Businesses based across the North West have announced more than 40 top appointments and promotions over the last week.
Companies with operations in the likes of Manchester, Liverpool, Chester and further afield have been in contact with BusinessLive since our most recent North West round up.
Firms in sectors from as diverse as retail, law, sport, communications and manufacturing are among those who have made a series of moves in the last seven days.
If you have a new or recent appointment or promotion that you would like featured in our next round up, please e-mail jon.robinson@reachplc.com.
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Here, BusinessLive runs through the latest North West appointments announced in the last week that you shouldn't miss.
Pets at Home
Pets at Home Group has named a top boss at Sky as its new chief executive.
Lyssa McGowan will join the Cheshire-headquartered retailer from June 1, succeeding Peter Pritchard, who announced his intention last November to step down from his role in summer 2022.
She is the outgoing chief consumer officer at Sky UK and was a non-executive director at supermarket giant Morrisons until its recent sale to CD&R.
Lyssa McGowan said: "I am thrilled to be joining Pets at Home as CEO.
"It is a fantastic business with a unique, integrated business model, and a strong purpose-led culture fuelled by the shared passion of over 15,000 colleagues and partners to care for pets, and the people who love them.
Lancashire Cricket
Lancashire Cricket has announced that Navin Singh has been co-opted as a non-executive board member at Emirates Old Trafford.
The co-opted appointment of Mr Singh to the board, who is the commercial director for The Football Association (The FA), will be put forward to members for election at the forthcoming AGM in April.
The club added "that despite a proactive and transparent recruitment drive" to Lancashire’s membership, no members applied for the role.
Mr Singh joined English football’s governing body in 2021, following five years as the United States Golf Association’s chief commercial officer.
In his current role with the FA, Mr Singh is responsible for leading all aspects of the commercial strategy for all England football teams, Wembley Stadium, the FA Cup, and the Barclays FA Women’s Super League, whilst also playing a key role in the organisation’s digital transformation.
TalkTalk
The chief executive of YourView, which was founded by the BBC, ITV and BT, has quit to take on a senior role at TalkTalk.
Susie Buckridge has been named as the Salford-headquartered group's general manager of group product, a newly-created job.
YourView is co-owned by TalkTalk, BT, BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
Susie Buckridge had been CEO of YourView since February 2019, having first joined in March 2010.
She has previously worked for the likes of EY, Deloitte and the BBC.
She will now lead a new group product practice across TalkTalk's consumer, wholesale and B2B business units.
You can read the full story here.
Downing
Barry Landrum and Gustavo Balagué have joined the design team of Liverpool-headquartered developer Downing.
Mr Landrum has been appointed team leader within Downing’s design management team while Mr Balagué has swapped Barcelona for Manchester to relocate for a role in the team.
Mr Landrum said: "Having worked on a number of major developments in Manchester, including The Christie Hospital and two residential towers, I am excited to be returning to the North West.
"Joining such a well-established developer, at a key moment in its growth strategy is a very attractive prospect. There is a strong pipeline of major developments across the UK, where I am looking forward to contributing my wealth of experience."
Mr Balagué added: "It is great to join such a dynamic team and I am very exciting to get started on some of the upcoming projects over the next 12 months, including First Street and The Meadows.
"Our like-minded approach to client engagement and fulfilment has already become apparent, with exciting progress being made across a number of developments."
Steven Hunt Associates
Liverpool City Region-based mechanical and electrical engineering powerhouse Steven Hunt Associates has appointed four new directors.
Stepping up to the board of directors are the company’s current senior mechanical engineer, Neil Baines; senior electrical design engineer, Dave Kelly; senior business development manager, Anne King; and BIM manager, Dominic Sibbring.
Founder and managing director Steve Hunt said: "Collectively the new directors share my vision for this company, bring decades of experience in the industry, and are committed to dedicating their expertise to continuing to grow and shape the construction landscape in the region.
"They will ensure we remain relevant and ahead of the game. We are excited to make these appointments from within our existing workforce, reckoning their expertise and strengthening our leadership as we move to the next level.
"Together as a board our focus is to continue to build on the firm's 30 plus year legacy, to broaden our client portfolio and continue to deliver the very best quality service for our clients."
Tangerine
Manchester-based, employee-owned creative communications agency Tangerine has added two new senior team members to its ranks.
Rebekah Van Oldenbeek and Alison Parker join the agency as head of people and performance and operations manager respectively.
The new appointments come following a record-breaking 2021 for the firm, with the business surpassing £5m in revenue.
Rebekah Van Oldenbeek joins from restaurant and bar group The Alchemist where she was HR business partner.
Alison Parker was previously studio manager at Equator Design.
Joint CEO Sam Gregory said: "As we celebrate a record-breaking turnover, it’s important that our structure reflects and supports the size and complexity of business we have become.
"Rebekah and Alison have fantastic credentials and are exactly the type of top talent we want to bring into our team to support our ambitious growth plans."
Weightmans
National law firm Weightmans has promoted Stuart Whittle to chief innovation and technology officer.
Based in Liverpool, Mr Whittle joined Weightmans in 1993 as a trainee solicitor and worked as a professional indemnity lawyer until 2003 when he began working across the firm’s operational business.
Since then, he has held roles including head of information services, information services and operations director, and most recently held the role of business services and innovation director.
Catriona Wolfenden has also been promoted to product and innovation director where she will be running a team of product and innovation partners, legal engineers and technologists, and product managers.
HURST
Stockport-based accounting and business advisory firm HURST has expanded its tax advisory team with two senior appointments.
Lindsey Egan and Liza Whiley have joined the firm from KPMG and Catax respectively as a senior tax manager and research and development specialist.
The new roles have been created to meet growing demand from an expanding client base at HURST, which focuses on advising entrepreneurial companies with turnover of £5m and above.
Lindsey Egan was a senior tax manager at KPMG, which she joined in 2016 from Mazars.
Liza Whiley previously worked for seven years at Altrincham-based Catax as a manager in the R&D department.
MHA Moore and Smalley
Accountancy and business advisory firm MHA Moore and Smalley has added to its growing corporate finance team in Manchester with two new appointments.
Sam Singleton has joined from KPMG as corporate finance assistant manager while Dan Coleman has been recruited as corporate finance executive, also from KPMG.
Andrew Feeke, head of corporate finance, said: "Since we opened our Manchester office, we have experienced rapid growth in demand for our corporate finance services as well as several other areas of expertise including compliance and advisory tax services.
"Our corporate finance team has grown significantly over this period. Sam and Dan will complement our strong expertise as we continue to establish MHA Moore and Smalley as a key corporate finance advisory practice in the Manchester and wider North West landscape."
Before joining MHA Moore and Smalley, Mr Singleton spent six years at KPMG, joining the company as audit associate and progressing to become audit manager, leading on a number of high-profile large corporates across the North West.
Price Slater Gawne
North West law firm Price Slater Gawne has announced that Ainsley Pritchard has joined its family law team as solicitor.
She has previously held the position of head of family law at Dootsons Solicitors for the past decade.
Prior to that she was head of the family department with Branton Bridge Solicitors and before that was with Maidments Solicitors in Salford.
She said: "This is a very exciting move is for me, as the firm continues its rapid growth and seeks to build its family law offering in the region and beyond. Nick’s reputation as a family lawyer is outstanding, and I really wanted to work with him and his team as they develop something very special in the industry.
"I have a particular interest in children’s matters, having worked extensively in this area, and will be seeking to build up our offering further."
Sykes Holiday Cottages
Chester’s Sykes Holiday Cottages has announced a series of hires and promotions to bolster its senior leadership team.
Luke Squires joins as operations director and will be responsible for overseeing all operational functions. He has spent the past six years at Virgin Holidays and Virgin Atlantic.
Stephen Joyce will be joining in March as people director, having spent the last seven years leading a team of more than 1,000 employees at Your Housing Group in Warrington as chief people officer.
Adam Platt – who originally joined the business back in 2008 as a graduate developer – has been promoted to chief technology officer.
Chief executive Graham Donoghue said: "Luke and Stephen will be great additions to the Sykes team, and both bring a wealth of experience in their respective areas that will be key to our operations and employee growth plans in the years ahead.
"Adam, on the other hand, has been instrumental to our success for the past 14 years. His new role will see him continue to elevate our market-leading technology and I look forward to working with him for many more years to come."
ICG
North West-based agency ICG has appointed Simon Couchman as its sole managing director.
Mr Couchman, who has been with the company since 2004, previously held the role of joint managing director and now heads up the business with the support of a newly-created leadership team.
Dave Mallalieu, head of digital, Sarah Huddy, promoted to head of design and Julie Hackett, who now leads the marketing team as account director, form the new team.
The changes follow the retirement of former joint managing director, Peter Cobley.
Mr Couchman, who also retains his role as creative director of ICG, said: "I am really excited to be leading ICG as we continue to drive the business forward, develop new services and expand our client portfolio.
"While the last two years have been challenging, we’ve recorded strong organic growth with more than a dozen new clients joining our roster last year. I am delighted to say that we have hit the ground running in 2022 and are on track for another record year.
"We have a fabulous team of dedicated and talented individuals who go the extra mile to support our clients - hopefully this year we can enjoy some more social time together too."
Shopblocks
Manchester-based tech firm Shopblocks has made two key hires as part of its growth strategy.
The company, which produces bespoke ecommerce websites at scale, recently signed a six-year lease on 6,500 sq ft offices in No 1 St Peter’s Square in Stockport after closing a £1.2m funding round.
Kristian Hunt has joined as chief operating officer from Manchester audio branding agency PHMG after an 18-month search.
Stacey MacNaught has also joined the board as non-executive director after advising the company on its SEO and follows the recent appointment of former Proactis managing director Craig Slater, as a non-executive director.
Mr Hunt said: "I’m delighted to join Shopblocks on the next stage of their journey. I’m really excited by the potential and the projections for growth."
Institute of Economic Development
An inclusive growth and social enterprise champion based at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has been appointed to the board of the Institute of Economic Development (IED).
Dr Joanne Leek has been economic development manager at the combined authority since May 2021 having previously worked as an investment analyst.
She said: "It is a undoubtedly an exciting time for the sector with lots going on politically around Levelling Up and discussion on what that means for left-behind places, which is aligned to a lot of my own work.
"Over the next year the IED has a key role to play in helping decode what Levelling Up means and responding to what is likely to be a quick turnaround on central government funding.
"How to access this funding, how to build business cases, these are the type of issues our members will need support with going forward. I want us to drive best practice and standards across the sector."
Azets
UK accounting, tax and business advisory firm Azets has appointed Simon Monks and Martin Woodhall.
Mr Monks joins as a director and Mr Woodhall as a senior manager in the restructuring and insolvency team in the North West, based in Manchester.
Mr Monks is a qualified insolvency practitioner and has spent over 17 years assisting businesses from multinational companies to SMEs.
He is a restructuring and insolvency specialist, advising corporates, lenders and other stakeholders across a variety of sectors that are impacted by financial stress or distress .
Mr Woodhall is also a qualified insolvency practitioner and has over 17 years’ experience in restructuring and insolvency.
He joins from a boutique firm in the North-West having spent the prior 15 years at a large mid-tier firm.
Hive Projects
Manchester-based project, cost and programme management company Hive Projects has expanded its leadership team.
Chris Waine, a former senior director at Arcadis with 20 years experience in the construction industry, joins Hive Projects' leadership team as another equity director.
He will work alongside fellow directors and co-founders of Hive Projects, Liz Hartley, Mackayla Colwell and Paul Roberts.
Another ex-Arcadis director, Kevin Breen, also joins the Hive Projects' senior team, bringing with him 20 years of cost and commercial management experience in the public sector.
DCB Legal
Cheshire-based DCB Legal has appointed Lee Samuels-Camozzi as strategy director.
Mr Samuels-Camozzi was previously head of customer relations at Verastar for 20 years.
He said: "I’m thrilled to have been appointed to the DCB Legal board as strategy director and support the business on its next stage of growth.
"Working alongside the other founders and directors, I’m looking forward to finding new and innovative ways for both DCB Legal and DCBL to adapt and work together.
"Our clients choose DCB Legal because they know we have a unique understanding of their needs, which in turn allows us to provide the best possible solutions.
"My aim is to ensure that through our customer-first approach and commitment to improvement, this dedication is extended to their clients too."
Meadow Foods
Chester-headquartered Meadow Foods has announced a trio of new department hires, which includes one internal promotion among the team.
Andy Smith joins as commercial director for the speciality ingredients division, Lorraine Hammond joins the business as HR director and Alun Lewis becomes the company’s first head of sustainability after a long career within the business.
Chief executive Mark Chantler said: "We’re pleased to grow the team with these strategic hires and welcome the experience they bring to key areas of our business.
"Alun has been with us for many years and now plays a key role helping us to deliver on our sustainability targets.
"We have a strong management team in place and are excited by the opportunities for further sustainable growth."
Gorvins LLP
Greater Manchester-based solicitors Gorvins LLP has appointed a new head of employment.
David Rogers was previously group general counsel at Tetrosyl, a manufacturer and supplier of car care products.
Leading Gorvins LLP’s employment team, he will be responsible for overseeing and managing a wide range of complex employment-related issues including tribunal claims, contracts, grievances and redundancies.
He said: "The pandemic has completely changed the way we all work, creating new working environments and opportunities to re-evaluate the status quo.
"This all has a major impact on employment law, with significant changes in areas such as flexible working and policies and procedures.
"Never has there been such a fundamental shift in working patterns and this has huge ramifications for people working across all sectors.
"It’s an unprecedented time to be an employer, and a very exciting time to be involved in employment law."
Brabners
Three members of the family team at independent law firm Brabners have been appointed to senior industry roles in the North West.
Partner Joanne Radcliff has been appointed chair of the Manchester Regional Committee of Resolution – a national community of family justice professionals which works with families and individuals to resolve issues in a constructive way.
Her colleague and chartered legal executive Antonia Williamson has been appointed to the equivalent position in Liverpool.
In addition, Leanne Instrall, a senior associate within the team, has been appointed chair of Resolution Manchester’s YRes Committee – a subcommittee for family law professionals who have been qualified for less than 10 years.
Lindsey Knowles, a senior associate in Brabners’ employment team, has been appointed by the Lord Chancellor as a Fee-Paid Employment Judge of the Employment Tribunals (England and Wales) - the special judicial body that decides employment law and workplace disputes.
CBRE
CBRE has bolstered its engineering expertise with a key hire and a promotion.
Paul McEwan has been appointed as director of engineering consultancy for the North, responsible for all building services engineering projects across the Northern super region and will be based in the Liverpool and Manchester offices.
Paul Feely moves up to head CBRE’s national engineering design service.
Mr McEwan joins from Wates Construction’s M&E division Shepherd Engineering, where he spent six years leading on major projects across a range of sectors, including laboratories and healthcare, as well as delivering some of the most sustainable auditoria and office projects in the UK.
His new role with CBRE will see him succeed Paul Feely, who has been appointed as CBRE’s head of engineering design for the UK and Ireland.
Mr Feely joined CBRE in 2019 and has been appointed to drive the company’s national engineering design service, delivering strategic engineering advice and sustainable engineering as well as Net Zero Carbon consultancy.
Knight Frank
Craig Barton has joined the investment team at Knight Frank in Manchester as a partner alongside Matt Stretton.
Mr Barton's move comes after 25 years with Cushman & Wakefield, where he was senior investment partner.
He said: "I was not looking to move but the opportunity to join Matt and work with David Porter was just too good to miss.
"Knight Frank is involved in some of the most transformational projects in the North and it is a really exciting time to join.
"We are seeing new entrants into the regional market and I expect to see more European funds heading here."
Mr Porter added: "Craig brings with him a wealth of experience, trust and knowledge and he will be an integral part of the team from the off.
"We continue to see investment opportunities across all property sectors and see Craig’s appointment as a real advantage to capitalise on this."
Moda Furnishings
Manchester-headquartered Moda Furnishings has hired the former marketing director at DFS, Nick Ashworth.
He has taken on the same role at the company while Ella Broughton, who was previously head of buying at Loft Interiors, joins as the new head of product.
Ella Broughton said: "I’ve worked across many Homeware categories over my career, particularly Home Furnishings & Accessories. I’ve had the opportunity to work with fantastic designers, factories and artisan makers.
"I hope to bring this knowledge and build on Moda’s product range by introducing new categories, offering our customers everything they need to create beautiful but functional outdoor spaces that transcend all seasons."
