People on the Move: Skin Academy; Aaron & Partners; Champion Accountants; Premex Services; Amber Road
Antony Wagman, owner of national beauty brand, Skin Academy, has bolstered his senior team with the appointment of two key figures to the board, a new group managing director and a new finance director.
Richard Jorden assumes the role of managing director and is tasked with spearheading the brand’s European business and marketing strategy.
Within a multi-facet role, a key priority is to further consolidate the European and UK supply chain for Skin Academy on the back of, what it says was, a phenomenal year of sales for the business as it enters its second year of trading.
The Greater Manchester-based brand, which launched in January 2018, has already seen retail sales in excess of £2m and the new managing director will take the post with immediate effect.
With more than 25 years within personal care Richard Jorden joins the leading skincare brand with a wealth of industry knowledge and experience learned from working with some of the biggest toiletry brands in the world including P&G, Gillette and Unilever and PZ Cussons.
Richard said: “I am honoured to join a brand that has already carved itself such a strong presence in the industry, both in the UK and in Europe, in such little time.
“I look forward to leading the enthusiastic and dedicated team that is already in place onto even greater achievements for the business.
“With high goals my aim is to maintain the significant growth and success that the brand has already seen in its infancy and continue to strengthen Skin Academy’s presence and position as a growing brand within a busy marketplace.”
Antony said: “We are delighted to have Richard join the team and look forward to utilising the wealth of experience that he will bring with him. I have known Richard for many years and I am confident that, under his leadership, the brand will continue to go from strength to strength.”
The second appointment sees Eddie Mackin expand his remit with parent company Quest Personal Care as a dedicated finance director for Skin Academy.
With more than 40 years’ experience, Eddie is perfectly placed to support and steer the businesses for exponential growth.
He said: “The Skin Academy journey so far has exceeded all expectations and with the new management team in place we are confident of what the future holds.
“The brands are certainly making their mark and with consumer confidence in the ranges at a high and brand loyalty already evident, we look forward to bolstering our ranges and pursuing new avenues to meet the ever-increasing demand.
“The move into the tattoo industry with the recent launch of INK’D just shows that the team is making great headway with NPD and penetrating new markets within the skin care industry and this is only going to increase in 2019.”
Antony concluded: “It’s a very exciting time for the brand with lots of big things in the pipeline which both Eddie and Richard will play key roles in whilst also driving Skin Academy forward and ensuring that it stays ahead of its competitors.”
::
Law firm Aaron & Partners has appointed a compliance and quality expert to bolster its in-house team following a period of significant growth.
Gavin Ball has joined the firm after almost 15 years working in similar roles with professional services firms and accountancy businesses in the UK, including the likes of Deloitte, RSM and Rolls Royce.
The new position has been created within Aaron & Partners’ existing quality and compliance division and will see Gavin overseeing a range of activities.
They include ensuring the continuation of the Lexcel accreditation held by the firm since 1999.
Gavin Ball
Currently, fewer than 20% of UK legal firms hold the voluntary accreditation, which is administered by the Law Society as a quality mark for legal practices.
Gavin will also oversee quality improvement, as well as compliance training and monitoring to include anti-money laundering checks, anti-bribery policy implementation, and anti-corruption enforcement.
His appointment follows a second consecutive record-breaking year of annual fee income at Aaron & Partners after the firm recorded an increase of more than 10% to £9.5m during the last financial year.
Simon Edwards, senior partner at Aaron & Partners, said: “We’ve witnessed significant growth over the last few years as a practice and Gavin’s appointment is a key strategic hire to ensure we continue on that upwards trajectory.
“The success we’ve had as a firm has allowed us to invest in developing our people and Gavin will play an integral role in that because quality and compliance are at the very heart of everything we do for our clients.
“His awareness and expertise within the fields of quality and compliance can only enhance the experience for our clients and help us build on the robust systems and processes we have in place across the practice.”
In addition to his vast experience, Gavin is also a Certified Fraud Examiner and an Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist who has led numerous international financial crime investigations and compliance engagements.
He said: “It’s fantastic to have joined a firm with a business culture that both understands and respects the new compliance culture needed to be a successful law firm in the UK.
“It was clear to me that Aaron & Partners is a practice that is growing and I’m delighted to have joined the existing quality and compliance team.
“The long-standing Lexcel accreditation is testament to the great work they’ve done over the years and I’m looking forward to building on that by ensuring the effective and ongoing implementation of all the necessary systems and processes that are fundamental to future success.”
::
SME specialist, Champion Accountants, has added seven new staff members to its Manchester office, attracting a range of industry talent.
The recruitment drive, which sees new team members joining from a range of specialisms, further strengthens Champion’s position, it says, as one of the UK’s leading SME accountants.
Among the new starters is management accountant, Craig Massey, 32, and audit and accounts semi senior, Richard Murphy, who has a First Class Honours Degree in Business and is close to completing his ACCA exams.
Alex Wakley, 19, and Aidan Oliver, 18, both join the Manchester office as audit and accounts trainees.
Alex, from Bolton, said: “I’ve always been interested in accounting and Champion is the kind of place where I feel I can achieve my full potential. It’s a real opportunity to start a promising career.”
Back row: Alex Wakley, Aidan Oliver, Richard Murphy, Craig Massey.
Front: Amy Houghton, Maryam Ahmed, Naomi Thompson
Aidan, from Irlam, added: “I joined Champion because they’re a growing company with lots of opportunities and great support. I’m looking forward to visiting clients for audit and preparing accounts for larger businesses.”
Champion’s payroll team also welcomes two new payroll administrators: Amy Houghton, 21, from Leigh, and Naomi Thompson, 29, from Westhoughton.
Finally, Maryam Ahmed, 26, from Bury, joins the ranks as an audit semi-senior.
ACCA part qualified, Maryam worked as an audit trainee for three and a half years before joining Champion.
She said: “It’s a great working environment at Champion, relaxed, but still very professional, and I’m looking forward to becoming fully qualified over the coming months.”
Champion Accountants employs 84 staff across its network of regional practices in Manchester, Chester, Preston and Blackpool.
Ged Cosgrove, group managing partner, said: “I’m excited to welcome all our new recruits to the Champion family. Investing in our workforce is key to our success, and each of our new starters will be a valuable asset to our Manchester office.
“As our ambitions and our client numbers grow, these appointments will help us to continue delivering the exceptional customer service that our clients are used to.”
::
Premex Services, a medical-reporting agency, has appointed Nick Delaney to its senior management team as sales director to drive its continued growth.
Nick, who joins from First4Lawyers, has more than 25 years’ experience in sales and marketing. He has worked in a diverse range of industries ranging from food technology and manufacturing to insurance and vehicle claims.
Mike Cutler, managing director, said: “Nick is incredibly well known and respected in the industry and we are delighted he is joining us.
“Nick brings with him a wealth of experience and a large network of clients and will play an integral part in helping us achieve our goals.”
Nick said: “I can’t wait to start working with the great team at Premex, who I consider to be the market leader in the sector. In times of change and challenge, working with a strong and stable partner is paramount and this is something Premex represents.”
::
Travel partnership company Amber Road has announced the appointment of James Mortimer as group finance director to support a new phase of growth for the Manchester-based business.
James joins Amber Road having worked in various industries including Grant Thornton, BDO LLP and, most recently, Sweet Squared, but is no stranger to travel having started his career at British Airways.
He has a strong track record of delivering highly-profitable and sustainable growth through organic expansion, acquisition, business restructuring and the development of new products and brands.
James Mortimer
Clive Wratten, Amber Road chief executive, said: “I am delighted and excited to have James join the Amber Road team, as we move forward with our ambitious growth plans.
“James has a diverse background across several industries and a deep passion for travel.
“He has delivered robust financial and commercial control, which have consistently improved the performance of the businesses he has worked in. I am looking forward to working with him at Amber Road.”
Chief financial officer James Mortimer said: “I am thrilled to be joining Amber Road at such an exciting time and I am looking forward to playing a significant part in the company’s development plans.
“Amber Road’s vision to put the heart and soul into business travel is an exciting one and a challenge that I look forward to.”
