Ospreys Rugby have appointed Anthony Cole-Johnson as its new commercial director.
He will be joining the senior management team on January 18 with a remit across all commercial pillars.
Speaking on the new appointment, Mr Cole-Johnson said: “The Ospreys have an enviable record of success amongst its peers and has real ambitions to grow both within the region and into new markets and this was the right moment to join the business.
“I am excited to find ways of bringing more supporters back into the Swansea.com stadium to be part of our journey, but also grow our international reach for both the men’s and women’s teams in the future.”
He added: “I am also looking forward to working closely with the Ospreys fantastic suite of partners and helping meet their objectives both this season and as we move forward together.
Mr Cole-Johnson has worked both inside and outside the world of professional sport, with global brands including Deloitte, L’Oreal, Coca Cola and Sky TV.
He also has four years’ experience working in Premier League football at Southampton FC, where he was responsible for delivering a major multi-million-pound five-year kit sponsorship deal and increased crowd attendances.
Ospreys' chief executive, Nick Garcia, said: "Sustainable success is only possible with a strong commercial offering and an ability to demonstrate value. The way supporters engage with sport and how commercial partners are integrated has changed dramatically in the last decade.
"We believe this is a growth area for rugby and Anthony’s attitude, experience and drive make him the perfect candidate to take Ospreys to the next level. We are excited about what can be achieved by working with our partners and supporters under Anthony’s leadership."
Geldards
Law firm Geldards has appointed new partners at its Cardiff office.
In a series of promotions the firm, which also has offices in London and the Midlands, has promoted five senior associates to partners, bringing its total number of partners to 61.
In Cardiff the new partners are Elizabeth Bray, a specialist in best practice and risk, Joga Singh, employment and immigration and Helen Snow, employment, data protection and information.
Moreover, six associates have been promoted to senior associate roles. In Cardiff they are Richard Kirby, injury dispute resolution and Ewelina Wagiel, corporate.
Three solicitors have also been promoted to associate level, including in Cardiff Henry Bright, commercial property and Madeleine Jordan, consensual dispute resolution.
Jeff Pearson, chief executive at Geldards, said: “Geldards’ success is built on the talented individuals we have within the firm and we are pleased to nurture and develop our skilled workforce.
"I offer my warmest congratulations to our five new partners and all of our colleagues whose dedication and hard work have been recognised with these well-deserved promotions. I look forward to watching them grow in their new roles as they continue to provide an exceptional client service and build the excellent reputation of Geldards.”
Last year the firm moved to new 24,000 sq ft offices in Cardiff at the 4 Capital Quarter building, having entered into a ten year lease
The firm opened its first office in the capital in 1854 and had been based at Dumfries House since 1991. It also has offices in Derby, Nottingham and London. It employs more than 350 staff, of which around 160 are based in Cardiff.
Brewin Dolphin
The head of the Cardiff office of wealth management firm Brewin Dolphin, David Myrddin-Evans, has stood down after a 16-year tenure which saw significant expansion.
Mr Myrddin-Evans, who was appointed head of the office back in 2006, has been succeeded by Geraint Hampson-Jones, who first joined Brewin Dolphin in 2010 as an investment manager from stockbroker WH Ireland.
Mr Myrddin-Evans will remain with the business as head of charities for Wales, while also taking on a number of projects for the group.
During his time as head of office Mr Myrddin-Evans and the team significantly grew the operation with headcount rising from nine to 37. While funds under management are not broken down for Wales, combined with the south west of England Brewin Dolphin, as of last September, they stood at £5bn.
Prior to his latest appointment Welsh speaker Mr Hampson-Jones had progressed to a senior investment manager role with responsibility for the portfolios of individuals, corporates and intermediary clients. He has also been instrumental, as part of the senior leadership team, in developing the Cardiff office’s growth strategy.
Nicholas Oliver, regional managing director for Wales and south west of England at Brewin Dolphin, said: “Geraint is an experienced professional with a sound knowledge of the business, the local region and with a focus on clients’ needs. We are confident that he and the team will continue to drive the Cardiff office forward with vision, creativity and energy.
“I would like to thank David Myrddin-Evans for his hard work and leadership as head of office for the past sixteen years. We wish him every success as he moves on to a wider group role working on a variety of projects, including charities.”
Mr Hampson-Jones said: “I am proud to take up the role of head of office from David (Myrddin-Evans), who has done a fantastic job. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the talented and dedicated team in Cardiff to support our clients with their financial needs."
Quantuma
Quantuma has appointed Tim Sloggett as its new managing director for Wales and the South West of England.
Mr Sloggett brings more than 20 years’ experience restructuring businesses across a range of sectors to the new appointment. He spent most of his career working in Big Four firms, but has five years at Barclays Bank in its turnaround and restructuring team.
Mr Sloggett has delivered different solutions across a wide range of stakeholder groups and challenging situations and is known for his collaborative and flexible approach.
On the appointment, Mr Sloggett said: “This is a really exciting time to be joining Quantuma, helping it to continue the impressive growth journey and expand its capabilities. It is inevitable that businesses are going to need vital support in the coming months and years as they face unprecedented challenges from the pandemic and Brexit. Quantuma provides me with a great platform to bring my passion and experience to support businesses in the region to get through these challenges.”
Louise Durkan, head of the firm’s national financial advisory team, will also take over as head of the region following the retirement of outgoing head, Graham Randall. Ms Durkan and Mr Sloggett previously worked together at Deloitte.
Ms Durkan said: “The arrival of Tim is an exciting addition to our team as he brings with him extensive experience and expertise across the full spectrum of advisory, turnaround, and restructuring work. Tim’s appointment helps us to further strengthen our position as one of the leading advisory practices and I am delighted to be leading the team through our next phase of growth.”
Bevris Support
Care provider Bevris Support has appointed Stewart White as chief executive officer.
Mr White is currently the managing director of the company but will replace current CEO Chris Wall who will remain on the board of directors.
The Flintshire-based company is a registered provider of care with both the Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It provides services across North Wales, Chester, Cheshire West and the Wirral.
Mr White has been instrumental in the growth that the company has seen over the last four years, implementing many of the business’s systems and processes that has enabled it to provide an effective and efficient service.
Speaking on the appointment Mr White said: “Moving forward the key focus will be on strengthening and developing our relationships with all current stakeholders to ensure we continue to provide a high level of support. We have a great team of colleagues who are committed and driven to make Bevris the number one provider of support in North Wales and the surrounding areas.”
Cardiff Airport
Cardiff Airport has appointed Marc Watkins as its new aviation development manager.
Mr Watkins brings 25 years of experience in the UK aviation sector to the role, having previously worked in account management and route development roles for over 13 years at Birmingham and Coventry Airports.
As aviation development manager, he will be primarily building on Cardiff’s relationships with its existing airlines and aviation partners, along with seeking new business opportunities and growing the airport’s route network as a key priority.
Spencer Birns, chief executive of Cardiff Airport, said: “The aviation industry is going through unprecedented times due to COVID-19, but we are confident about air travel’s recovery throughout 2022 and beyond.
He added: “Marc’s wealth of expertise in commercial aviation will be a huge asset to the business, and he will play a vital role in rebuilding our route network as we recover from the pandemic.”
On the new appointment, Mr Watkins said he was feeling enthusiastic about leading on the airport’s route recovery.
“I am really looking forward to meeting with my existing airline and tour operator contacts, whilst building new relationships with industry colleagues at those carriers that will soon hopefully be flying into Wales’ capital city airport,” he said.
In addition to his time working at Birmingham and Coventry airports, Mr Watkins has run his own B2B communications company and was the editor for the aviation route development publication, anna.aero, for six years.
Chwarae Teg
Sharon Williams, managing director of Pia, has been apppointed the new chair of gender equality charity, Chwarae Teg.
Ms Williams joined the board in 2018 and became vice-chair in 2020 but will now take over as chair following the departure of Alison Thorne, the founder of atconnect.
Ms Williams will relinquish her role as chair of Chwarae Teg’s people and organisational development committee, with board member Jo Hicks, director of Academi Wales, taking on the position.
She previously implemented the Welsh language policy of a local authority, before joining specialist print company, Pia, in 1999 and becoming managing director in 2005.
Ms Williams said: “It has never been more important, as we slowly build back from the pandemic, that equality be placed left, right and centre. I am fortunate that the Chwarae Teg Board has a strong foundation on which to develop the work we do with women and employers.
"By providing career development programmes and support to enable agile and inclusive working practices, women are able to fulfil their potential and businesses can thrive.”
Ms Thorne said: “My time as chair has been incredibly rewarding - being able to see first-hand the tangible differences Chwarae Teg makes to the lives of women and the culture of businesses. It has also seen a time where its commercial arm has flourished, enabling profits to be reinvested back into the charity.”
Lexington Corporate Finance
Lexington Corporate Finance has appointed Sinead Johnson as a director.
Ms Johnson has 20-years’ experience working with SME and mid-market businesses through senior positions at NatWest, Barclays, Lloyds Bank and, recently, as a principal with alternative finance provider, Growth Lending.
The Cardiff-based corporate advisory firm hopes the senior appointment will help strengthen its growth capital service line, which helps the owners of companies raise funding from many providers of debt and equity.
Gary Partridge, managing director of Lexington’s, said: “Sinead has built up an amazing track record in the banking sector and we are all really excited at the prospect of her bringing her knowledge and networks to the team.”
“Sinead joins us at the perfect time at the start of a new calendar year. In 2021, we completed over £160 million of transactions and Lexington’s achievement was recognised by winning a number of prestigious industry and regional awards. Our plan is to continue this momentum over the next 12 months and beyond.”
He added: “Sinead’s new appointment gives us additional strength and depth in our leading position in the regional advisory marketplace. I think she will make a real positive difference to our business and reinforce Lexington as the go-to mid-market M&A advisor in Wales and enhance our presence across the south of the UK with the benefit of her trusted networks.”
Speaking on the appointment, Ms Johnson said: “I’m passionate about the opportunity that growth capital brings to unlock the potential of any business. I’m really looking forward to working with ambitious businesses who want to raise growth capital, in the shape of debt or equity, to finance a new capital investment, bolt-on acquisition, diversify with a new product or service or any other means of expansion that will have a significant positive impact on their growth trajectory.”
AB Glass
AB Glass, the Swansea-based manufacturer, supplier and installer of windows, doors and associated products, has appointed Kirsty James as head of finance.
Ms James will take on the responsibility of overseeing all financial aspects of the business while reporting to managing director, Nigel Harvey.
She will be responsible for creating forecasting models, developing financial strategies, managing budgets and calculating risk.
Ms James has previously held senior financial positions with several organisations in sectors including electrical engineering and brings primarily critical and analytical thinking around finance and a strategic approach to risk.
She said: “I am thrilled to be joining AB Glass at such an exciting period of growth. The future looks very bright for the company, and I hope to do my part in improving upon the progress seen in 2021. The management team has been very welcoming, and I am very thankful for the opportunity.”
Ms James takes on the role of head of finance following the departure of Lisa Walker who has been with the business for five years.
Ms Walker’s departure comes after a successful 2021 for AB Glass, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, and the implementation of a pre-planned leadership succession plan.
Founder and managing director Alan Brayley stepped back to become chairman in December, while Mr Harvey took on the day-to-day running of the company.
