Appointments: Roland Dransfield; Mills & Reeve; University of Manchester & more

PR and marketing agency Roland Dransfield has appointed two new members of staff following a number of new business wins.

Caroline Aspinall joins the Manchester-based PR, marketing and digital communications agency as associate director whilst Kayleigh Stevens joins the content team in the role of social media executive.
 
Aspinall, the former marketing and communications director at MHA Lighting, was previously an award-winning news reporter for titles such as the Liverpool Echo and Daily Post and the Sunday Express.
 
As well as leading on a number of Roland Dransfield’s largest accounts, she will oversee operations and support new business efforts.

Roland Dransfield managing director Lisa Morton said: “As we continue to grow, bringing in new talent is essential to support our expanding client portfolio and ongoing new business initiatives.

“Caroline is a highly experienced communications professional with a proven track record in executing successful national, regional and trade campaigns for clients.
 
At the same time as Asinall’s appointment existing team member Maria Murphy has been promoted to account manager to help support Roland Dransfield’s delivery of integrated communications campaigns to a range of clients.
 
The appointments come as Roland Dransfield secured a number of new accounts.
 
In the first of the new instructions, Roland Dransfield has been appointed by property developers Urban & Civic to devise a social media engagement strategy for its Princess St/Whitworth Street Junction development ahead of a planning application submission next month.

In two further property wins, the agency will deliver integrated campaigns for both Click to Purchase, an online property purchasing platform, and property developer Arbor Living, which launches its first luxury residential park home development next month.

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THE Manchester office of Mills & Reeve has promoted four members of staff.

In the corporate and commercial team, Fay Clifford has been promoted from senior associate to principal associate while Anna Moore in the private client team has also been promoted to principal associate.

Promotions from associate to senior associate include Emma Harrison in the insurance disputes team and Jessica Mistry in the employment team.

Niall Innes, head of the Manchester office at Mills & Reeve said: “The promotions reflect the hard work and commitment of all four individuals who are highly-skilled and much valued members of their respective teams. I wish them all every success in their new positions.”

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PROFESSOR Vladimir Falko has joined The University of Manchester as research director for the National Graphene Institute (NGI).

Falko is one of the UK’s leading condensed matter theorists, who has made substantial contributions towards the understanding of electronic and optical properties of graphene, including the discovery of bilayer graphene.
 
He will join the University on  October 1 and will be responsible for developing the research strategy for the NGI.
 
Falko began his career by studying for his PhD at the Institute for Solid State Physics RAS, and gained postdoctoral experience at Max-Planck-Institut in Stuttgart and Oxford University, followed by 20 years of service at Lancaster University where he was Distinguished Professor and Head of Theory Division.

A fellow of the Institute of Physics, he has previously held an ERC Advanced Investigator Grant and in 2010 won the prestigious Royal Society Wolfson Foundation Research Merit Award.

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LIVERPOOL-based Agent Marketing has recruited a new team member for its sister organisation, Agent Academy Community Interest Company (CIC).

Zoe Wallace is now head of Agent. The organisation tackles youth unemployment through a free 12-week course of hands-on, practical marketing experience.

Working with Agent Marketing’s team and a host of Liverpool business leaders and marketing experts, young people gain valuable contacts and applicable skills from inside the industry.

Wallace previously worked at O2 as training and development manager for the North West region, she earned a national field and brand marketing award.

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BLACKBURN-headquartered PM+M – a leading chartered accountancy, business advisory and wealth management group – has grown its Run My Business team following the appointment of Andrew Cowking as a partner.
 
As well as conventional accountancy services, Run My Business offers an all-inclusive, menu driven and fixed fee service that covers bookkeeping, accounts, payroll, VAT and tax returns.  It also offers stand-alone payroll services to clients as well as the full range of accounting services.
 
Cowking has joined from the Manchester office of Baker Tilly. His new role will see him advising SMEs operating in various sectors including manufacturing, engineering and service industries on a whole range of accounting and taxation issues.
 
He said: “I’m really excited about joining the firm as I feel that it is the right fit for my clients and my own way of working. The firm also boasts a high level of expertise and a culture that is firmly focussed on delivering a first class service.”

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INTEGRATED communications agency One in Manchester has strengthened its creative team with the appointment of Chris Anderson as designer.

Anderson joins from Language Brand Communication, in Trafford, Manchester where he worked across brand and digital marketing campaigns.

He has worked with a number of national names from Airport City Manchester and Carillion, to Shepherd Construction and Mothercare.

At One, Anderson will work with a range of clients, and will be responsible for supporting the creative team with a wide range of integrated campaign briefs.

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NORTH West accountants and business advisors Cowgill Holloway has strengthened its tax team with the appointment of Lisa Wilson as a partner.

Wilson specialises in tax planning for owner-managed businesses and their shareholders, and has worked in various tax roles for 16 years. She joins Cowgill Holloway from Hurst in Stockport.
 
In her new role Lisa will be responsible for transactional tax planning, tax advisory services, as well as becoming the relationship point for key new clients. She will be supported by a team of experienced tax professionals.

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MARKETING Liverpool has installed Steven Small as its new head of tourism.
 
Small joins the agency, part of Liverpool Vision, to lead its work across brands such as VisitLiverpool.com and Liverpool Convention Bureau. He will head up a team of ten which is responsible for marketing the city internationally, both for leisure and business tourism.

In 2014, the visitor economy was calculated to contribute £3.8 bn to the city region’s economy, supporting more than 49,000 jobs.

He returns to his home city following a successful seven year stint at Marketing Manchester in roles including head of initiatives and head of business tourism, where his team have helped to grow the city’s lucrative conference industry over the last five years.

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MANCHESTER law firm Kuits has added another senior hire to its growing Corporate and Commercial team – the third new team member in the last 12 months.

Peter Allen, a former DWF Partner has joined Kuits, following the addition of partner Martin Lewis, who has arrivede from Addleshaws, and associate Helen Mather, who came from DWF.

The team now boasts five highly-experienced partners, enabling them to provide an even greater level of commercial advice and support for their core client base of SMEs, and owner-managed and family-owned businesses.

Standout work undertaken this year by the team has included advising Accurist Watches, acting for SmartKem Limited on a significant funding round from an investment syndicate and advising Peakdale Molecular on its £12m MBO backed by Equistone Partners.