Member Article

This week's North West appointments

The latest appointment news from across the North West this week.

Paul Christopher, Mark Elves and Victoria Thomas, Scanlans

Scanlans has appointed Paul Christopher, Mark Elves and Victoria Thomas to bolster its property management division at its Manchester office.

Paul previously worked at Scanlans for more than a decade and has rejoined from Zenith Management (NW). In his new role, he will spearhead the introduction of a new online client portal and electronic maintenance management system.

Mark was previously at Realty Management in Stockport, while Victoria has worked at firms including Vets4Pets, where she was estate manager, and Cushman & Wakefield.

Partner Ian Magenis, who heads the property management team in Manchester, said: “The trio join Scanlans at an exciting time, with several schemes coming on stream in Manchester and the Midlands, bringing more than 750 new units under management by the summer.

“Mark and Victoria bring a wealth of experience to the practice and have taken on the management of a number of residential schemes in Manchester.

“We are delighted to welcome back Paul. The new leaseholder portal and software system provide him with the perfect opportunity to continue developing his career at Scanlans.

“The firm prides itself on delivering a high-quality and efficient service to clients and these improvements will enhance our ability to do that.”

Lewis Thompson, Davis Blank Furniss

Law firm Davis Blank Furniss has grown its Private Client team with the appointment of Lewis Thompson who joins as a private client solicitor.

Lewis’ new role will see him handle all types of Private Client matters including Wills, Trusts, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection and Probate.

Commenting on his appointment, Lewis said: “Davis Blank Furniss is a modern law firm that still adopts a traditional approach with its clients.

“This ethos is pretty unique in an ever changing legal sector and is what attracted me most. I’m now focussed on delivering a first class and caring service – especially for those people who are going through difficult times.”

Martyn Gee, partner and head of Davis Blank Furniss Glossop, added: “Lewis is a great addition to the team and his arrival further builds on our Private Client offering. He brings with him some fantastic experience that will, I’m sure, make him a central part of our growth over the coming years.”

Jeremy Orrell, SAS Daniels LLP

Cheshire law firm SAS Daniels LLP, which has offices in Stockport, Macclesfield, Chester and Congleton, has announced Jeremy Orrell as its new Managing Partner.

Orrell joined the business in 2009 to head up its new corporate team and became the firm’s Finance Partner in 2013, overseeing 50% growth in the firm’s annual turnover to £9m.

Commenting on his new appointment, Orrell said: “It is a great honour to be appointed as the firm’s Managing Partner during such an exciting time for us.

“We continue to attract outstanding legal talent to the firm and as a result have an incredibly strong and growing client base, who value our results driven approach to service delivery.

“We have enjoyed significant development and growth over the past five years and we intend to continue to build on this success in a controlled and strategic manner. We are committed to continuing our investment in developing the firm, our people and our clients.

“What is particularly important to me is the firm’s culture as I believe it differentiates us from our competitors. Our ethos is one of transparency, courtesy, integrity and fairness which are not always a given in an increasingly competitive commercial environment.”

HURST

Accountancy firm HURST has promoted four members of its business services team, three of whom joined the practice as graduate trainees.

John Glover, who joined HURST as a senior manager from BDO in 2015, has become an associate partner.

Richard Smethurst and Paul Wright have become managers, while Anna Godwin has been promoted to assistant manager. All three began their careers at HURST as graduate trainees.

The business services team provides advisory, audit and assurance services for owner-managed and private equity-backed companies across the north west and beyond. It is the largest team at HURST with 45 staff.

Partner Mike Jackson, who heads the team, said: “We are delighted to announce these promotions, which are fully-deserved and follow a record year of growth for our business services team.

“It’s especially gratifying to be able to reward talented young professionals in this way as we continue our policy of promoting from within to fill senior posts.

“John has led on a transformational project in the department enabling us to enhance our audit process, and Richard, Paul and Anna have all stepped up during an exciting period of rapid growth.”

Simon Cook, UD Group

UD Group, the intelligent software developer for the energy and utilities sector, has announced the appointment of Simon Cook as CEO. Simon will lead UD Group’s commercial and organisational development as the business eyes further expansion.

Simon joins with over 20 years’ experience in the Information Technology sector. His wealth of experience in bringing new products to international markets includes heading up successful sales and delivery teams across Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Spain.

Commenting on the appointment, Steven Daniels, Director at UD Group, said: “Simon’s appointment is a real coup for UD Group. His track record in the international IT market, especially in adapting products for new markets, is exceptional and will prove instrumental in our continued growth.

“The appointment comes at a time of great opportunity for UD Group as we continue to secure major deals with some of the UK’s leading energy and utility retail businesses.”

Join us next monday for more North West appointment news.