People on the Move: Rydens; Fairhurst Design Group; Dow Schofield Watts; Ridge; Merrick

Ryden has recruited Ian Spencer to lead and build a project and building consultancy team in its Manchester office.

Ian has been director at Trident Building Consultancy for the past 12 years, establishing and growing its North West offices.

Previously he had similar roles at CNP, Chesterton and Richard Eliis, now part of CBRE.

Ian attended Liverpool John Moores University and is both a Chartered Building Surveyor and Chartered Project Management Surveyor, specialising in commercial property-related advice.

Andrew Richardson, head of the Manchester office and partner–investment and finance said: “Having established Ryden’s Manchester office in 2017, it’s great to be able to expand the service from investment and agency into project and building consultancy.

“We have established a very senior, highly-experienced team in Manchester and Ian is a fantastic addition to the office here.”

Ian Spencer said: “I’m looking forward to developing the project and building consultancy offer with Ryden as one of the UK’s largest independent property firms.

“Ryden already has a strong client base in the North West which I’m keen to build upon in the coming months and years.”

Andrew Cliff, partner–head of Ryden project and building Consultancy said: “Ian’s experience and standing in the market is a great asset and continues our UK-wide focus to deliver the next phase of our business plan.

“Over the last three years Ryden’s project and building consultancy group fee turnover has more than doubled and our national coverage means we have the ability to advise clients across the UK from our offices in Manchester, Leeds, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.”

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The Fairhursts Design Group (FDG), the Manchester firm of architects, masterplanners and interior designers, has made 12 promotions, including three senior posts, to strengthen its management team.

Alex Chanerley, who has been with FDG for 24 years and an associate director for five years, has been promoted to design director.

Chanerley has been instrumental in the delivery of a number of FDG’s significant science projects, such as the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry and Liverpool’s Materials Innovation Factory.

His solid expertise and motivational qualities will now see him reviewing architectural output across all FDG projects, as well as mentoring junior team members.

From left: Rick Sharp, Klaire Daggat and Alex Chanerley

In addition, Klaire Daggatt and Rick Sharp, who have both been working at FDG for 16 years, have taken the role of associate director and will now join the senior management team and board of directors.

Klaire has recently completed a new prototyping centre for the University of Wolverhampton, while Rick is FDG’s sustainability guru, having managed the delivery of the multi-award-winning GlaxoSmithKline Centre for Sustainable Chemistry at the University of Nottingham.

Other staff members included in the promotions, and who will now take the role of associate in the Manchester office, are Aida Ahmad, Anca Banacu, Elizabeth Garlick, Chris Garrard, and Stevie Leigh, who will now lead FDG’s interior design team and is tasked with securing commissions independently.

In the Southampton office new associates are Richard Adams, Peter Hannides and Andrew Le Marquand.

Managing director Richard Sagar said: “At FDG we pride ourselves on being a people-focused business and we value each and every member of staff.

“We are incredibly grateful that we have been able to retain so many of our exceptionally talented team and have welcomed the opportunity to invest in them, watch them grow and develop, and reward them with a greater role within the company.

“Following last year’s strategic decisions to open a Cambridge office and move back into the healthcare sector, this latest progression is designed to strengthen the company’s management structure, reward high achieving individuals and is a crucial part of FDG’s ongoing growth and evolution.”

FDG, which was established in 1895 in Manchester, now has three UK offices – Manchester, Southampton and Cambridge.

Its schemes include the UK’s first carbon-neutral laboratory at the GlaxoSmithKline Centre for Sustainable Chemistry in Nottingham, No 3 Piccadilly Place in Manchester, the award-winning Materials Innovation Factory at the University of Liverpool, and the National Horizons Centre in Darlington.

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Independent advisory firm Dow Schofield Watts has expanded its services with the launch of a new tax consultancy arm.

DSW Tax Consulting will be led by Simon Denye, who has more than 21 years’ experience as a tax specialist with firms including PwC and KPMG and most recently as tax director at CLB Coopers.

It will advise on a range of business tax issues, with a particular focus on mergers, acquisitions, restructuring and other corporate transactions.

Simon, who will be based at the firm’s headquarters in Daresbury, will work alongside other teams within the group, including corporate finance and transaction services, as well as its angel network Dow Schofield Watts Angels and its private equity arm, PHD Equity Partners.

Simon Denye, left, and James Dow

DSW Tax Consulting is one of a number of specialist tax services offered by Dow Schofield Watts, including private client tax, VAT and tax resolution for those in dispute with HMRC.

Simon said: “Dow Schofield Watts is a highly-respected name with a strong track record.

“I look forward to working alongside the team to help clients achieve their objectives in the most tax efficient way – whether they are considering an acquisition or disposal, want advice on employee incentives, or simply a review of their business tax position.”

Founder James Dow said: “DSW Tax Consulting will complement our existing services and further expand our expertise, highlighting Dow Schofield Watts as a natural alternative to the ‘big four’.”

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The Liverpool and Manchester offices of property and construction consultancy Ridge have made a series of key promotions and appointments as the firm’s growth continues.

Chris Bradburn and Chris Haworth have been promoted to the position of equity partner, both working out of the firm’s Manchester office.

Colleague Nick Bangham has been promoted to partner, while Paul White returns from Ridge in China to head up a new architecture team in Manchester.

Kevin Hudson has been promoted to the role of associate in the Liverpool office.

Paul White

In addition, a number of new recruits have joined the firm across a range of disciplines. They are: James Fellowes (quantity surveying); Bridget Sutherland (project management); Peter McConville (principal designer); and Naomi Spinsby-Wild (administration/ marketing).

Chris Bradburn specialises in building services engineering and led on the impressive Greengate 101 project with Ask Developments in Salford and is currently focused on delivering the adjoining residential scheme, Embankment West for Select Property Group.

Chris Haworth specialises in project management, primarily within the transport and infrastructure sector and is proud to have worked on the introduction of trams as part of the Birmingham City Centre Extension. Chris is based in Manchester.

Jason Howard, equity partner at Ridge’s Liverpool office, said: “The North West economy remains strong and the drive among developers to re-assert the economic power of its key cities continues to boost our workload.

“These promotions recognise the huge effort our people put in to delivering for our clients on a diverse range of projects.”

Ridge’s headcount across its Liverpool and Manchester offices extends to 100 when contract staff are taken in to account.

Nationwide, the firm has more than 600 permanent staff advising clients across a range of disciplines, including architecture, building services engineering, building surveying, expert witness and advisory services, health and safety, project management and quantity surveying.

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Family lawyer Merrick has appointed a new practice manager with a brief to help the company grow.

Heather Waight is now responsible for areas as diverse as legal compliance, IT systems, recruitment procedures and staff welfare.

Heather, who has 15 years of experience in office management roles, previously worked for international executive searchers, a debt recovery agency, solicitors and civil engineers.

Heather Waight

Manchester-based Merrick is renowned for its work in complex high net worth cases.

But principal Amanda Merrick is also keen to ensure it can help cover the gap left by the demise of legal aid for most divorce cases.

In response, last year it launched #AccessUs, a high-quality, case-managed service to deliver advice where there is a case to answer and limited resources to meet it.

Heather said: “I like to feel that I’m helping a company to get to where it wants to go.

“I met Amanda and was sold on what she was trying to do. It’s very difficult not to be swept up by her enthusiasm and passion for the law.

“I’ve not been here very long but it already feels like more than just a workplace. You really, really want to do your best.”