People on the move: Assetz Capital; Savills; Hilton Smythe; Pensionhelp

Peer-to-peer lender Assetz Capital has appointed Steve Grant as relationship director for the North West and North East regions.

Grant has joined from United Trust Bank, where he spent two years as business development manager for the North of England.

Prior to this, heworked for Barclays Corporate Real Estate as a senior real estate manager in the North West and North Wales. In this role, Grant provided residential and commercial finance, as well as development finance to property businesses.

Grant also has 31 years’ experience in the finance space at HSBC, where he was responsible for deal origination and providing finance for clients in the North West and North East.

Grant will work alongside director and head of intermediary sales Damien Druce as the pair look to expand Assetz Capital’s introducer network. Steve will also be responsible for dealing with finance requests and constructing facilities for clients.

Grant said: “Assetz Capital has a truly entrepreneurial approach to lending. The ability to think outside the box and provide unique forms of finance is the reason Assetz has such a strong reputation in the market, and as a result, the client base is growing at a rapid rate. I’m looking forward to working with Damien and the team as we continue to help ambitious companies in the North West and North East.”

Druce said: “In a period of rapid growth for the company, it’s key that we continue to hire quality RDs to handle the growing influx of enquiries we receive. Steve’s experience in the property finance space speaks volumes about his ability, and we’re confident he will have a huge impact at Assetz Capital.”

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International real estate advisor Savills has announced 15 promotions at its Manchester office.

Spanning eight divisions, the promotions will see two people move up to director level, five become associate directors and a further eight take on the role of associate.

The promotions are as follows: Hayden Manifold (director) development; Megan Keany (director) property management; Daniel Barnes (associate director) business space; Sam Arrowsmith (associate director) operations; Anthony Hunt (associate director) property management; Angela Waterhouse (associate director) property management; Stewart Clark (associate director) valuation; Andrew Cooke (associate) business space; Samia Syeda (associate) planning; Mike Barry (associate) property management; Liz Copley (associate) property management; Emma Dzundza (associate) property; Emma Whitelam (associate) property management; Catherine Barnard (associate) retail; Nikki Davies (associate) UK investement.

James Evans, head of Savills Manchester, said: “The strength of our Manchester business is reflected in the continued progression and development of our staff.”

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Bolton-based business broker Hilton Smythe is expanding to incorporate financial services, by hiring an experienced financial manager to lead the new business Hilton Smythe Finance.

Hilton Smythe Finance is an in-house finance team helping potential buyers to access finance directly through Hilton Smythe without having to go to a third party broker.

It searches the whole market to find the best rates for the buyer, and provides a no up-front fee service.

It is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), giving the buyers peace of mind, as well as the ease of only having to deal with one group for the buying process, leaving them free to focus on setting up their dream business.

Paul Williams joins the company from Key Commercial Finance, and brings with him more than 25 years’ experience in the financial sector. He has previously worked with banks including NatWest and Yorkshire Bank, where he specialised in business banking.

Based in Hilton Smythe’s Bolton office, Williams will be responsible for assessing clients’ needs and obtaining commercial finance on their behalf, on a fully independent basis from a wide panel of lenders, matching those needs to the most appropriate lender. He will support the client until the completion of the deal.

Gareth Smyth, group Managing Director of Hilton Smythe, said: “It was a priority of mine for this year to expand Hilton Smythe to include regulated financial services. We want to be a one-stop shop for clients, whether they’re buying or selling a business. This was the next logical step for us to grow.

“Paul is going to be a huge asset to the team, as he brings with him a wealth of knowledge from the financial sector. I am confident our clients are going to be in safe hands with him, and get excellent, professional service at a time when they will need help and support.”

Paul Williams said: “I am delighted to be heading up the new Commercial Finance Brokering department at Hilton Smythe. Very few, if any, other business brokers offer financial services as part of their package, however it makes sense to provide everything the client needs under one roof. I’m looking forward to an exciting year of growth within the company.”

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Manchester-based Pensionhelp has appointed Rory Percival as a non-executive director with immediate effect.

The appointment has been made to provide additional expertise to the board.

Percival was ‘the face of the FCA’ to advisory firms for many years.

He worked at the regulator for 10 years and was involved with many high-profile projects such as risk profiling, centralised investment propositions, the RDR, research and due diligence, and the assessing suitability review as well as speaking regularly at conferences.

Prior to joining the regulator Percival worked in the advisory for sector for 20 years mainly in compliance and training roles.

He has chartered financial planner status. In November 2016 he launched his own firm – Rory Percival Training and Consultancy to help support professionalism in the advisory sector. He is also a member of the Personal Finance Society Board.

Percival said: “I am very happy that Pensionhelp invited me to join the board. It is a comparatively young firm with an interesting proposition. I look forward to working with the firm in the coming months and years.”

Mark Wilson, managing director of Pensionhelp said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have been able to secure the services of Rory in this position. He will bring significant knowledge and experience to the board. He is the ‘go to’ person in the sector we operate, and I am looking forward to his contribution in our strategic vision.”