Member Article

This week’s North West appointments

Playnation strengthens team with new appointment

The UK’s leading family entertainment provider, Playnation, has appointed Mark Chapman to its board as chief operating officer.

With over 13 years experience within the leisure industry, including a role with Punch Taverns, Mark will be responsible for all organisational structures across the business and day-to-day operations.

Mark commented: “I’m excited to join a company that has such a strong track record in the family entertainment and leisure sector. Playnation has a very talented and dedicated team and I’m looking forward to playing a part in the business’s growth and success over the coming years.”

The start of 2014 also sees Playnation’s retail director, Eric Doherty, join the company’s Board of Directors. Eric joined the business in 2011 but has recently been promoted to the executive role where he will have further responsibilities within retail development.

Playnation was established in 2013 following an MBO backed by Palatine Private Equity. The company is a market leader for Family Entertainment Centres and currently operates machines in over 1,000 locations, within holiday parks, bowling alleys, airports, and motorway service stations, including Butlins, Haven, Park Resorts, Parkdean, Welcome Break, Moto, Roadchef and Tenpin.

Ontime Group appoints new assistant director of costs

Ontime Group, a Manchester-based provider of specialist services to personal injury and clinical negligence lawyers in England and Wales, has appointed Alex Summerscales as its new assistant director of costs.

Reporting to Ontime Group’s director of costs, Sharon Denby, Alex will deal with advocacy, cost budgeting and high value or complex technical cases, while assuming management responsibilities including growing the team and expanding its skills sets.

Ontime Group was launched to optimise case outcomes for clients and maximise their fee income by providing a unique, seamless service of medical and non-medical reporting, pagination and costs services. A rapidly growing business, it appointed Alex as part of its ambitious expansion plans to double the size of the business and its profits to 50 employees over the next 12 to 18 months.

A highly experienced lawyer, Alex has over 10 years’ industry experience including seven years at DLA Piper working on a wide variety of RTA, employers’ liability and public liability cases, as well as complex high value industrial disease, marine, aviation and commercial cases up to £5m. His last position was head of costs at Ford & Warren in Leeds and Alex has relocated to Manchester to join Ontime Group based on Palatine Road in Northenden.

Operations director at Ontime Group, James Molloy said: “Ontime Group is going from strength to strength, particularly our ever-busy costs department, which needed somebody who could hit the ground running. Alex was the perfect candidate as he has a full range of skills and expertise in areas such as negotiation, advocacy, drafting, appeals and management. He also has the experience to get up-to-date with cases as quickly as possible and ensure our clients continue to receive the accurate, first class costs service they’re promised.”

Double appointment at Positive

Invoice finance provider Positive Cashflow Finance has boosted its nationwide coverage with the appointment of two regional sales directors.

Andy Hume joins the Manchester office after spending over a decade in the invoice finance industry where he has worked in both operations and business development. He started as a graduate trainee in 2003 and progressed to the role of Business Development Manager. He holds both the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA) Certificate and Diploma.

At Positive, Hume will be reunited with former colleagues, managing director David Smith and sales and marketing director Phil Chesham and will be responsible for business development in the North West.

Greg Taylor joins Positive with more than 15 years’ senior sales experience in invoice finance. His most recent position was sales director at Innovation Finance, where he worked for three years across the south east. He will be responsible for targeting new business across the South of England.

David Smith, managing director at Positive Cashflow Finance, said: “I am delighted to welcome Andy and Greg to our growing team. We have seen a surge in invoice finance activity in recent months, with more and more businesses exploring our solutions to fund their growth plans. Having recently boosted our Birmingham office with the appointment of Joe Vasey, we are confident that the latest additions will strengthen our new business pipeline throughout England.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Graham Vincent .