This week’s Yorkshire appointments

Accountancy firm Baker Tilly has expanded its team in Yorkshire with the appointment of 20 new trainees for its Leeds and Hull offices.

The group of graduate and school leaver trainees will be working across the firm’s tax, audit, corporate finance, and accounting and financial reporting practices assisting clients from across the region.

In Leeds, Adam Smalley, William Frazer, and Dan Horner will join the accounting and financial reporting team, Amy Shooter, Daniel Agar, Joseph Walker, Laura Jarman, William Murray, Emma Bolton, Leanne Hamflett, Ashleigh Dalton, Connor Pattison and Craig Bell all join the audit group, Oliver Currie will work in corporate finance while Robert Harris, Ed Davison, Sam Headey and Cameron Newby join the tax faculty. John Auld and Samuel Welburn will both become members of the Hull office’s audit team.

Kevin O’Connor, regional managing Partner for Baker Tilly Yorkshire and the North East said: “It is fantastic that we’ve taken on so many new starters at our Leeds and Hull offices this year. These trainees are the future of the firm and it is important that we continue to invest in the best talent that the region has to offer.”

The new recruits will start their Baker Tilly careers on an intensive training course and will continue to study towards their professional qualifications including Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), Associate Chartered Accountants (ACA) and ATT and CTA certificates. All the permanent trainees are expected to become fully qualified within the next five years.

Robin Furze and Gavin Ackroyd, Grant Thornton

Business adviser Grant Thornton in Yorkshire has further expanded its Special Projects team with the appointments of Robin Furze and Gavin Ackroyd who will be based at the firm’s Leeds office.

Robin joins from Lewis Golden LLP in London where he was an audit and accounts senior working across a number of audits and ad-hoc projects for clients ranging from owner managed consultancy businesses to £500m turnover property developers. As well as being ACA qualified, he achieved a BSc/MPhys Theoretical Physics, 1st Class from the University of Leeds in 2011.

Gavin has been working as an accounting and business advisory supervisor at Baker Tilly in Leeds. He has experience across a broad client base, ranging from dynamic businesses to not for profit organisations and distressed companies, working in a variety of roles. He is also an ACA qualified chartered accountant.

Robin and Gavin join as executives in the eight –strong team which offers clients the option of appointing one of its experienced accountants in a ‘hands on’ interim role, or undertaking a particular accounting related project if the company lacks the necessary skills or resource in house on an ad hoc or long term basis.

Andy Wood, practice leader at Grant Thornton in Leeds, said: “Our Yorkshire Special Projects team, led by Emma Davies in our Sheffield office, has been going from strength to strength with a number of our Leeds clients benefitting from its ability to provide bespoke, on-demand accounting support.

“The appointment of two executives based here in Leeds will further strengthen our existing client service offering and help us to cope with growing demand. With many businesses finding it difficult to recruit the calibre of young finance professionals they need, our Special Projects team offers a flexible solution, providing interim secondments to resource restricted finance teams.”

Jon Nasta, Xercise4Less

Budget gym operator, Xercise4Less, has appointed a new Director of Ecommerce and Marketing to help support its UK expansion programme.

Jon Nasta joins the budget gym group, following eight years with membership retention specialists Retention Solutions.

In his role, Jon will lead on Ecommerce and Marketing activities across the Group’s 29 clubs, including the new club openings this year.

Commenting on his appointment, Jon said: “Having worked very closely with Xercise4Less over the last few years, I am delighted to now be a part of the team. The sheer number of gyms we have planned to launch over the next months just shows how big the brand has become in just over six years, plus how the demand for affordable fitness continues to increase across the country.

“There are a huge amount of opportunities for Xercise4Less. Jon Wright and the team have a clear vision on what they want to achieve and with my knowledge of the fitness industry I know that this can be achieved. I’m looking forward to delivering some industry firsts that I know the Group have been working on since the start of the year and I look forward to continuing the expansion, growing the team and increasing the revenue streams.”

Stuart Perrin, chief operating officer of Xercise4Less, added: “Jon is a fantastic addition to the Xercise4Less team and we welcome him on-board. He brings with him a wealth of industry experience and will certainly play a key role in helping to shape the business going forward. We’re excited to see what he can bring to the table.”

Deborah Kay and Amjed Zaman, LCF Law

LCF Law has appointed two new solicitors to boost its personal law team which is based across the firm’s Bradford, Leeds, Ilkley and Harrogate offices.

Deborah Kay has been appointed as an associate solicitor. She previously worked for Ramsdens and has almost 20 years of experience in personal and property law.

Amjed Zaman has been appointed as a solicitor. He previously worked for The Co-operative’s Legal Services division and brings five years of legal experience to the role.

Both will provide a wide-range of personal legal services covering wills, probate, trusts, court of protection, family matters as well as tax and estate planning.

Neil Shaw, partner and head of personal law at LCF Law, said: “Our personal law team has an enviable reputation in the industry for simplifying a huge range of traditionally complicated issues and providing efficient and affordable solutions to problems.

“Since the start of the year, demand has surged for our services and these latest appointments will enable us to continue building on the level of service that our clients have come to expect.

“Deborah and Amjed both have impeccable credentials and are extremely well-placed to provide our valued clients with the very best advice, guidance and mediation required to solve any number of personal legal issues.”

Janine Eaglesfield, Shulmans LLP

Shulmans LLP, the Leeds-based corporate law firm, has appointed Janine Eaglesfield as a solicitor within its Real Estate team.

Eaglesfield has worked in corporate real estate for over 20 years, the majority as a trusted advisor to a major supermarket’s national property portfolio.

She brings to the firm unrivalled experience in the management work surrounding a diverse national portfolio, as well as in new retail developments, surplus property disposal, lease regears and all other aspects of portfolio and asset management.

Eaglesfield said: “The outstanding reputation of Shulmans’ Real Estate team was a strong incentive to join the firm. It is very exciting to join such a well-respected and hugely successful team.”

“My intention is to grow our current client base, with a particular focus on landlord and tenant in the retail leisure and investment sector where my expertise is strong.”

Simon Jackson, head of commercial property at Shulmans, added: “We are delighted that Janine has joined us; her knowledge and experience further strengthens our team and allows us to continue to add value to both our corporate and commercial real estate clients.”

Catherine Leftwich and Claire Weatherley-Wright, Newtons Solicitors

Law firm Newtons Solicitors has extended its residential conveyancing team with two new appointments.

Catherine Leftwich and Claire Weatherley-Wright, who have both worked in conveyancing for 11 years, bring the group’s total of residential conveyancing lawyers throughout its office network to 19, the biggest for any Harrogate-based law firm.

Catherine Leftwich, who qualified as a solicitor in 2007, joins Newtons Solicitors headquarters in Knaresborough and will cover Harrogate district and beyond. She was previously based at the Wetherby office of Ware & Kaye Solicitors & Mediators.

Claire Weatherley-Wright, who qualified in 2004, will be based at Newtons Solicitors office in Ripon and will cover the city and its surrounding area. She joins from the York office of Hethertons Solicitors

Both solicitors are experienced in all aspects of residential property including sale and purchase transactions, new build and housing development work, leasehold property, remortgages and investment property, transfers of names on title deeds and boundary and land ownership issues.

Chris Newton, Newtons Solicitors founder and managing director, said: “Both Catherine and Claire are very welcome additions to our already strong residential conveyancing department as our firm continues to attract talented solicitors as part of our growth across our office network and the services we offer.”

Newtons Solicitors, founded by Chris and Sarah Newton from scratch in 2009, provides a range of commercial and private client services and now has a £3.75m turnover and 85 staff with offices offices in Darlington, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ilkley, Leyburn, Ripon, Richmond, Stokesley and York.

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