This week's Yorkshire appointments

Jennifer Robinson, Wake Smith Solicitors

Wake Smith Solicitors has appointed paralegal Jennifer Robinson to its private client team.

Jennifer joins the team from specialist estate law firm April King Legal, where she spent the last two years assisting clients throughout the UK with Wills and Powers of Attorney matters.

Jennifer completed a law degree, the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and Masters at the University of Sunderland and is currently a graduate member of CILEX with a view to becoming a legal executive in 2021.

Jennifer specialises in a range of private client matters including preparing wills and trust to deliver estate planning solutions to clients plus deputyship administrations and preparation and registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Jennifer commented: “I am thrilled to have joined Wake Smith. The calibre and experience of the private client team is impressive and was one of my many reasons for joining the firm.

“I was also attracted by the company’s values and client focus and am very much looking forward to working with the private client team and the firm as a whole.”

Head of private client Suzanne Porter added: “I am delighted to welcome Jennifer to the team. She is a really strong addition and will be a real asset to the department.”

Paul Greveson and Rebekah Waddington, The City & Capital Group

Financial consultancy organisation The City & Capital Group, has appointed Paul Greveson as group relationship director and Rebekah Waddington as graduate relationship manager.

Paul brings with him 35 years of industry experience, most recently as business development director for Regentia Lifestyle Planning and Regency Financial Planning, and also previously founded, grown and sold his own recruitment business, Independent Financial Appointments.

Victoria Hicks, director of City & Capital Acquisitions, commented: “I have known Paul for several years and seen first-hand how his passion for doing the right thing translates into helping firms grow through talent attraction and acquisition.

“His expertise means he can discuss wider growth and exit strategies with business owners, having a true understanding of the landscape in which they are operating. His values, combined with proven real-world experience, are what makes him stand out in a crowd where integrity is key.”

Graduate Rebekah will work across all three group divisions but with a focus on recruitment, and leading the initial fact-finding programme for candidates, as well as liaising with hiring firms during the interview process.

Stuart Hicks, managing director at The City & Capital Group, added: “It has been a tough start to 2020, but these appointments signify The City & Capital Group’s ambitions for sustained growth as we look towards the future.

“The addition of financial services, business development and recruitment experience will undoubtedly help us to further grow our portfolio in the UK, and we also thought it was important to give something back to the region, by creating a graduate role for Rebekah during this challenging period.”

The recruitment follows the appointment of two new directors in April of this year, which saw Jonathan Barrow named as the firm’s director of City & Capital Acquisitions, while Mike Aitchison joined as director of City & Capital Headhunters.

Martin Shaw, Leuly PPR

PR and marketing consultancy Leuly PPR has appointed Martin Shaw as freelance PR consultant.

Former journalist and editor Martin joins the firm after taking voluntary redundancy from Reach PLC’s Huddersfield Daily Examiner and Yorkshire Live.

Having acquired a range of experience throughout his 34 years in journalism, Martin joins from an eight-year stay at the Examiner, where he held several senior positions including news editor and print content editor.

Prior to that he ran his own newspaper, The Press in Dewsbury and freelance press agency, West Riding News Service in Huddersfield.

Moving into PR, Martin will support the implementation and evaluation of public relations campaigns, as well as contributing ideas to new client strategies.

Commenting on the appointment, Martin said: “I’m a passionate and committed journalist and I love telling people’s stories and hopefully, in some small way, making a difference.

“I’ve had an unusual career in many ways and know all about the highs and lows of running your own business - and I wouldn’t swap it for the world.

“I’ve built up a huge amount of experience in the media and seen massive changes since I started work on a typewriter as a trainee reporter. Now I want to put what I’ve learned into helping clients tell their stories and grow their businesses.”

Gemma Birbeck, founder and PR consultant at Leuly PPR added: “I first met Martin during the early stages of my career when I naively asked him whether he wanted to keep a story exclusive – silly, I know, but he was so understanding and supportive.

“When I learnt of his redundancy, I jumped at the chance to show that same level of support as I knew he would be a valuable addition to the team.

“Martin’s not from a traditional PR background, but creativity and individuality are characteristics we desire, and I’m confident the different perspective which he can offer will support us with our continued growth.”

Mike Day, Begbies Traynor Group

Professional services provider Begbies Traynor Group has appointed Mike Day as director in the BTG Advisory division.

Mike spent almost 25 years with Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance in a number of roles, including senior client manager and area director, before moving to Bibby Financial Services for seven years, latterly in the position of head of sales.

In his new role, Mike will focus on Begbies Traynor Group’s growing offices in the Humber region including Hull, Grimsby and Scunthorpe as well as working across Yorkshire.

Andrew Mackenzie, partner for Begbies Traynor Group in Yorkshire, commented: “With his strong commercial acumen and solid track record in operational roles, Mike will be an invaluable addition to our BTG Advisory team.

“We are confident that he will be able to use his vast business and finance experience to further enhance our offering and commitment to providing value added services to our clients in the Humber region and across Yorkshire.”

Mike added: “Having worked in financial services for over 30 years, I am well aware of Begbies Traynor Group’s strong reputation and the growth of its business support services.

“Having been born and bred in the Humber region and now living in Doncaster, I am passionate about supporting local businesses and look forward to working alongside Andrew and the advisory team to provide funding expertise.”

Dan Smith, LDC

Mid-market private equity investor LDC has promoted Dan Smith to head of Yorkshire.

Since joining LDC in 2015, Dan has led some of the firm’s key transactions in the region, including LDC’s investment in and subsequent IPO of video games label Team17, the investment in construction technology business NBS, the MBO of Mosaic Fulfilment Solutions and the investment in Leeds-based fleet solutions business Global Autocare.

In his new role, Dan will be responsible for investment activity in the region, helping management teams across Yorkshire and the Humber to realise their growth plans.

Dan commented: “Yorkshire’s vibrant business community is home to some of the most ambitious businesses in the UK.

“I am encouraged by the resilience and determination management teams have shown in the face of adversity, and I am excited to be leading our efforts to support growing mid-market businesses in the region.”

Jonathan Bell, head of the North at LDC, added: “Dan has already made a significant contribution to LDC, and he’s well placed to drive forward the Yorkshire team’s investment activity.

“Across the North we’re starting to see encouraging signs that the M&A market is rebounding, and we remain committed to deploying £1.2bn in the next three years to support ambitious management teams right across the UK.”