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EY Manchester Partner takes on national leadership role

Sam Whitear
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Sam Woodward, a Partner at EY’s Manchester office, has been appointed National Markets Leader to the company’s Transactions Advisory Services (TAS) business as the firm also continues to grow its transactions and restructuring team in the North West.

Sam Woodward has succeeded Adrian Bowne as National Markets Leader for TAS and also joined the firm’s UK TAS leadership team.

Sam joined EY in 2008 and was promoted to Partner in 2011. He will continue to work from EY’s Manchester office, servicing restructuring clients in the local market, as well as taking on this new responsibility.

Sam has extensive experience in advising corporate clients, debt providers and financial sponsors. His experience includes restructuring advisory, accelerated M&A and formal insolvency assignments, ranging from privately owned businesses to multinational public listed companies.

The new role coincides with continued investment in EY’s TAS team in the North West, as activity levels remain high for the team.

Last month, Alex Williams and Richard Barnes – both members of the North West TAS team, were promoted to Associate Partner.

Alex works in the restructuring team based in Manchester and has more than 20 years’ experience at EY, working with underperforming businesses and their stakeholders across a range of sectors including real estate, manufacturing, retail and healthcare, both in the UK and abroad. A former deputy leader of Trafford Council and a fellow of the British American Project, Alex also serves on the Advisory Committee of the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.

Richard leads EY’s corporate finance infrastructure team in the North and focuses on advising public and private clients on complex infrastructure programmes including structuring business cases, funding and financing, and advising on all stages of the procurement process. He has been with the EY since the late 1990s and started his career in Manchester before working in London and across the Middle East and finally returning to Manchester in 2016.

Sam Woodward said: “EY sees a large part of its future growth coming from the regions and that’s why we are investing in our regional teams. In the North West we’ve benefited from senior hires and promotions across our TAS team in transactions, corporate finance, valuations and restructuring, which not only signal the volume of activity within this region but also underline our commitment to further growing our footprint in the North West market.

“My recent National Markets appointment also demonstrates EY’s recognition that the senior leadership team needs to include those who can give insight and perspective on what’s happening across regional markets to ensure EY remains responsive to the business landscape across the whole of the UK.”

Davis Blank Furniss makes three appointments 

Sam Whitear
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Manchester and Glossop law firm Davis Blank Furniss has made three new appointments across the business.

The first new starter is Amie Tsang who joins as a senior consultant in the Property team. Before arriving at Davis Blank Furniss, Amie ran her own successful small practice for 20 years. She brings with her a very loyal client base which is mainly from the UK and Chinese business community of largely Real Estate matters with some residential conveyancing & plot sales as well as business immigration.

Katherine Darbinean is Davis Blank Furniss’ newest Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence solicitor. Katherine qualified in December 2014 and joins Davis Blank Furniss from Thompsons Solicitors. Her role will cover higher value claims with severe injuries and some Clinical Negligence work.

Suzanne Thompson has joined the Corporate and Commercial team as a solicitor. Suzanne qualified in 2016 and joins from BLM LLP. Her work includes company restructures, shareholders agreements, company sales and acquisitions, commercial contracts and terms and conditions and intellectual property matters.

Kate Oldfield, managing partner at Davis Blank Furniss, commented: “We are delighted to welcome these three talented lawyers to the team and I’m sure each will play an integral part in the firm’s future growth.”

WorkMobile expands with appointment of new marketing executive

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based mobile data capture specialist, WorkMobile, has appointed a new branding and marketing executive as part of ambitious plans for growth.

With a wealth of marketing experience both in-house and as a freelance creative, Jessica Mallard is the latest highly-skilled addition to WorkMobile’s rapidly expanding team.

Jessica has spent time working in marketing and events for InternChina, a global education and internships company, organising and marketing intensive programmes for Education New Zealand and The British Council.

Returning to the UK, she was able to use the cross-cultural connections made in her previous role to establish herself as a successful freelance marketer.

With clients spanning the travel, media, charity and technology sectors, she has created original content and devised social media strategies for WildChina Travel, Macau Lifestyle Media, and Creative Tourist, among others.

In her new role at WorkMobile, Jessica will be refining the brand’s identity and messaging, solidifying its reputation as a leading provider of bespoke workflow solutions. On a more practical basis she will also be tasked with increasing the number and quality of sales leads the company generates.

Having recently developed a three-year business plan with the approval and support of its long-term South African investors, WorkMobile is on track to achieve its target of growing recurring revenues by 30% by the end of the year.

Jessica said: “Having worked with technology clients in a freelance capacity, I am thrilled to now be joining an innovative tech business at such an exciting time.

“WorkMobile has a fantastic product, which, thanks to the hard work of a passionate team, is constantly improving and evolving.

“This constant evolution is one of our key messages as a brand, and I am keen to ensure that it is conveyed effectively in every aspect of our communications strategy.”

Andrew Huntly, CEO of WorkMobile, said: “Jessica is a brilliant addition to the WorkMobile team, bringing with her a host of fresh ideas and enthusiasm.

“Her expertise will be vital in helping us achieve our three year growth plan, ensuring that we are able to capitalise on new opportunities and bring our solutions to an ever greater number of sectors.”

Morson on target to double female engineering contractors by 2020

Sam Whitear
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Following last year’s pledge from salford-based Morson International to double the number of female engineering contractors that it employs by 2020, the top technical recruiter is on track to surpass its target.

Current workforce ratios show that 13.8 per cent of all Morson’s engineering contractors are now female compared to 7.5 per cent this time last year; indicating that its commitment to creating a more diverse talent pool is paying dividends.

With a number of major infrastructure projects now on site and progressing towards their peak, including HS2 and Hinkley Point C, the demand for engineers continues to outstrip supply.

According to the Women’s Engineering Society, the UK needs to significantly increase the number of people with engineering skills, with estimates suggesting that we need to at least double the number who are already studying engineering-related subjects.

Adrian Adair, operations director at Morson International, commented: “It’s inspiring to see significant progress made already. It’s crucial that we source the highly skilled workforce that the engineering sector needs, but it’s clear that as an industry, we need more diversity. By inspiring underrepresented groups, particularly women, as well as promoting opportunities that resonate with different races, ages, backgrounds, geographic locations and more, we hope to create a healthy talent pool for future engineering projects and one which is more diverse and more inclusive.”

Morson recently held a #CareersOnTrack event, aimed at addressing the skills shortage and lack of diversity in the rail industry. The event saw girls aged 14-17 visit Morson Vital Training’s education hub in Salford, giving them the opportunity to step foot on its replica track and learn more about the rail industry and its various careers.

As part of Morson’s pledge to ensure the modern workforce is more gender diverse by 2020, the recruiter is also supporting career switching by helping candidates outside of engineering recognise the transferable skills that they already possess for a successful career in the sector.

Adrian continued: “Leveraging transferable skills opens up new opportunities across a choice of industries and locations, as well as presenting possible progression paths by capitalising on skills in high demand.

“There are a number of similar stand out initiatives that are working to stamp out the stereotypes in engineering and wider STEM subjects, such as the IET’s #SmashStereotypesToBits, and it’s this collective drive and focus from throughout the industry that will encourage more diverse recruitment.”

UK sweet expert sells fudge to the Middle East

Sam Whitear
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National confectionery expert Andy Baxendale has agreed a deal to help supply the Middle East with British fudge.

Known throughout the industry as The Sweet Consultant, Andy Baxendale, from Wigan has 23 years’ experience in the confectionery business with a Master’s of Science in Advanced Food Manufacture.

He was contacted by chocolate makers Le Concheur based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, when they were looking for an expert to oversee their production of British-style fudge and was flown out especially to help with manufacture and staff training.

Fudge has become popular in Saudi Arabia because of its unique texture and flavour and because, unlike chocolate, it doesn’t melt in hot temperatures.  

Andy, who is a former product development manager for Chewits in the UK, said Le Concheur would start selling fudge in their two shops in the next few weeks.

He said: “The demand for traditional British fudge in Saudi Arabia has soared recently and people really enjoy the quality and taste of the high-quality product we are able to offer them.

“It is a great thing to have for a treat and when the temperature soars to 40 degrees C and chocolate melts easily it is a fantastic alternative.”

Andy is a respected national consultant in every aspect of confectionery production, with extensive knowledge of regulation and legislation in the industry, advising companies on everything from recipes to staff training and enhanced production techniques.

Recently he has been one of the stars of the hit BBC 2 confectionery show The Sweet Makers.

He is currently working to set up a National Academy of sweets to teach a new generation the art of confectionery production and development.

Manchester businesses to benefit from elite motivational sessions throughout Autumn

Sam Whitear
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Martin Robert Hall, Manchester’s number one performance psychology coach, is offering his motivational, transformational skills and speaking services to Manchester businesses for free throughout autumn 2018.

To celebrate a decade of helping elite athletes and businesses in the region to perform at their best and achieve their goals, Martin hopes to make a huge impact on the Greater Manchester business community by offering three free sessions a day on Mondays during September, October and November, in an initiative named Martin’s Motivational Mondays.

Martin has worked with top athletes including footballer Joe Thompson and Paralympian Carly Tait, amongst many others. He has also worked with businesses such as GE Capital and Zurich Insurance, using his sports psychology ethos to transform the outlook of top managers, helping them with mental agility, resilience, focus, leadership skills and instilling a positive attitude in all he speaks to.  Martin is also a leading author on the subject of leadership and mindset, and has written two books that have been distributed all over the world.

Martin helps people to be inspirational leaders and instils a winning and positive mindset in those whom he coaches.  His work has profoundly affected many individuals who attribute their high profile success stories to Martin’s tailored and personalised training and methods. Inspiringly, Martin’s work in the sports arena has been recognised and praised by Sir Alex Ferguson.

As a proud northerner, Martin is offering his skills and speaking services to businesses and  business groups throughout Manchester and the wider North West, to hopefully create a snowball effect of motivation and positivity during the autumn.

Martin’s Motivational Mondays are supported by footballer Joe Thompson, who famously kept Rochdale in League One earlier this year by scoring the winning goal that avoided club relegation. Joe has also beaten blood cancer twice, and his incredible story has been heard around the globe.  Behind the scenes, Joe has been working with Martin on his positivity, motivation and mental strength, and scoring an important goal had been something that Martin and Joe have been focused on visualising during their sessions for many years.

Joe will be making surprise appearances with Martin at several of the motivational sessions throughout the autumn months, and hopes that his inspiring story will help business leaders and managers to transform their outlook and ethos, and achieve their business goals by creating a positive, winning mindset within their team.

If companies and individuals wish, they can make a donation to Bloodwise – a charity that helped and supported Joe Thompson through his two trials with blood cancer – in return for the Motivational training sessions.  The charity is also close to Martin’s heart as his Grandfather died of the same disease when he was just six years old.  Martin and Joe hope to raise an amazing £5,000 for the charity with the Motivational Mondays sessions.

Joe commented: “The work I have done with Martin over nearly a decade has been a massive help, not only in my footballing career, but more importantly in my life. He installed the tools and the mindset into me to remain positive through both battles with cancer, and to get back on the pitch playing professionally. I’m extremely grateful to have had that support over the years and I am delighted to help his cause spreading his positivity across Manchester, and also raising money for a charity that supported me in my recovery.”

North West solicitor tackles Ironman challenge head-on for Headway

Sam Whitear
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A North West solicitor has completed a notoriously gruelling Ironman triathlon, to raise money for a local brain injury charity.

Gemma Roberts, a serious injury lawyer at Fletchers Solicitors , the UK’s leading serious injury and medical negligence law firm, undertook a 2.4 mile swim and 95 mile bike ride, followed by a marathon.

Thanks to generous donations from Gemma’s family, friends and colleagues, an impressive £1,866 has been raised for Headway Preston and Chorley.

Gemma spent 12 months training with Wigan’s Invictus Triathlon Club in preparation for the Ironman event, which took place on 15 July in Bolton.

Despite injuring her Achilles tendon during the marathon, Gemma successfully finished what is considered one of the toughest one-day sporting events in the world.

Gemma decided to support Headway Preston and Chorley after becoming familiar with the charity through her work at Fletchers, which has offices in Manchester and Southport.

Headway offers support, services and information to brain injury survivors, including many of Fletchers’ clients, their families and carers, as well as to professionals in the health and legal fields.

Gemma said: “When I started this journey, I set a target of £1,000 thinking that it might be a bit ambitious. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be able to reach nearly £2,000.

“There were so many highs and lows throughout the experience, but raising such a fantastic sum of money for an amazing cause has made it all worthwhile.

“The support on the day from my family, friends and club mates really helped to spur me on, and the feeling when I crossed the finish line, with the announcer shouting ‘Gemma Roberts, you are an Ironman’, was phenomenal.”

Sarah Charnley, chairperson for Headway Preston and Chorley, said: “I am delighted and honoured that Gemma chose Headway Preston and Chorley as the charity to benefit from her Ironman challenge.

“Gemma’s Ironman journey involved gruelling hours of training through all weathers, and during this time she also qualified as a solicitor.

“How she managed to complete so many miles despite injury and the phenomenal heat is a mystery, but she was so determined, and her account of the day itself captivated us all.”

Shoosmiths Manchester marks year of growth with nine hires

Sam Whitear
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The Manchester office of leading national law firm, Shoosmiths has reported strong growth for its conveyancing team against challenging market conditions.

Just 15 months after launching, with the appointment of partner, Lisa Gibbs, the Manchester conveyancing team has grown to incorporate nine specialists.

The team has developed a busy pipeline of instructions since being established and further appointments to the team are now planned, with ambitions to double the current headcount, in response to increasing client demand.

Advising private individuals across England and Wales, the Manchester-based conveyancing team has dealt with a wide range of transactions from first time home buying through to multi-million pound purchases.

The team, part of Shoosmiths’ market-leading national conveyancing practice, offers a highly professional conveyancing service designed to make the process of buying or selling personal property as efficient and stress-free as possible.

Partner, Lisa Gibbs who leads the Shoosmiths Manchester conveyancing team said, “It has been an excellent first year for our conveyancing department. At a time when the conveyancing market is generally subdued with a shrinking in conveyancing volumes, our team continues to see a growth in instructions. Thanks to our focus on delivering exceptional client service, we have a steady stream of referrals from new clients and advise a number of repeat clients.

“Our ambition is to grow the conveyancing team further in the near future, to enable us to service a wide range of referrals from private individuals, brokers and estate agents in the North West.”

Head of the Manchester office Vaqas Farooq, commented: “This is fantastic news for the conveyancing team and the office. Our national conveyancing team based in the Midlands is exceptionally strong and I am delighted that Lisa and her team have joined us to develop this even further in Manchester.”

Shoosmiths remains the largest firm of conveyancing solicitors accredited under the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Its conveyancing service is consistently commended in national consumer service awards

Bridge Law Solicitors opens Wilmslow office

Sam Whitear
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Marple Bridge, Holmfirth and London based, Bridge Law Solicitors, has now opened an office in the heart of Cheshire, in Wilmslow, headed by rising legal star, Sophie Murgatroyd.

The new office will bring the company’s equine law expertise to Cheshire, a major differentiator for the law firm, as few solicitors cover this niche area in the county.

The Wilmslow office will also bring experienced family, employment, wills and probate solicitors to the region. Replicating the high-quality service and professional legal offerings of the Marple Bridge, Holmfirth and London offices, it will particularly focus on efficiently and cost effectively resolving disputes.

Sophie Murgatroyd, Solicitor and Head of Wilmslow Practice, said: “It’s a delight to be opening Bridge Law Solicitors’ Wilmslow branch. Following the huge success of the recently formed Equine Law Department and continued growth in ourlegal practice, we feel it’s the right time to have a presence in the heart of Cheshire.”

Sophie Murgatroyd is recognised as a leader in equine law, as well as being a firm favourite amongst high profile individuals, regularly being instructed to draft social media endorsement agreements. Sophie will continue to focus on all areas of dispute resolution including agricultural work, debt recovery, property disputes and professional negligence.

Sophie added: “As a competitive rider myself, it didn’t take long before I was inundated with equine work, allowing the opportunity to expand the firm into the heart of Wilmslow, something no newly qualified solicitor has ever done before.

“As a Cheshire girl, having my own office in the county is a real honour. At Bridge Law Solicitors, we are committed to developing a solid footprint in the region, allowing us to both expand and be closer to our large portfolio of clients.”

Sigma showcases accelerated housing delivery to MP

Sam Whitear
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Sigma showcases accelerated housing delivery to MP

Urban regeneration and PRS specialist, Sigma Capital Group plc, recently welcomed Mary Robinson, Member of Parliament for Cheadle, at three of its Greater Manchester developments, to demonstrate how it delivers high-quality family rental housing at pace and the placemaking and regeneration effects which follow.

The developments toured were situated in Lower Broughton, Walkden and Little Hulton, where the Cheadle MP got to see, first hand, the type of quality homes and developments which Sigma delivers through its Simple Life brand.

Delivered on brownfield sites, the developments have brought much needed new housing to the local areas, as well as bringing redundant land back into economic use.

The developments are just three of 24 sites currently under development by Sigma across the North West of England.

Mary Robinson MP, said: “It was great to see the work Sigma is doing to transform brownfield sites into new homes and new communities. I was impressed with its record of, not only building the kinds of homes we need, but investing in much needed infrastructure such as schools.

“These new homes are having a fantastic impact on the lives of the people who live in them and there’s a lot to be said for a model of development such as this. I hope it continues to grow.”

Rob Sumner, residential investment director at Sigma, said: “As a member of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee it was great to be able to show Mary the progress we have made and the change we are delivering. We’re committed to building developments where the homes are not only high-quality but where community also thrives.

“As an investor in the long-term, it’s important to us that these places are sustainable and add true value to the local area. Hearing positive feedback from Mary Robinson is hugely encouraging to us and our vision, and we look forward to working together again in the future.”

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