This week’s Yorkshire appointments

Reed Boardall, a Yorkshire-based temperature controlled storage and distribution business, is strengthening its board with the appointment of Sarah Roberts as finance director and Marcus Boardall as deputy chief executive.

Sarah, who is a chartered management accountant with CIMA and an AAT fellow, has worked in finance for the past 11 years and joined Reed Boardall in 2014 as head of finance. She has considerable experience within the FMCG sector and has previously held positions as financial controller and finance director at a regional bakery chain.

Sarah’s role will involve overseeing the group’s finance team and providing strategic insight and planning for the continued success of the business. Working closely with the managing directors of the group’s cold storage and transport divisions, she will also help the company to drive efficiencies in order to maintain its strong financial performance.

Marcus Boardall, son of chief executive Keith Boardall, moves from the position of finance director to become deputy chief executive after 11 years ago working for Reed Boardall.

He will be responsible for overseeing the group’s cold storage business which provides state-of-the-art cold storage facilities for the frozen food sector, and its integrated temperature controlled food distribution division.

Marcus said: “Demand for the group’s services is continuing to increase based on our expertise working with food companies in this specialist area. Having proved our ability to consistently provide a reliable ‘order today, deliver tomorrow’ service, we are constantly looking for ways to take the business forward, for example by utilising the latest technological advances to meet the changing needs of our customers.

“Sarah’s considerable business experience has brought invaluable skills to the group and her promotion will enable me to take a more strategic role, while at the same time keeping continuity within the team – which is an important part of maintaining the high levels of service our customers have come to expect.”

Samantha Moss and Kelly Chilton, JCT600 Vehicle Leasing Solutions

JCT600 Vehicle Leasing Solutions (VLS), the specialist leasing and fleet management division of independent Yorkshire-based motor firm JCT600, has boosted its sales team with two new appointments.

Samantha Moss has been appointed regional sales manager covering the North East of England. She has four years’ experience in the motor industry having worked in sales for Stratstone covering brands such as Honda and MINI and joins from Copart UK where she spent two years as regional sales executive. Samantha has experience of new and used car sales, marketing, business development and customer service.

Kelly Chilton has joined as sales support consultant. Her role will cover management of JCT600 VLS Customer Relations Management (CRM) system, customer reporting, presentations, tender responses and the division’s social media presence. Kelly joins from Palletforce where she managed its extensive CRM system and supported the sales department.

Paul Walters, sales director of JCT600 VLS, says: “Sam and Kelly are welcome additions to the team. Their appointments, following our rebranding to JCT600 Vehicle Leasing Solutions, once again demonstrates our commitment to growing the business whilst providing a high quality, personal service to the SME sector. They are the first in a number of new appointments to support our business objectives.”

JCT600 VLS (formerly known as JCT600 Contracts) is a stand-alone business within JCT600. It operates a fleet of 7,000 vehicles, predominantly serving SMEs, typically with fleets of 5-200 vehicles, supplying all brands of cars, vans and even mini buses throughout the UK from the South East to Scotland. Based at Apperley Bridge, it employs 43 staff.

Clive Wratten, CTI Corporate Travel International

CTI Corporate Travel International has appointed Clive Wratten as Sales and Marketing Director.

Clive joins the company from Etihad Airways where he was UK General Manager for 8 years. While working at the airline, Clive was responsible for implementing a sales & marketing strategy that grew sales revenues from £65m to £200m and helped establish Etihad as one of the top airlines of choice within the UK.

Clive was also a Director of the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK) – an industry association that promotes the business interests of scheduled airlines with a UK operation or representation.

Clive joins the company in July and will lead the sales and marketing team and reports directly to CTI Chief Executive Officer, Ian White.

Ian White, said, “Clive has a strong record of driving revenue through innovative direct sales and channel partner strategies. He oversaw the development of Etihad in the UK from a small player to one of the country’s top 5 airlines and is widely regarded as one of the industry’s leading figures. Clive’s appointment highlights the ambition we have to grow CTI in to the leading travel management company in the UK.”

Phil Ashworth, KPMG

KPMG has appointed Phil Ashworth as a business development director for its regional financial services practice.

Phil joins from Vertex Financial Services, where he was account director and accountable for the company’s strategic relationship with a major supermarket bank.

In his new role, Phil has strategic responsibility for expanding KPMG’s financial services footprint across the patch. His focus is on supporting a suite of clients across the sector and generating new business through the organic growth of existing clients and the exploration of new opportunities within the market.

Commenting on his appointment, Phil said: “Those operating in the financial services sector are under close scrutiny, facing challenges such as increased regulation, a pressure to reduce costs and improve security.

“The sector is such a strength of the Yorkshire economy and is supported by KPMG’s dedicated financial services practice. We offer a wide range of products and services specifically designed to help clients adapt to a changing landscape, and I’m looking forward to getting out into the market and working with our people across the region to understand how we can further support our clients in driving business growth.”

Richard Gabbertas, financial services partner at KPMG in Leeds, added: “Phil will be a strong addition to our team. The financial services sector is a key market for KPMG and his experience in outsourcing, particularly his work with a major supermarket bank, ensures he has a deep understanding of our clients’ needs within this sector.”

Chris Rhodes, Newtons Solicitors

Residential conveyancing solicitor, Chris Rhodes has joined the Ilkley office of law firm, Newtons Solicitors.

Chris Rhodes, who joins Newtons from a local firm of solicitors, qualified as a solicitor in 2003 and specialises in residential conveyancing.

His appointment takes the team at Newtons Ilkley office, which opened in summer 2014, to four.

Newtons Solicitors, founded by managing director, Chris Newton and his wife, Sarah, who is also a director, in 2009 also has offices in Harrogate, Ripon, York, Stokesley, Knaresborough, Leyburn, Richmond and Darlington.

The firm, which has developed a £3.75m turnover, has 13 directors and LLP partners and 44 lawyers.