People on the Move: Whitfield Business Support; Caterforce; ICAEW; PMD Business Finance; C4 Consulting; Adept4
Wirral creative design agency Whitfield Business Support has made three new hires.
The Heswall firm has appointed digital architect Mark Pollard, business relationship manager Del Willden and property manager Kate Verdin-Walsh to the team.
Co-owners Justine McLaughlin and Nik Ellis set up the firm in 2015 delivering a broad range of marketing services, including graphic design, website design, email marketing and social media support.
Justine said the new recruits bring a ‘fresh perspective’ to the firm and will be working in collaboration to support client delivery. They also bring greater diversity with a depth of experience across retail, hospitality and professional services.
She said: “Del comes to us with more than 25 years’ experience working for British Airways and further media experience working for Wirral Radio.
“His skills in customer service will be used to great effect in our ‘first impressions’ department and to support delivery to our client base.
“Kate is well known in our local community as the former owner of Vanilla Lounge and for her passion of SMEs. Her role as property manager will involve working closely with our fixed tenants in Whitfield Business Hub as well as managing our first impressions team.
“Our third appointment will see Mark, a former solicitor of 15 years and small business owner, taking on the role of digital architect.
“Again, our relationship with Mark goes back many years and we feel he is an ideal fit for the business. We have given Mark a flexible, roving role where he can use his wide-ranging skills in law to software development and design. He is currently reviewing our company structures, processes and documents to drive productivity and will be using his broad knowledge to support our clients.”
::
Foodservice buying and marketing consortium, Caterforce, has appointed Claire Williams as group marketing manager, further strengthening its Cheshire-based team.
She brings with her a wealth of experience having worked with brands such as Nestle Professional, Kellogg’s, AB World Foods and Pernod Ricard and joins from Big Brand Ideas, an integrated marketing agency based in Macclesfield.
Caterforce reported record sales growth in 2017 and further success is predicted in 2018/19.
Ms Williams will manage the overall marketing strategy for the group with a key focus on developing Caterforce’s own-brand, Chefs’ Selections by Caterforce and supporting members with their marketing activity. She will also be looking to raise the Caterforce profile and promote Flavour Photography, its in-house food photography service.
Claire, who will be based at Caterforce’s Macclesfield head office, said: “Joining Caterforce is an extremely exciting challenge for me. It’s a hugely ambitious company and the opportunity to play a leading role in developing its marketing strategy and raise the profile of the group was one I had to take.”
Managing director Nick Redford said: “As a group we’re experiencing record growth and we’re delighted to welcome Claire to Caterforce. She brings with her some great experience which will only strengthen our marketing team and help us to achieve our goal of developing the Caterforce brand.”
::
Hamish Hamilton has been appointed president of ICAEW Lancashire and South Lakeland.
He takes the reins from past president Gillian Bardin, who led during 2017-2018.
He will be supported in this role by deputy president Neil McMillan.
Hamish Hamilton, centre, with Gillian Bardin and Neil McMillan
Hamish will support Lancashire and South Lakeland’s 1,780 members across the area, which forms part of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
He said: “It is an honour to able to represent chartered accountants in Lancashire and South Lakeland. As president I aim to encourage local members, in both practice and business, to engage with us so that we can provide effective support and ensure that the views of chartered accountants are promoted both locally and nationally.”
::
Oldham-based PMD Business Finance has appointed Tom Brown to its board as a director of the company.
Tom, who is head of direct finance at the firm, joined PMD just over three years ago after working at Lombard for nine years.
Peter Dobson, managing director of PMD, said: “Tom made an immediate impact when he joined us three years ago.
“Since then he has developed and built the direct function within PMD and helped the business grow to the level where it is now lending over £100m per year.”
Mr Brown said: “We have a fantastic team here at PMD and it is an incredibly exciting time for the company.
“In my new role as director I am looking forward to working with my team to help support SME businesses and offer true flexibility through our range of business finance options.”
::
C4 Consulting, of Lymm, has continued to implement its growth strategy with the latest appointment of David Cunningham as director.
This hire underlines the company’s commitment to supporting its existing client base and future workload in the North West and beyond, it says.
The independent firm, which specialises in architecture, project management, cost consultancy and building surveying hired David from Fletcher Rae in Manchester.
He has worked in the North West for more than 12 years in the distribution/logistics, industrial, manufacturing, retail and automotive sectors, most recently with Fletcher Rae and before that eight years with Fletcher Smith Architects.
In his new role he will lead the existing team on their projects in the distribution/logistics, industrial, manufacturing, retail and automotive sectors across the North West.
C4 Consulting managing director Damian Horridge said: “David is a fantastic addition to our team. His background and experience will support our future growth plans and ensure we continue to provide the high level of service our clients expect”.
::
Daresbury firm Adept4 has appointed industry authority Mike Williams as chief technology officer as it continues its journey to become the North West and Yorkshire’s premier managed cloud services provider.
The appointment comes as the company begins a period of investment in its managed and cloud services portfolio.
Mr Williams brings an exceptional tenure in the managed services space, with a specific focus on Microsoft technologies.
His 30 years’ experience culminated in seven years at Microsoft where he was a technology strategist assisting MSPs in growing revenue through building services-led portfolios.
Mike Williams
With a proven track record and extensive experience in service development, architecture and product marketing strategy, in his new role he will be
responsible for the strategic development and delivery of managed services portfolio and fostering eco-system partnerships, while leading, coaching and developing the services and delivery teams.
Mr Williams said: “I have a passion for technology and the role it can play in an organisation’s success. Working with an exceptional team I intend to deliver a compelling, market-leading proposition and roadmap for Adept4 as a leading provider of cloud technology, transformation programmes and outstanding customer service.”
Managing director David Griffiths said: “We are thrilled to have Mike on board. His passion and commitment are representative of Adept4’s ethos and we welcome his expertise in delivering client-focused thought leadership.”
