This week's national appointments

This week’s round up of national appointments includes Simpson Millar, Mediaworks, Champion, and Onvi. Read on to find out more.

Anita North - Simpson Millar

Simpson Millar has promoted Anita North to head of employment law in a move that further bolsters its Private Client leadership team. Having joined the business last year, Anita brings more than 10 years’ experience to the role.

She is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association who also boasts a wealth of expertise in cases relating to unfair dismissal, discrimination at work and breach of employment contract.

As part of the promotion, she will now lead the firm’s rapidly expanding national employment department which has a strong presence across Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, London, and Lancaster.

She will now work alongside the firm’s director of private practice, Chris Johnson, to deliver on the strategic aims of the team, as well as further the firm’s ambitions of opening up the law for clients across the country.

Anita said: “Anyone involved in a legal matter is likely to be experiencing some additional stress, but employment related matters are always particularly emotive for so many reasons as peoples’ jobs and their income play such a pivotal role in their lives.

“Simpson Millar’s commitment to opening up the law, and to making sure that they are on hand to help anyone in need of legal support, is something I really value, and what will make this role so rewarding.”

Chris Johnson added: “I am delighted to announce that Anita has been appointed as our new head of department for Employment law.

“Her promotion is indicative of her contribution to the team to date, and I am confident that her breadth and depth of expertise will continue to complement and enhance our existing network of highly experienced and dedicated employment law experts.”

Chris Jevons - Mediaworks

One of the UK and Ireland’s largest independent digital marketing agencies, Mediaworks, has made further senior appointments to spearhead its expansion in the North West of England.

Manchester based Chris Jevons has joined Mediaworks as account director, arriving with a stellar background in the North West creative and digital scene.

He joins at a time where Mediaworks has substantially grown its client portfolio in the region, partnering the likes of Leisure Lakes Bikes, who were recently acquired by JD Sports, Johnnie Johnson Housing and United Utilities on a range of digital transformation projects.

Chris, who will lead client services for Mediaworks’ North West based clients, has an extensive background in digital performance across various channels, most recently as account director at central Manchester’s Big Brand Ideas.

He said: “Manchester’s agency scene is as vibrant as ever and I’m excited to be able to be at the centre of such a well-established agency’s growth in this area. The vision and ambition for Mediaworks is one that was too good to ignore.

“The agency is now closing in on 200 staff across its sites in the UK and Ireland and I’m thrilled to be at the forefront of that growth here in Manchester.”

Brett Jacobson, CEO and founder of Mediaworks, added: “Bringing someone of Chris’s standing is a statement of our intent for Mediaworks and our footprint across the UK. I’m thrilled to have such an experienced and well-connected individual on board.”

Nathan Jones - Champion

A Champion accountant who joined the advisory group as a trainee 16 years ago has been promoted to the role of Associate Director. Nathan Jones joined Champion Accountants at the age of 19, and is now tasked with growing the group’s Chester practice by focusing on its business development strategy and acting as client lead for some of its biggest customers.

He said: “Throughout the last 16 years, the Champion team has been hugely encouraging when it comes to me progressing my career. They’ve created opportunities which have enabled me to take on new responsibilities, broaden my skill set and gain the relevant experience I needed to be awarded a senior position.

“Now I’ve achieved that, my job is to repay their loyalty to me by futureproofing our business. As well as expanding our client portfolio, I aim to be on the pulse of the industry, identifying gaps in the market, new software and innovative processes that will enable us to remain a market leader – whilst ensuring we continue to provide our clients with the highest quality of service possible.”

Nathan achieved his ACCA qualification in 2013 while working full-time with Champion Accountants – something he says is demonstrative of the way the company nurtures and develops budding young talent.

Andrew Hopwood, director at Champion Accountants, said: “Nathan’s progression is down to his hard work, determination and ability to foresee where the industry is heading.

“So much has changed in accountancy and advisory since he joined us, but he has always pushed our business forwards, ensuring we remain ahead of our competition, earmarked as the best employer and lead the charge when it comes to modern-day practises. With Nathan in his new role, there’s no limit to our capabilities.”

Philip Green - Onvi

Following its recent announcement to evolve from a mobile Order & Pay platform to a mobile-first POS solution for modern hospitality businesses, Onvi appoints Philip Green as non-executive director.

Having held CFO positions at Amazon, Groupon and Deliveroo, Philip brings extensive experience, and a wealth of relevant knowledge regarding the hospitality industry garnered during a finance career spanning more than 25 years.

As non-executive director, Philip will advise on the brand’s ambitious growth plans as it looks to scale at pace. Of his appointment, Phillip Green comments, “Having spent over a decade at Amazon and Deliveroo, a key takeaway is winning companies maintain a relentless focus on customer experience, service and value.

“The product needs to go far beyond technology, becoming an integral but seamless part of every interaction across the business. To achieve this is incredibly difficult; few companies can deliver and execute consistently to these high standards - Onvi has.

“Just listening to its customers, it’s clear why I’m excited to join the exceptional team at Onvi. I’m keen to support them on their growth journey and make a positive difference across the sector.”

Commenting on the appointment, Prask Sutton, Onvi founder and CEO, said, “We are delighted to welcome Philip to Onvi. The insight and knowledge he brings from an impressive and varied career, combining financial and hospitality experience, will be invaluable in developing our strategy as we look to rapidly scale up and build on our traction in the fast-growing mobile POS sector.”

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