This week’s Yorkshire appointments

Squire Patton Boggs has announced that financial services lawyer Jeremy Ladyman has been promoted to partner.

Mr. Ladyman’s particular expertise includes advising on a broad range of treasury, finance and financial services and regulatory matters for banks, building societies, broker-dealers, pension trustees and corporates. He has also worked on secondment in the treasury team at Drax Power and The Norinchukin Bank, where he supported the treasury and compliance teams.

Mr. Ladyman’s promotion is part of a global promotional round in which a total of 39 lawyers have been promoted as partners and principals within the firm.

John Alderton, managing partner of Squire Patton Boggs in Leeds, said: “I would like to congratulate Jeremy on achieving this well-deserved promotion to partner. Jeremy is an experienced and exceptionally talented lawyer who has played a major role in the success of this office and the development of our financial services practice. We wish him every success.”

Mr. Ladyman is the second financial services partner in Leeds to be promoted in the last 12 months, with Andrew Fordham joining the ranks of the partnership in May 2015.

The announcement comes ahead of the firm’s move to flagship offices at 6 Wellington Place in Leeds in April 2016.

John Barnes, Vantage Motor Group

Harrogate-based Vantage Motor Group has appointed John Barnes as market area general manager for West Yorkshire.

The role has been created following Vantage’s recent acquisition of three dealerships in Leeds and Wakefield which increased its dealership portfolio to 25 sites.

John has worked with the Toyota and Lexus brands for the last two-and-a-half years, formerly looking after dealerships in Cumbria and the Scottish Borders. He also brings 27 years of motor industry experience, working up through sales, to multi-site responsibility roles.

John will be responsible for growing business across Vantage’s new dealerships in West Yorkshire – Toyota Wakefield, Toyota Leeds and Lexus Leeds - which were all acquired from Lookers in late December.

Mark Robinson, managing director of Vantage Motor Group, said: “John was the perfect choice to fill this new role in West Yorkshire. He has all the credentials needed to take the business forward along with an expansive knowledge of the Toyota and Lexus brands.

“We welcome John to the Vantage family and look forward to seeing how his work will benefit the Group as a whole.”

The appointment of John Barnes follows news from Vantage of the appointment of Dale Baker as Group After Sales Director.

Amy Orley, BCL Legal

Leeds-based BCL Legal has appointed a new consultant, Amy Orley to its Yorkshire team.

Before arriving at BCL Legal, Amy worked for the Royal Navy; initially as a warfare officer (Gunnery Officer, Officer of the Watch working in Fishery Protection) for five and half years and then as a recruiter for the last 18 months.

Her focus will be on insurance, litigation and real estate roles. Amy holds a BA in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Leeds and a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP Law School, Leeds

James Batt, managing director of BCL Legal, said: “2016 is shaping up to be another fantastic year for BCL Legal and we’re really pleased to welcome Amy who brings with her a wealth of fantastic experience.”

Mike Robinson, TK

Integrated creative agency TK has appointed Mike Robinson as UK managing director to oversee its Leeds and London offices.

Mike Robinson steps into the role that was previously held by TK’s founder, Nik Entwistle, who set up the agency in 2000. Nik was previously managing director across all three of TK’s locations: Leeds, London and Los Angeles, but will now place more focus on growing the Los Angeles office specifically. He remains involved in daily operations across the agency.

Formerly client services director at TK since 2011, Mike has spent the last 15 years working in agencies in London and the North.

A marketing specialist, Mike has previously worked with brands including Greggs, Habitat and William Hill. At TK, Mike has directed projects from global e-commerce websites to national advertising campaigns for Johnstone’s Paints, Howarth Timber and DePuy Synthes, part of Johnson & Johnson.

Nik Entwistle said: “Mike has been with the agency throughout a period of rapid growth and has been instrumental in taking leadership of the client services team and supporting me in safeguarding our processes and culture across offices, which is a challenge for any business.

“This new role is a natural evolution for TK, as we continue to drive towards our vision of becoming a creative global agency.”

John Forth and Steve Hubbard, RSM

RSM, the audit, tax and consulting firm, has promoted John Forth and Steve Hubbard to partner enhancing the indirect tax and corporate finance teams in the Yorkshire and North East region.

John heads up the indirect tax practice for Yorkshire and the North East advising clients across the region and internationally on indirect tax matters.

With over 25 years’ experience working at HMRC and then for other advisory firms before joining RSM in 2012, he specialises in supporting middle market businesses particularly within the property and financial services sectors.

Steve has provided corporate finance advisory services for the last 15 years and leads the team in Yorkshire. During this time he has advised on a variety of assignments including disposals, corporate acquisitions, management buy outs and raising development capital. He is experienced in working in the middle market with owner managers, large corporates and private equity.

Kevin O’Connor, RSM’s regional managing partner for Yorkshire and the North East, said: “I’d like to congratulate both John and Steve on their partner promotions.

“It’s a real achievement and testimony to their expertise, dedication to clients and hard work. ‘As business confidence improves we’ve seen an uplift in activity as clients turn to RSM for support when looking to develop in UK and international markets, and in their new roles John and Steve will continue to make a significant contribution to RSM and our ambitious regional clients.”

Rob Cooke, Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Doncaster Sheffield Airport has announced an addition to its senior team with the appointment of operations expert Rob Cooke.

Rob brings with him experience from Birmingham and Stansted Airports as he returns to Doncaster Sheffield Airport, where his aviation career began.

The airport has recently started flights to eight new routes to, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Faro, Jersey, Newquay, Alicante and Malaga with Flybe and with Dusseldorf to start later in the year is forecast to grow to 1.35m passengers in 2016 up from 900,000 in 2015.

Steve Gill, managing director of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “We are delighted to welcome Rob back to the airport and to our leadership team.

“This is a hugely exciting time as the recent CAA figures show that Doncaster Sheffield Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in the UK. It is the perfect time for us to have someone of Rob’s calibre join the team as we continue on our journey of growth.”

Rob Howard, Gibson Booth

Barnsley-based accountancy firm Gibson Booth has appointed Rob Howard as new director.

He joins managing director Robert Watson and directors Gary Dickinson and Scott Mell as a principal of the firm.

Rob joined Gibson Booth in 2008 having previously worked for both national and leading independent firms. He has over 16 years’ experience dealing with a wide range of tax issues affecting both businesses and individuals.

Previously working as a tax manager at Gibson Booth, Rob will continue in his tax advisory role, but will focus much more on developing the business.

Gibson Booth, which has its offices on Victoria Road in the town centre, has 30 staff, in the region of 1,000 clients and a turnover which has been growing year on year.

It offers corporate tax planning, accounts, audit, personal tax planning; together with specialisms including VAT, payroll, capital taxes, research and development tax planning, employee incentivisation, corporate finance and wealth management.

Robert Watson, managing director of Gibson Booth, said: “Rob always had the potential from day one and over the last seven years, he’s proved to be a valued member of our team.

“It’s a delight to confirm that Rob will join us as both a director and an owner of the company. Gibson Booth goes back over 125 years and it’s great that Rob is now going to become a part of our proud history.”

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