This week's Yorkshire appointments: Featuring Wykeland Group, Gordons, twentysix & Wake Smith Solicitors

This week’s round up of Yorkshire appointments includes Wykeland Group, Gordons, twentysix & Wake Smith Solicitors. Read on to find out more.

Eleanor Tordoff & Lauren Wurzal, Gordons

Law firm Gordons is celebrating the latest two graduates of its pioneering law apprenticeship.

Eleanor Tordoff and Lauren Wurzal have both qualified as chartered legal executives within the firm’s property litigation and corporate specialisms respectively. Launched in September 2011, Gordons was the first in the legal sector to offer an apprenticeship taking its chartered legal executive lawyers to an honours degree equivalent.

As part of their apprenticeship, Gordons provided Eleanor and Lauren with hands-on experience and academic study, as well as paying their salaries and course fees, for a five-year period.

Gordons partner and member of the firm’s executive board, Victoria Davey, said: “Eleanor and Lauren should be very proud of their achievements, and we are enjoying celebrating their success. We’re really pleased for them as they are both talented colleagues and great people to know.

“Our clients feel the same way about Eleanor and Lauren and they both now have the opportunity to further grow their careers with Gordons.”

Paul Millington & Richard Dawson, Wykeland Group

Property industry heavyweight Paul Millington has become the new Non-Executive Chair of leading Yorkshire commercial developer Wykeland Group.

He is joined on the Wykeland Board by a new Non-Executive Director, Richard Dawson, who brings to the business more than 30 years’ experience in senior financial, commercial and strategic roles.

The new appointments bring further experience and expertise to the Wykeland Board as the Hull-based business delivers some of the biggest and most ambitious developments in its history of more than 50 years.

Wykeland Managing Director Dominic Gibbons said: “We’re delighted that two such highly-respected property industry leaders have joined our Board. Paul and Richard are well-known figures on the North of England property scene and bring to the Board decades of high-level experience which will support our next phase of growth.

“Their expertise will reinforce our excellent executive team and will be important as we deliver existing developments and capitalise upon the many exciting new opportunities we have identified.”

Maria Thorpe, Sebastian Dziubek & Abby White, twentysix

Maria Thorpe, Sebastian Dziubek and Abby White have been appointed as Head of Data Science, Head of SEO and Head of PR and Communications respectively at twentysix, Leeds-based digital experience and performance agency.

Bringing a combined 24 years of experience with them, Maria, who joins from the Department of Education, will be leading the Data Science team, leveraging the latest machine learning and AI methods, bringing twentysix clients the latest in data strategy, prediction, personalisation and dynamic decision making.

Sebastian joins from digital agency McCann, where he worked with Office Shoes, Wynsors and RICS He will be overseeing the development of SEO strategies and ensuring high performance for prominent twentysix clients such as Anglican Windows and GHD.

Abby joins from communications agency Finn where she worked across the ASDA, Maryland, Jammie Dodgers, Marigold, Vileda, Cushelle, Plenty and TENA. In Abby’s previous role as Amplification Director at Democracy, she led consumer PR for Dulux during the pandemic, bringing the first-ever digital launch of Colour of the Year to life.

twentysix CEO, Ryan Scott, adds “In the last six months, we’ve attracted real talent into our business. The addition of Abbey, Maria and Seb only further underlines this and ensures that we continue to partner our clients with senior-level experience as we go through one of the most challenging economic times that many of our clients have ever seen.”

Bonita Wolfenden, Wake Smith Solicitors

Sheffield-based law firm Wake Smith Solicitors has appointed a new director and head of residential conveyancing operations.

With over 10 years’ experience in the industry, Bonita Wolfenden will be working with directors Anne Emmerson and Amanda Cowley, both highly regarding conveyancers, leading the 15-strong team with a focus on developing and growing the Wake Smith conveyancing brand in the city centre and regional markets.

Bonita joins Wake Smith following a director role at Switalskis Solicitors where she launched and managed the South Yorkshire conveyancing team at the firm.

Bonita said: “Having lived in Sheffield for over 20 years, I have developed a good knowledge of the city, surrounding suburbs and the fantastic areas that make up this wonderful part of the country. I’m excited to be working with my new colleagues all of whom are passionate about delivering a great client experience beyond expectations.

“Wake Smith has a strong reputation in Sheffield, with well-regarded lawyers and great clients. I am looking forward to working back in the office, which means I can be on-hand to drive and support the busy team, but also take advantage of the multi-disciplinary approach that a corporate and commercial law firm can bring.”


Would you like to see your businesses new hires or promotions featured in the Bdaily appointments news?

Send your submissions to: editor@bdaily.co.uk with ‘APPOINTMENT:’ In the subject.

Submissions should:

  • include the name and job title of the appointee and the business name
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Appointments are published entirely at the discretion of the Bdaily team. Submission does not guarantee publication.



By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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