This week’s North West appointments

Lara Watts, Laura Jackson and Stuart Lowery, Napthens

Law firm Napthens has expanded its East Lancashire team with the appointment of three new staff.

At its Blackburn office, the company has hired Lara Watts as an associate solicitor in its commercial property team and Stuart Lowery as HR advisor in its employment and HR department.

Further, Napthens has bolstered its Blackburn base with the appointment of solicitor Laura Jackson, who will advise wills and estate planning clients.

Lara has joined Napthens from Manchester-based law firm Eversheds. Following her appointment, she will deal with a range of commercial property transactions.

Stuart, an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, has previously worked in a number of in-house roles with retail and distribution businesses.

At Napthens, he will offer clients advice on HR issues and provide wider consultancy in areas such as training and development.

Lastly, Laura has joined Napthens after working for over 10 years with another East Lancashire law firm. In her new post, she will advise on matters such as wills, trusts and powers of attorney.

The head of Napthens’ Blackburn office, Oliver McCann, said: “Our presence here in East Lancashire has gone from strength-to-strength and it’s a testament to how active the business community is here that we are regularly attracting lawyers from large city firms into our ranks.

“It’s particularly rewarding to see not one, but three departments expanding in this way after other new appointments earlier in the year.”

He added: “We are actively looking for the right staff to join us across Napthens as our strategy for growth continues through 2016 and beyond.”

Nicholas Broadway, Bruton Knowles

Bruton Knowles, the commercial property consultancy, has appointed surveyor Nicholas Broadway at its Manchester office.

Nicholas joined the firm’s Lowry House team from its office in North Yorkshire.

James Bailey, a partner based at Bruton Knowles’ Manchester office, said: “Nicholas’ appointment is timely given the Manchester office’s fast expanding workload, especially valuations.

“Manchester is the biggest city economy outside London and our market share in the commercial sector is growing so we have had to make new appointments to keep pace – especially with valuations of property for development and investment.”

Having joined Bruton Knowles from real estate firm DTZ in 2013, Nicolas’ clients include HSBC Bank plc, Loyds Bank plc, Shawbrook Bank and Unity Trust Bank plc.

Commenting on his appointment, Nicholas said: “It’s easy to gauge the financial activity going on around the city by the number of cranes on the sky line.

“With this amount of investment taking place and the development of the Northern Powerhouse it’s a very exciting time to become qualified in this region.”

He continued: “We are seeing an increase in demand for our valuation services as consumer appetite for borrowing continues to grow across the commercial property sector. I’m looking forward to assisting with the growing workloads, especially new instructions - and developing relationships throughout the North West.

“I will also be providing consultancy advice on a number of matters including business rates looking ahead to the 2017 revaluation.”

Tony Lewis, Character World

Licensed bedding and bedroom accessories manufacturer Character World has taken on Tony Lewis in the role of UK sales director.

Tony, who will be based at the company’s Manchester headquarters, has joined the textiles business after working for 16 years as the sales director of branded clothing and accessories firm The Christy Group Limited.

In his new role, Tony will work with Character World’s brand and creative teams to drive the company’s presence in different retail sectors across the UK.

Danny Schweiger, a joint managing director at Character World, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Tony to the team. In his role as Sales Director at The Christy Group Limited Tony worked closely with licensors like Disney to produce and sell licensed fancy dress costumes.

“This wealth of experience in both the textiles and licensing world will be an asset to our business.”

He continued: “We’ve had a strong period of growth in the past two years, recently securing a host of new licenses including major Hollywood blockbusters such as Star Wars, Finding Dory, Captain America Civil War, Frozen and Batman v Superman, as well as evergreen brands such as Pokémon and Lego.

“It’s an exciting time for the business as we continue to grow both in the UK and overseas markets.”

Commenting on his appointment, Tony said: “It’s great to join the team at Character World at such an exciting time for the business.

“The team has grown hugely in the past few years and I’m really looking forward to working with them to continue to build upon the successes in the UK market.”

Bill Jordan, Oltec FM

Oltec FM, the facilities management firm, has appointed Bill Jordan as its new business support manager.

Bringing over 30 years of cleaning industry experience to the role, Bill will work at Oltec’s head office in Wigan, where he will support team managers with contract mobilisations, sourcing equipment, monitoring cleaning industry innovations and overseeing health and safety and disciplinary matters.

Oltec CEO Olivier Cavaliere said: “Bill has an in-depth knowledge of the cleaning industry that will be invaluable to Oltec FM – he’s held a number of positions within the sector, from relief cleaner to general manager of a site.

“This vast experience will be crucial to the business at a time when we are rapidly expanding our services and refining our offering to clients.”

Bill commented: “I have known Olivier since 2000 and am thrilled to be working at Oltec FM. I am proud to be working for such a forward thinking and ambitious business.”

Image L-R: Brian McCann, James Curtis and Adam Bradbury

James Curtis and Adam Bradbury, MC Vanguard

North West corporate finance firm MC Vanguard has announced two new appointments.

Newcomers Adam Bradbury and James Curtis have joined the company as corporate finance executives.

Adam is a former HSBC banker, having worked at the firm’s Manchester Spinningfields office for five years within retail, commercial and corporate banking.

James, meanwhile, is a former business analyst for management consulting company JCBA, where he worked following four years of service in the British Army.

In their new roles, Adam and James will initially focus on deals such as management buy-outs and buy-ins, acquisitions, and the growth and sale of businesses.

MC Vanguard director Brian McCann said: “We have witnessed strong growth since merging with Mitchell Charlesworth five years ago.

“Our new recruits take team numbers to our highest ever level meaning we can offer clients greater support and value for money.

He added: “Adam and James are both ambitious and dynamic operators at early stages in their careers. While they bring useful experience they are also keen to learn and develop skills with the MC Vanguard team.”

Gareth Nixon, Lancashire Sport Partnership

Lancashire Sport Partnership (LSP) has taken on a new business development manager to lead its sponsorship, marketing and research activities.

Gareth Nixon has joined the company after working in senior careers guidance and education roles for over 20 years.

Working from LSP’s base at Lancashire Business Park in Leyland, Gareth will oversee the organisation’s marketing communications and research teams, as well as securing sponsorship and funding for various sporting initiatives.

Commenting on his appointment, Gareth said: “This is a varied and rewarding role and I’m delighted to be working for LSP, raising awareness of the work we do as a charity and securing funding that will sustain existing delivery and enable us to explore further opportunities.

“From the ‘Leg It Lancashire’ beginner running clubs to our ‘Rising Stars’ programme which helps young talented sportspeople to pursue their career ambitions, LSP recognises the power of sport to change lives for the better.”

LSP chief exec Adrian Leather said: “Gareth brings a wealth of experience to our team and has the drive we need to help us to attract sponsorship, promote our events and inform people in the region about how Lancashire Sport Partnership can have a positive impact on their lives.”