This week’s North West appointments

Four appointments, CBA Events

Keswick-based events management company CBA Events has appointed four new team members.

Katie Stuart will support the events planning team as an events co-ordinator, while Claire Richards has joined the company’s venue finding department.

CBA Events also appointed Ellie Jones for the role of marketing co-ordinator and Matt Slater within the team serving family-run country estate Graythwaite, for which CBA is the official in-house activity provider.

Sara Young, director of CBA Events, said: “It’s an exciting time for us at CBA Events with new ventures and more new client accounts to manage this year.”

“In order to service these, we were keen to expand the team and we’re really pleased to welcome them all, bringing a range of experience and fresh ideas to the company.”

Laura Luty, RSM

RSM, the audit, tax and consulting firm, has added to its Manchester-based tax practice with the appointment of a new director.

Laura Luty has 17 years’ experience gained at Big Four accounting companies in the North West.

She has advised entrepreneurs and high-net worth individuals on a range of personal tax, trusts and estate issues.

With RSM, Laura will offer tax advisory support to clients while working to grow the practice and its offering in the region.

Jill Jones, RSM’s North West regional managing partner, said: “We are committed to investing in key talent, and Laura’s strategic hire is testimony to this approach.

“In an ever-changing tax landscape for private clients, Laura brings varied experience that will further strengthen our offering – allowing us to help support more individuals on complex UK and international tax planning.”

Jo Morfee, Digital T Level Panel

The director of Liverpool Girl Geeks, an organisation set up to encourage more young women to take up careers in tech, has been made a member of the Department for Education’s new Digital T Level Panel.

The role will see Jo Morfee working with other industry professionals to shape a new system of technical education in England.

The Digital T Level Panel will aim to develop education in the digital sector, giving the government and the Institute for Apprenticeships advice on T level content to prepare young people for skilled employment.

Jo said: “I am honoured to be serving on the Department for Education’s Data and Digital Business Services T level panel, alongside representatives from many of Britain’s leading digital and technology employers.

“There is a digital skills gap here in the UK with many roles remaining unfilled each year as a consequence. The panel presents an opportunity to address that gap through strategic educational reforms.”

She added: “I am looking forward to contributing to the development of a new technical education system which will benefit both young people and employers going forward.”

Elizabeth Wilkinson, MLP Law

Altrincham law firm MLP Law has bolstered its leadership team.

Elizabeth Wilkinson, the company’s new head of dispute resolution, formerly worked for Pannone Corporate.

She has nearly 20 years of experience managing disputes, having acted on a range of commercial contract disputes, professional negligence actions and claims arising from business sales and purchases.

At MLP, Elizabeth will assist in the development of the firm’s growing dispute resolution department.

Stephen Attree, MLP’s managing partner, said: “We welcome Elizabeth’s experience and professionalism to the team.

“She has demonstrated a robust approach, is commercially astute, and focused on achieving successful outcomes, as quickly as possible.”

Four appointments, Harrison Drury

North West legal practice Harrison Drury has taken on four new trainees.

Olivia Bailey, Charlotte Hurst, Rachel Taylor and Alex Walmsley were awarded training contracts with the firm.

All four will spend time with various teams within the firm to gain experience in different areas of law, choosing their areas of practice upon completion of their training contracts.

Harrison Drury executive chairman John Chesworth said: “Our training programme is all about supporting the next generation of legal talent.

“We look for individuals who are not only promising legal graduates but also have the capacity to deliver outstanding service and add to the firm’s culture.”

He continued: “Our qualifying trainees have set the bar exceptionally high, but I am sure Olivia, Charlotte, Rachel and Alex will do an outstanding job. They have a great team behind them and a great opportunity, I wish them all the best.”

The firm has also offered permanent positions to newly qualified solicitors Jacob Walker, Rebecca Patience and James Dickinson, who joined Harrison Drury as trainees in 2015.

Garry King and Neil Armstrong, Pannone Corporate

Commercial law firm Pannone Corporate has welcomed two new senior staff.

Garry King (pictured), who joined the firm as a director in its real estate team, acts for developers, landlords, tenants and institutional and private investors.

His experience includes roles with the Manchester office of Shoosmiths and DWF.

Neil Armstrong has been appointed as a director in Pannone’s construction team.

He advises major developers, institutional investors and local authorities across the UK, specialising in non-contentious construction issues.

Neil also joined Pannone Corporate from Shoosmiths’ Manchester office. Before that, he worked for Weightmans and Addleshaw Goddard.

Paul Jonson, managing partner at Pannone Corporate, said: “Garry and Neil have a wealth of experience and expertise in their respective sectors and are highly regarded in their fields. I am delighted to welcome them both to the firm.

“It has been a busy 12 months for our teams with new client wins and an unparalleled number of transactions. These latest appointments reflect our commitment to invest in our growing commercial property team.”

Giovanni di Cosmo, RMS

Marketing agency RMS has taken on Giovanni di Cosmo in the role of digital marketing director.

Giovanni, who boasts eight years’ industry experience, has previously held senior digital marketing positions at agencies in London and Manchester.

A specialist in e-commerce, he will now focus on enhancing RMS’ digital marketing prowess by supporting the company’s integrated campaign work for national clients.

RMS managing director Ruth Shearn said: “Gio has vast experience and an ability to create and deliver successful digital marketing campaigns.

“His arrival at RMS will complement our existing team, allowing us to take a completely holistic view of a business’s online requirements.”

She continued: “The demand for our digital services has grown in recent years and Gio’s addition completes the deck. Together with Gio’s strategic digital approach, we now have all the knowledge and expertise required to ensure our new and existing clients stand out online.”

Giovanni commented: “The RMS proposition is compelling to clients – and the same was true to me as a potential employee. Many agencies lay a claim on creativity, but overlook the commerciality that almost all clients now require.

“At RMS, the team has both sides of that equation firmly nailed: it’s hugely motivating to contribute to accounts that already have a positive impact on the bottom line of each client.”

Nicola Bottley, Grant Thornton

Business advisory firm Grant Thornton has announced the appointment of a new head for its Northern Capital Allowances team.

Nicola Bottley joined the company from management, engineering and development consultancy Mott MacDonald, where she was a director for 17 years.

She holds qualifications in surveying and tax, backed with 30 years’ experience in multiple sectors of the construction industry.

Commenting on her appointment, Nicola said: “The opportunity to lead the Capital Allowances Team in the North was a huge draw and I’m delighted to be joining such a highly regarded national team.

“I very much look forward to working with a Grant Thornton’s clients to ensure they’re maximising the relief available to them.”

Grant Thornton’s North West head of property and construction, partner Karen Campbell-Williams, said: ‘We’re very pleased to welcome Nicola to the team. She brings with her a wealth of valuable experience and knowledge from the construction and commercial property industry, and her addition reinforces our offer to clients in these sectors.“