This week's Yorkshire appointments

Sean Rowlands and Dan Thompson, TS Grale

Executive search and recruitment specialist TS Grale has expanded its Leeds team having appointed Sean Rowlands as head of construction and infrastructure, and Dan Thompson as a consultant specialising in facilities management.

Sean has worked as an executive headhunter in the construction industry for the last 10 years and has a wealth of international experience.

He will now take on the growth of TS Grale’s construction and infrastructure division, which is currently sourcing talent for leading companies in North America, as well as in emerging economies, including China and South America.

Dan has spent the last three years working at one of the UK’s largest recruitment companies. At TS Grale, he now specialises in sourcing mid to senior sales and operational professionals globally, who work in facilities management.

TS Grale currently employs a 12-strong team from its offices in Leeds city centre, and plans to expand to 30 people by summer 2021.

Paul Fleming, co-founder and director at TS Grale, said: “We’re delighted that Sean and Dan have become the latest additions to our fast-growing team.

“They both have impressive track records in the recruitment industry and will play key roles in further developing our specialist offering in the construction, infrastructure, facilities management and engineered products sectors.

Dan added: “After working for a large corporate firm, moving to TS Grale is an opportunity to join a fast growing, entrepreneurial company at an exciting time. It also means that I can further develop my international experience, which really appealed.”

James Towler, McCormicks Solicitors

McCormicks Solicitors of Harrogate has appointed a new Partner to the practice.

James Towler has taken over as head of the firm’s corporate and commercial department. He advises companies, LLPs and partnerships, on both corporate and commercial matters.

Regular instructions include buying and selling businesses and companies, restructuring companies and groups, joint ventures, shareholder and partnership agreements.

Senior Partner Peter McCormick said: “James’s range of expertise makes him a real asset to the practice and he has hit the ground running, already having met many of our long-standing Corporate and Commercial clients to understand their needs.”

The firm’s corporate and commercial department won praise in the recently published UK Legal 500, the leading guide to the legal profession, which quote a client, adding: “McCormicks’ professional approach and subject knowledge gives clients reassurance that it knows what it is talking about.”

James Johnston, Redrow

Housebuilder Redrow has taken on another new graduate within the company’s Yorkshire division.

James Johnston, 21, originally from Ormskirk, Lancashire, has joined the developer’s two-year graduate training scheme, undertaking a rotational programme which will see him spending time in a number of different departments.

Now living in Wakefield, close to Redrow’s Yorkshire headquarters, James studied geography at the University of Lancaster.

He said: “A number of things persuaded me to apply for the graduate scheme, not least because my dad is a quantity surveyor who worked in the building industry and so I had an understanding and was interested in it.

“I looked at a number of schemes but, because I am not yet sure of the exact area of work I want to go into, I was particularly interested in the rotational element of the Redrow graduate scheme.

“Geography lends itself to land and planning but I like being able to work in different departments.

“It will help me decide which area I want to focus on and give me a broader understanding of the company and the industry which will be useful for the managerial career I want to progress to.”