This week’s Yorkshire appointments

KPMG has boosted its tax practice in the region, as partner Christine Hewson transfers across the Pennines to the firm’s Leeds office.

Christine, a partner at the firm since 2006 and KPMG’s head of tax and pensions in the North for the last six years, was previously focused on the North West market.

She is also KPMG’s head of retail in the North, with a client portfolio spanning a wide range of businesses in the sector, including Wm Morrisons, Lookers and Matalan.

As she takes up her new role, advising businesses across Yorkshire on their tax strategies and compliance challenges, she calls on the Chancellor to demonstrate that the UK will remain competitive on the global stage.

Christine said: “Priority needs to be given to supporting aspects of the tax system which bolster our international competitiveness. With the triggering of Article 50 imminent, the Chancellor must highlight that the UK is ‘open for business.’

“While the headline tax rate remains a factor, other areas will be just as important in continuing to attract foreign investment. Targeted incentives and a good treaty network alongside quality of infrastructure and access to markets and talent play a vital role in ensuring the UK remains an attractive place to invest.

“The trouble is, to date those factors have attracted investment disproportionately to London and the South East of England. There is real potential to use Brexit as an impetus to devolve corporate tax to regions where there is public support for greater autonomy from Westminster, in order to better spread investment around the country.

“At the heart of the thinking behind the Northern Powerhouse is the belief that addressing regional imbalances is vital to improving the UK’s prospects, arguably especially now, outside the EU.

“There is already a precedent for this with Northern Ireland and there is evidence of tax devolution making a real impact on the spread of investment in countries including Switzerland, Germany, and the United States.

“Tax devolution can be one of the pillars of an industrial strategy that take account of places as well as sectors. It’s an opportunity the Chancellor should grasp with both hands.”

Sarah Zaremba, Calibre Search

Calibre Search, the Leeds-based recruitment consultancy, has appointed marketing specialist Sarah Zaremba as principal client services consultant to support businesses in the North’s creative and digital industries.

Sarah has 14 years’ experience of the recruitment sector and believes that with an increasing number of brands enlisting northern agencies, it’s an ‘exciting’ time for the already thriving creative industry in the Northern Powerhouse.

Sarah said: “Leeds and Manchester are important digital hubs, with an increasing number of London agencies sourcing talent and considering satellite offices in the North.

“My move to Calibre comes at a time when the industry is evolving and agencies’ requirements are increasing so I see it as a tremendous opportunity to grow our share of the creative recruitment sector across the Northern Powerhouse.

“Over the last few years Calibre has enjoyed exceptional achievements and growth and I’m looking forward to playing a part in the continued success of the team.”

Matthew Finlay, Calibre Search co-founder and director, commented: “Sarah is an outstanding consultant; she puts relationships with people at the heart of her approach, as do we all at Calibre.

“She has an excellent reputation throughout the North and her track record reinforces the importance of personal contact in the age of supposed automation of recruitment practices.

“Her appointment makes us even stronger in the creative and digital industries market and we look forward to her contribution to the development of our business.”

Calibre Search specialises in recruitment for the built environment, engineering, IT and marketing sectors. It has offices in Manchester and Leeds city centres.

James Austin, LCF Barber Titleys

An employment law solicitor has been appointed as an associate at LCF Barber Titleys in Harrogate.

James Austin has over 14 years’ experience of all aspects of employment law, and joins from Harrogate law firm Raworths. He previously worked for Schofield Sweeney and is also an employment law lecturer at Leeds University and York University.

James will work alongside partner, and head of the employment law team, Liz Henry.

James said: “I have worked in Harrogate for the last three years advising a wide range of clients in the education, IT and healthcare sectors, as well as numerous SMEs on all areas of employment law.

“As well as regularly providing advice on disciplinary, grievance and discrimination issues, I also draft employment documents and help employers defend tribunal claims and deal with redundancy and TUPE consultations.

“I was keen to join LCF Barber Titleys because it is such a forward thinking and innovative firm. Its successful employment law team operates across four Yorkshire offices and is headed up by Liz, who is very well regarded in the industry.

“I feel it will be a very rewarding role where I will be able to assist both existing and new clients.”

Liz added: “James will no doubt prove to be a valuable asset to our team. His experience, legal skills, and proactive and client focused approach, are all things we value here at LCF Law.”

Stuart McGregor, IDHL

IDHL, the Harrogate and London-based digital marketing group, has appointed Stuart McGregor as group commercial director.

In this newly created position, Stuart will be focused across the wider group, covering WMG, Ingenuity Digital (ID) and NetConstruct.

Stuart started out in senior roles with Microsoft (MSN) and Yahoo Search Marketing at a European level, and then transitioned into the agency side of Search Marketing, working at a number of Yorkshire-based agencies including Stickyeyes and twentysix.

Dennis Engel, CEO of IDHL, said: “We are delighted to welcome Stu to the IDHL Group. Stu’s obvious pedigree and proven track record is second to none.

“As we anticipate a period of rapid growth, we will only maintain the trajectory by securing the services of the best people, and we are very fortunate to have such a seasoned digital expert join the team.”

Stuart added: “I’m delighted to be joining Dennis and the team at IDHL. I’ve been tracking the business for some time now, and its continued growth has been built on a robust blend of technical expertise and creativity.

“When I met with Dennis, the timing was perfect for both parties. It was the right time for me to take on a new wider remit and a more commercial role, and I look forward to supporting the business through this next exciting phase.”

The IDHL Group comprises WMG, Ingenuity Digital (ID) and NetConstruct, and is now one of the fastest growing digital marketing agencies in the UK.

Aimee Dunne, Local Transport Projects

Beverley-based Local Transport Projects, the independent traffic engineering and transport planning business, recently appointed a new senior highways and traffic specialist.

Aimee Dunne, who has joined LTP as a senior traffic and highway engineer, spent the last three years in New Zealand working mainly in the earthquake hit South Island.

Andy Mayo, director LTP, said: “She brings with her considerable experience in transportation engineering and transport planning with a wide range of skills and a particular interest in strategic transport planning, policy and sustainable transport.

“As a business we are seeing a growing level of traffic, highways and planning work across the country, including local and regional projects.

“That makes Aimee a perfect fit for us as she’s achieved notable transport solutions for both private and public sector clients and been directly involved in numerous public consultations and presented evidence as an expert witness at several hearings.”

Most of Ms Dunne’s work in New Zealand revolved around multiple and complex transport planning and strategy issues in the Canterbury region of South Island.

Ms Dunne’s technical strategic planning expertise included new and alternative road alignment options related to the earthquake, with responsibility for consulting with and providing different options for inhabitants.

She dealt with planning applications for mixed use commercial developments, supermarkets, service stations, schools and retirement villages.

Ms Dunne is now responsible for the technical and engineering aspects of LTP’s list of local, regional and national projects, covering access appraisal and dealing with architects and developers.

She said: “I was attracted back to the UK to work with LTP because of the high quality and wide variety of work and type of jobs we do here – there are so many different types of project to be done.”

This has included strategic traffic engineering and planning for a new brewery in west Yorkshire and revised public transport access for a new football stadium in the Humber region.

Established in 2004, LTP provides transport planning, traffic engineering and highway design services to local government, developers, health providers and the education sector.

Karen Tinkler, IPRTeam

Karen Tinkler, director of York-based PR and communications firm The Partners Group, has been appointed to chair the International Public Relations Team (IPRTeam) global PR network.

IPRTeam was established in 2001 and has a membership comprising independent PR and communications agencies in 11 countries across five continents.

The Partners Group has been the sole UK representative since 2002, and Karen chaired the network between 2009 and 2012. She was invited to revisit her role this year to drive the next stage in the group’s growth and development.

Karen said: “IPRTeam was created to give small and medium sized businesses access to global publicity support through a network of like-minded, independent agencies around the world.

“Through the network, clients can retain a close working relationship with an agency they know and trust in their home country, working in their native language, whilst benefiting from local knowledge and experience from around the world.

“It’s a great concept, and it works very well in practice. The team here at Partners has run campaigns with network partners to support our clients at international trade shows and help them launch new products into new overseas markets.

“We’ve also worked with the IPRTeam partner in Australia to promote the annual Vivid Sydney festival of light, music and ideas here in the UK.

“Giving clients access to genuine on-the-ground knowledge and experience in their target markets is invaluable, and we plan to extend the network membership to provide coverage in additional countries.

“This will allow IPRTeam members to support even more clients with international publicity requirements.”

Maria White, Association of Women in Property

The Association of Women in Property (WiP) has appointed a new Yorkshire & North East Chairman.

Maria White, who has been a member of WiP for three years, is a planner at Deloitte Real Estate.

She has experience working on projects primarily in Leeds and Manchester. These have included city centre mixed-use schemes, strategic regeneration frameworks, applications for tall buildings and applications within the historic environment.

She finds working in the historic environment the most interesting projects to be involved in, as she has a passion for bringing unloved buildings back into use.

Leonie Oliva, Deloitte Real Estate talent partner, said: “I am delighted that Maria has taken this important role in supporting the careers of women throughout the region.

“Advancing women at all levels is a business priority for Deloitte. Our aims include increasing the number of women at all levels from students to partners through recruitment; and increasing the pipeline of women for leadership positions through development.

“Our actions include sponsorship, coaching, workplace agility and our 20-week return-to-work programme for those who have been out of the workforce for more than two years.”

In the Yorkshire and North East area, WiP recently reignited its Members’ Breakfast Forum. Upcoming events include site visits to the £13.7m White Rose Shopping Centre extension in Leeds and the £7m luxury care village at the Chocolate Works in York.

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