”
Sladen Estates
NATIONAL developer Sladen Estates has appointed two development directors to boost its projects across the UK – including schemes in Reading, Oxfordshire and the Midlands.
Nick Aylett and Alex Statham have joined from Jaguar Land Rover and property agents Banks Long & Co respectively, and will work alongside Sladen’s existing team.
Nick held the role of UK real estate manager at Jaguar Land Rover for more than four years, and has extensive knowledge of asset management, property strategy and commercial transactions.
He said: “Sladen Estates has an exemplary reputation across the industry, so an opportunity to join the team was not one to be missed.
“There is a strong commitment here to taking the right approach to property development and fostering a collaborative environment that produces results we can be proud of.”
Alex spent more than five years as a director at Banks Long & Co in Lincoln, managing the firm’s building and cost consultancy team and leading on all key project management commissions.
Before that, he spent 10 years at Faithful+Gould as a senior project manager, delivering complex and challenging projects with individual values up to £32 million.
In partnership with Peveril Securities, Sladen has expanded its national development portfolio with projects in Bicester, Reading, Peterborough and Nottingham.
These follow recent completions of a 361-bed student accommodation scheme in Guildford, 1.7 million sq ft Amazon distribution centre in Sutton-in-Ashfield and the 275,000 sq ft HMRC East Midlands regional hub in Nottingham.
Platelet Services
Nottingham-based contract research organisation Platelet Services has appointed Dr Paul Cato as senior research scientist to support growing demand for its pre-clinical services in platelet testing.
Dr Cato started his career working for the NHS as a biomedical scientist in haematology and immunology, where he gained experience in clinical blood work, building his knowledge in red blood cells, platelets and leukocytes.
After seven years, he moved into industry, where his career has primarily been focused on the development of bespoke assays for pharmaceutical research.
He said: “I am excited to be in a role where I can interact with and help clients with the potential for longer term projects, and to be working with platelets and leukocytes again.
“Platelet Services has a great reputation in the market for its work and I am looking forward to an exciting future.”
Elliot Mather
Elliot Mather has announced the appointment of Nick Elliot as a designated LLP member. Nick is heading up the corporate services for the law firm with plans to expand the team, providing clients with access to an extensive range of business services.
He is a corporate solicitor having qualified in 2008 and has worked at Elliot Mather for seven years. His knowledge and expertise covers a range of corporate and commercial matters, along with a strong background in commercial property, and landlord and tenant work.
He said: “During my time at Elliot Mather I have seen the firm grow from strength to strength and the firm now has thriving offices across the East Midlands in Derby, Nottingham, Chesterfield and Mansfield.
“I am delighted to become a designated member at the firm and I am excited about the further expansion of the corporate department and developing its growing reputation for providing a dependable and personable service to all our business clients.”
Optima UK
Recruitment, training, and business advice consultancy Optima UK has appointed a new marketing manager.
Mariana Martínez joins the Leicester-based business following a seven-year spell as head of marketing at an aesthetic medical centre in Barcelona.
Prior to that, the Venezuela-born marketer worked with worldwide agencies and household brands, leading on copywriting and creative campaigns.
Larraine Boorman, chairman and chief executive of Optima UK, said: “With her vast experience and successful track record, Mariana is the ideal person to take Optima’s marketing to a new level.
“We’re already an established and highly-successful business, trusted by job seekers and companies alike. Mariana will play a key part in building our brand and raising our reputation yet further.”
Mariana has spent more than 20 years in the world of advertising and marketing, has run her own business and in addition to studying in Caracas, Venezuela, has also studied in both the US and the UK.
At Optima, Mariana will be responsible for coordinating day-to-day marketing activities and developing long-term marketing strategies.
Mariana will be based at Optima's headquarters in Grove Park, Enderby.
