Household names such as TalkTalk, the Co-op and United Utilities are among a string of North West businesses to announce top hires and promotions over the last week.
Companies such as law firms, recruiters and PR agencies are also among those to have made major moves.
Below, we round up the latest hires and promotions that we feel you should not miss.
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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.
TalkTalk
TalkTalk has announced the appointment of James Smith as its new chief financial officer.
The Salford-headquartered communications giant said Mr Smith will join the company in the coming months.
The new CFO has spent the last nine years in the same role at FTSE 250-listed Capricorn Energy. Prior to that he had a career in investment banking at Rothschild and Merrill Lynch.
Mr Smith will succeed Jonathan Thackray who leaves TalkTalk after nine years covering several finance roles, latterly as CFO.
Together
Specialist lender Together has announced the appointment of Chloe Cotgrave as personal finance chief operating officer in Manchester.
Her remit will be overseeing all operational areas for Together’s personal finance customers, including the underwriting, customer service and collections departments, as well as first line assurance and customer experience.
She said: "I am delighted to be starting in this new role; one in which I can bring together all of the experience I have amassed across my career into one remit. Having started in a call centre myself, I have a firm understanding of what it’s like to work on the front line supporting customers."
Alcedo Care Group
Tom Wilkes has been appointed registered manager of Alcedo Care Group’s Chester office.
He said: "I have watched the solid growth of Alcedo Care over recent years and have always been attracted to the company’s reputation, family values and care ethic.
"I aim to continue to provide the best care in Chester and an engaging and supportive working environment for my team. We will continue to expand and are already looking to introduce and develop our complex care, live-in care and children’s complex care services."
Sosandar
Sosandar has appointed Nick Mustoe as its interim non-executive chairman.
Mr Mustoe was previously a non-executive director at the Wilmslow fashion brand,
He said: "While it is in incredibly sad circumstances that I take this role, as Bill was a fantastic chairman and has left a lasting legacy to the business, I am proud to have been appointed as interim non-executive chairman.
"I look forward to working with Ali, Julie, Steve and the rest of the board as the group continues to move forward on its journey to become one of the largest womenswear brands globally."
Democracy
Manchester-based digital, social and PR agency Democracy has appointed Sam Christie to the role of head of news.
Christie joins from Reach plc, where he was news editor of the Manchester Evening News. Previously, he worked nationally on the newsdesk for The Sun, and at the Daily Star and Ferrari Press as a reporter.
Now he will lead across the agency’s news output, story creation, newsjacking and media outreach for clients including AkzoNobel, Fray Bentos, Tequila Rose, Eisberg, East Lancashire Railway, Love Energy Savings and Landwood.
He will also train agency colleagues in news writing and assist with media training of spokespeople at the agency.
United Utilities
The date of when the new chief executive of United Utilities will take over has been named.
It was announced in April 2022 that long-serving Steve Mogford would 'retire early next year' and be succeeded by Louise Beardmore.
It has now been confirmed that Mr Mogford will step down on March 31, when Mrs Beardmore will become CEO.
Chairman Sir David Higgins said: "It has been a privilege to work with Steve, who has been CEO since 2011.
"On behalf of the board, I wish to express my sincere thanks to him for the extensive improvements he has overseen in the performance of the business during his tenure as CEO, along with a number of key projects, in particular, the successful delivery of the West Cumbria Project providing customers in the region with a new resilient water supply.
"Steve has driven forward the group's strategy and improved engagement with all our stakeholders. He has made a huge contribution to United Utilities and we wish him well for the future."
The Co-op
The Co-operative Group has appointed Adrian Marsh to its board as an independent non-executive director and chair of its Risk and Audit Committee.
Mr Marsh recently announced his intention to retire from his role as group finance director at FTSE 100 packaging company, DS Smith, after 10 years in the role.
He is also a non-executive director and chair of the Audit Committee of John Wood plc and previously held senior finance positions at Tesco and AstraZeneca.
Mr Marsh will succeed Simon Burke, who has been a member of the Co-op board since inception in its current form in November 2014.
BGN
Manchester-based agency BGN has hired Louise Kennedy as its new head of strategy.
She has joined the business from Brandon Consultants where she worked for four years. Prior to that she held in-house insight and strategic planning roles for 20 years including at Kellogg’s, Kerry Foods and MyTravel.
She said: "I was keen to join BGN as they have strong growth ambitions which is an exciting prospect. It was also obvious that Paul, David and Antonio value the role strategy can play in the creative process.
"I have spent much of my career working in B2C FMCG categories so I’m now enjoying the challenge of drawing on my experience and implementing it in a new, dynamic agency environment."
QASSS
Manchester-based QASSS, a resolution services provider to the home improvement and renewable energy sectors, has announced the appointment of a new financial controller.
Qualified as a chartered accountant, Nick Hulme will be heading up QASSS’s finance department, which also includes a newly-formed supply chain function.
He has more than 30 years’ experience as a finance professional, with previous roles including finance director for a large North West-based printing company and contract accountant for Lancashire County Council.
Realm Recruit
Altrincham-based legal recruitment consultancy Realm Recruit has welcomed two new consultants and made three promotions.
Kathryn McGeoghegan joins Realm as a consultant specialising in the recruitment of commercial insurance, costs and legal support professionals across the North West.
Nonso Okonyia has joined as an associate consultant specialising in the recruitment of litigation lawyers across Yorkshire.
Support team lead Rebecca Hopwood has progressed to head of support; family law recruitment specialist Michaela Baddeley has been promoted from consultant to associate consultant and within the team’s marketing department, Emma Marsh has been promoted to associate marketing executive.
Savills
Savills has announced the appointments of Andrew Rowland, Gareth Evans and Kelvin Archer to its expanding rural practice across the North West.
Mr Rowland and Mr Evans will join the firm’s estate management team in its Chester office, while Mr Archer will be based in the Carlisle office as part of the wider forestry team.
Paul Hutchinson, director and head of rural at Savills in Chester, said: "We have a strong presence throughout the North of England and Andrew, Gareth and Kelvin will be instrumental in the delivery of the firm’s growth plans and strategic objectives."
Apadmi
Digital product business Apadmi has appointed Keeley Lee to the company’s senior leadership team as its new client services director.
She joins from Dentsu Creative, where she was head of account management, having also spent earlier stages of her career at BJL, Amaze and McCann Manchester.
She said: "A client services department is at the heart of any business like ours. I want to breathe new life into Apadmi’s client services function and champion it at senior level.
"As we begin to really take ownership of these relationships and drive them, we will see some real value for our clients."
Puma Private Equity
Puma Private Equity has announced the appointment of Mark Lyons as investment director in Manchester.
He joins from Praetura Ventures, where as director of investments he was part of the senior leadership team that grew the business to over £125m AUM and invested in over 30 fast-growth, early-stage businesses.
Mr Lyons said: "Puma Private Equity has developed a stellar reputation over the last 10 years of partnering with stand-out growth businesses and driving transformational change. I’m delighted to be joining the team and expanding the Puma brand across the North and beyond.
"It is well documented that more and more businesses are being established outside of the capital, but these entrepreneurs are often restricted in their ambitions through a lack of access to capital."
Adlington Retirement Living
Congleton-based Adlington Retirement Living has appointed Sarah Chadwick as head of marketing.
Mrs Chadwick joins the business with more than 26 years’ experience. Half of that time was spent at McCann, a global leader in marketing and advertising, where she was head of channel for Aldi.
More recently, she was head of marketing for Well Pharmacy and Haulfryn residential park homes.
Primas Law
Law firm Primas Law has recently appointed Liverpool-based Anton Stirrett as a corporate partner.
He Stirrett said: "I’m absolutely delighted to have joined Primas Law and can’t wait to start working with the team and helping continue the firm’s already fantastic growth. Primas Law has really exciting expansion plans for Liverpool which I’m thrilled to be a part of.
"The opportunity to join such a down to earth and forward-thinking law firm marks a really exciting moment in my career both personally and professionally. I look forward to working with Adam and the team to further embed the firm in the Liverpool region and explore new and modern approaches to how we do business."
Bermans
Liverpool and Manchester commercial law firm Bermans has appointed Jon Davage to become its first managing director.
A corporate solicitor in the North West for over 20 years, Mr Davage first joined Bermans in January 2012 from Manchester commercial firm LLM.
Prior to LLM, he worked for Turner Parkinson, now part of Knights plc.
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