This week’s North West appointments

Sylwena Sempa and Helen Cairns, Shoosmiths

The Manchester office of law firm Shoosmiths has appointed two new associates in its commercial practice.

Helen Cairns has joined the company’s projects team from law firm Pinsent Masons, where she worked on structuring and delivering large public projects for a range of clients, including the Ministry of Justice, Newcastle City Council and Manchester City Council.

Helen’s experience includes JV regeneration and investment vehicles, public funding arrangements, service outsourcing and non-corporate collaborations.

Elsewhere, Sylwena Sempa has joined the commercial litigation team from DWF. In her previous role Sylwena handled a range of commercial disputes, including High Court employment cases and franchise-related disputes.

The head of Shoosmiths’ Manchester-based commercial business, Stephen Dawson, commented: “The appointment of these two highly specialised fee-earners will enable us to further enhance our reputation for leading expertise in the regional marketplace.

“We are continuing to evolve our Commercial team in line with client demand and bringing in the best legal talent that the region has to offer is a key part of this strategy.”

Pictured: Carl Wilde (left) and Andy McLeod

Carl Wilde, Robertson

Infrastructure firm Robertson has hired Carl Wilde as its regional managing director for the North West.

In his new role, Carl will seek to drive growth across the region from the firm’s office in Oldham.

Carl plans to use his 32 years of experience to grow the regional business’ annual turnover from £18m to £55m over the next five years.

Commenting on his appointment, Carl said: “I came to Robertson because I liked the history of the business. I’ve always worked for people with strong family values and that’s something Robertson has in droves.

“Robertson is a massive name north of the border and it has ambitions to become just as big in England. And I believe that we can do that.”

He continued: “My appointment is one of a few recent senior hires in the north of England, which shows just how serious the business is about sustainable growth.

“We’re already winning work that would have in the past, gone to someone else. But it’s coming to us because we have the right people in place with the correct expertise.

“I am excited about what Robertson will achieve in the coming months and years ahead and I’m very proud to be part of it.”

Robertson Construction England’s MD, Andy McLeod, said: “I am delighted that we’ve managed to get Carl on our team. He’s a well-established operator and is the perfect person for the job.

“We’ve known each other for a long-time so I know what he’s capable of. He’s a wonderful addition to the Robertson family.”

Carl Critchlow and Nick White, CH1ChesterBID

Chester’s business improvement district has announced two senior appointments to its board.

CH1ChesterBID has appointed Birkenhead BID coordinator Carl Critchlow to the role of BID manager, while Nick White has joined the organisation from Southport BID as its new city centre manager.

Ed Oliver, the chairman of CH1ChesterBID, commented: “Carl and Nick are two exceptional operators and both come with a wealth of knowledge about successful business improvement districts.

“They were the obvious choice for Chester and will bring fresh eyes to the city’s challenges and opportunities.

“We’re delighted to have them both on board and know they will be real assets to the city.”

Commenting on his appointment, Carl said: “I’m very proud to be joining CH1ChesterBID and personally delighted to have the opportunity to work in this fantastic city every day.

“I’m aiming to engage with as many CH1ChesterBID members as possible over the next few weeks and, most importantly, listen to everything they have to say.”

CH1ChesterBID was launched in September 2014 following a ballot involving all the companies based in the BID area.

Nick said of his appointment: “Chester is a wonderful city and the appeal of walking these cobbles every day for a living was incredibly strong!

“I’ll be working closely with Peter Lewis to understand the city’s day-to-day priorities over the next few weeks, and, longer term, I’m really looking forward to supporting the team, the BID Board, city centre businesses and our partners on a range of projects and activities that will help us showcase our city to the world in the best possible ways.”

Joanne O’Connor and Oliver Cole, Davenham Asset Finance

Manchester-based Davenham Asset Finance has added two new staff members to its business development team.

Following growth in business from the Midlands, Oliver Cole has been hired to manage new broker enquiries and develop Davenham’s existing relationships. Having previously worked for Metro Asset Finance, in his new role Oliver will operate alongside recently promoted sales director Paul Lovelock.

Joanne O’Connor (pictured above), meanwhile, has been appointed to support North West brokers and will be based at Davenham’s Manchester office. With more than 15 years’ experience, Joanne’s most recent role was with retail bank Aldermore.

Commenting on her appointment, Joanne said: “I am looking forward to the challenge of growing the Davenham Brand in the North West region.”

Paul Lovelock said of the new additions to the team: “2016 is off to a great start, and I am delighted not only to have been promoted, but also to have two great new additions to my Business Development Team.

“With a surprisingly wise head on young shoulders, Oliver has already proved an energetic and productive member of the team. His modern approach complements our traditional values and as a result, we have seen more enquiries through our digital platforms.”

Paul continued: “Having Joanne based out of our head office is has proved incredibly beneficial, bringing with her both a wealth of asset finance experience and a confident and efficient manner helping to deliver our fast, efficient service.”

Amy Richardson, Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall Solicitors

North West law firm Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall Solicitors (WHN) strengthened its specialist dispute resolution department after seeing trainee Amy Richardson qualify as a solicitor.

Amy has been retained by WHN’s commercial department and will work at its office in Bury. She began her training contract with WHN when she joined the company as a trainee solicitor in 2014.

In her new role, Amy will provide legal advice to Greater Manchester firms on all aspects of commercial disputes, such as recovering outstanding debt and resolving contractual disputes.

Partner Michael Shroot, who heads up WHN’s commercial department, said: “WHN is committed to seeking out the most talented aspiring solicitors and continually investing in training and developing them to ensure we provide the very best legal advice to our clients.

“Amy is a fantastic asset to the team and I’m looking forward to helping her forge a long-term career with us.”

David Walters, NorthEdge Capital

Private equity firm NorthEdge Capital has hired David Walters as its new digital and data director.

David has 25 years of experience leading digital, tech, product and analytics teams across various sectors and 10 in private equity. Previously, he held the role of interim group CTO at tech holding company Watchstone Group.

NorthEdge’s head of new business, partner Ray Stenton, said: “Digital and data strategy is becoming an increasingly important driver of value, with all of our existing investments assessing opportunities to accelerate shareholder value growth in this important area.

“With David’s expertise, we can offer additional support to the teams we back in order to help focus and accelerate growth to add real value to the companies we invest in.”

He continued: “David will also play an integral role in assessing prospective investments, ensuring that we are able to understand the strengths and requirements of future opportunities.

“This appointment is testament to the strength of NorthEdge’s offering, and enables us to continue to support our portfolio in an area with huge growth potential.”

Alex Cutler, Dinah Harrison, Neil Robertson and Chloe Kendall, BDB

BDB, a b2b marketing communications agency with an office in Altrincham, has shored up its team with a raft of new hires.

Dinah Harrison has joined the company in the role of account executive from marketing firm The Scott Partnership, and will work primarily with clients in the food and nutrition industries.

Chloe Kendall, meanwhile, has also taken on the role of account executive. Chloe previously worked for Roland Dransfield PR and has experience in technical copywriting, media relations and social media.

Elsewhere, account executive Neil Robertson has joined BDB from Refresh Public Relations. Neil has experience representing clients from CCTV manufacturers to interior architects.

Lastly, Alex Cutler has been appointed as BDB’s newest production executive. A graduate of photography and fine art from the University of Central Lancashire, Alex’s experience includes work as a freelance photographer.

BDB’s managing director, Matt Smith, said: “We are pleased to welcome the four new recruits to our team following an exceptional start to the year.

“The diverse skillsets and experience of the new team members form a fundamental part of our growth strategy, ensuring the quality of our client service and creative work remains unrivalled.”

Richard Jones (pictured), David Moulder and Sandra Robinson, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff

The Manchester offices of WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, the professional services and engineering firm, has hired two senior directors from its Middle Eastern business.

Business development director Richard Jones has joined the Manchester team along with the firm’s building services technical director, David Moulder.

Prior to his appointment, Richard spent the last three years as head of transport and infrastructure for the Middle East region, with a focus on business development across four countries.

David Moulder, meanwhile, worked for the last eight years in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions on projects such as the 4,000,000 sq ft resort development in Macau, China.

Sandra Robinson has also been appointed to the business development team. In her new role, Sandra will develop key client relationships to drive business growth. With over 20 years of experience in construction, Sandra holds a place on the committee of Constructing Excellence Liverpool Club.

Simon Shepherd, BMI Healthcare

BMI Healthcare has chosen a new boss of Alexandra Hospital, its flagship healthcare facility.

Simon Shepherd has succeeded Philip Oehley as executive director of ‘the Alex’, which is located in Cheadle.

The largest hospital in BMI Healthcare’s portfolio, the Alex employs 600 staff and 600 consultants and boasts an annual turnover of £70m.

Simon has 15 years of senior leadership experience gained in the healthcare sector. In his previous role, he was managing director of Warrington-based fertility and gynaecology services provider Reproductive Health Group.

He commented: “I’m delighted to join the Alex at such an exciting time in its 35-year history.

“I’ve been very impressed with the commitment of all the team here and the very high standards that they achieve.”

Simon added: “We have ambitious plans for the Alex in an increasingly competitive market and we remain very confident about the future.”

Jill Watts, BMI Healthcare’s group chief executive, said: “Simon is a very experienced hospital operator who joins us at an exciting time for the Alexandra Hospital.

“We are building on the hospital’s 35-year history of serving the people of Greater Manchester and beyond, and we are investing for growth.”

She added: “Simon has the skills and ability to develop the hospital and to lead the team well into the future. I’m delighted he has joined us.”

Emily Hallinan, Roland Dransfield

PR firm Roland Dransfield has appointed Emily Hallinan in the role of junior account executive.

Emily has joined from the University of Manchester, where she gained a First while working in a marketing role with drinks firm Red Bull.

The company’s associate director, Caroline Aspinall, said: “We appointed Emily after she had completed a fortnight of work experience with us where she bowled us over with her enthusiasm, confidence and ability to use her initiative.

“She has the potential to be a superb PR practitioner and fits in perfectly with the existing team.”

Caroline continued: “We are delighted to have her on board. She is bright, bubbly, professional and eloquent and will become a real asset to Roland Dransfield.”