People: Grant Thornton; Seddon; adept4; Landwood Group & more

BUSINESS  adviser Grant Thornton has continued its policy of retaining and promoting talent with the appointment of Emma Stoddart to partner.

Stoddart has 20 years of experience in audit and accounts, and continues in her role as head of audit in the North West, where she leads a team of more than 100 people.

Born on the Wirral, she has been based at the Liverpool office since joining as a trainee in 1998 and has a comprehensive understanding of the region’s business landscape and the opportunities available to clients.

Specialising in the growth of owner managed businesses, private limited companies and entrepreneurial clients, Stoddart has supported the development of number of the city’s high profile businesses, including the ACC Liverpool Group venues.

She said: “I look forward to continuing to lead our audit and accountancy offering in the North West. The investment and development in the region presents a great opportunity for businesses. At Grant Thornton we’re committed to helping our clients benefit from this vibrant economy.”

Carl Williams, Grant Thornton’s North West managing partner, said: “Emma’s appointment is in keeping with our ideology of developing, retaining and rewarding talent. Her promotion to partner is apt recognition of both her contribution to the firm and the professional expertise she offers Grant Thornton’s clients.”

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IAN McGillivary has been appointed as Commercial Director for Seddon’s North West housing division.

Chartered surveyor McGillivary joins the builder and developer from a similar post at social housing contractor Forrest, and brings more than 25 years’ experience working in the construction industry.

His new role will see him work alongside regional housing director Duncan Williams at the company’s North West offices in Bolton.

McGillivary said: “It is an exciting time to be joining Seddon. The company is synonymous in the social housing sector with delivering quality work. I am very excited to be working with Duncan and lead the team to even greater successes.”

Seddon has been working on housing projects across the region for the past 100 years and last year delivered more than £40 million worth of work for social housing providers.

Jonathan Seddon, Managing Director at Seddon, said: “Ian is a great addition to the strong housing team we have at Seddon. We have consistently won new contracts with both new and existing clients, and have been appointed to the sector’s major frameworks.”

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IT services company adept4 has bolstered its team, bringing on board seven starters since the beginning of the year.

The new appointments follow sustained growth for the Daresbury, Cheshire-headquartered company, which grew its team by 16 new starters last year, following a 30% rise in its contract base over the last 12 months.
   
adept4’s software development team has gained three new additions including Aizaz Shaikh and Fahad Anwar who have joined adding their considerable experience & knowledge to adept4. The firm has also appointed Joan Garcia who joins the business having previously worked for Col.legi Oficial de Metges in Barcelona, Spain.
 
The company has strengthened its design team with the recruitment of Mike Hodgkinson. He brings six years of sector experience to adept4 having worked across various IT roles in the public and private sector.

Adept4 has also appointed two new recruits to the Service Desk. Blaise Kabalu joins The University of Manchester where he worked as an IT Officer and Jack Filkin joins the firm from a role in IT support.

Harry Watts has also joined the firm as part of the QA’s Microsoft IT Apprenticeship programme. The apprenticeship scheme allows the next generation of technical leaders gain a vital experience with training in either Microsoft IT Systems and Networking or in Microsoft .NET Software and web development.

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LANDWOOD Group, the northern chartered surveyor, asset manager and auctioneer, has strengthened itsr machinery and business asset (MBA) team with the appointment of Ben Lynch.
 
Joining the Manchester office from Edward Symmons, now part of now LSH, Lynch will head up the group’s MBA division, operating across the country.

Mark Bailey, director of the Manchester-based Landwood Group, said: “This is a very significant appointment for us. Having spent more than 12 years in his previous role, Ben’s experience spans a remarkably wide range of business assets with a particular focus on corporate recovery cases. He is hugely respected in his field.

“The experienced Landwood team has an excellent track record in valuation and disposal of assets ranging from CNC machines, specialist chemical production, vehicles and aircraft, heavy engineering and construction equipment, all the way through to nursing homes.”

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LAW firm Shoosmiths has announced five new partners in the firm’s May promotions.

The new round of promotions now brings the national firm’s total number of partners to 146. They are joined by 18 new senior associates.

The new partners are: Hayley Saunders (regulatory) and Adele Hayfield (employment) who are based in Birmingham and real estate lawyers, Catherine Williams, Melissa Barker and Dan Monaghan, from the Milton Keynes, Northampton and Manchester offices, respectively.

The firm also welcomes new senior associates: Real estate lawyers Simon Pestell, Alexandria Jones, Heidi Brennan, James Brodie, Cara Beveridge, Laura Bloxham, Andrew Outram and Matthew Kemp; corporate lawyers made up to senior associate include Rachel Reeves and Nina Smith and banking specialist Suzanne Love; commercial lawyer Harriet Campbell has also been promoted, along with private client lawyers Anneliese Jones, Richard Bannister, Elaine Seamark, Chris Longbottom, Sarah Corser and Sara Smith.

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MANCHESTER-based property services firm Roger Hannah & Co has expanded its property management department by recruiting Paul Partington as director of property panagement.
 
Simon Cook, director of Roger Hannah & Co, said: “Paul is an experienced property manager and ideally suited to leading our property management business forward with his experience at both Capita and EP2.
 
“Our property management business is substantial and we are looking to further grow the department under Paul’s leadership.”

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ACCOUNTANCY firm Mitchell Charlesworth has appointed Jamielee Johnson as a new audit and accounts assistant manager at its Manchester office.

Johnson has specialist expertise with owner-managed companies and preparing statutory accounts for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and will manage a varied portfolio of around 100 clients including limited companies and charities of varying sizes.
 
Deansgate-based Mitchell Charlesworth partner Alison Buckley said the new appointment will bring greater strength and depth to the firm.

“Jamielee’s appointment comes at an excellent time for Mitchell Charlesworth,” said Buckley. “We have felt real momentum in 2016 and this latest appointment following a series of other new placements in our Widnes office.
 
“These new appointments form part of our strategic vision to train and develop high quality staff who perform in a range of disciplines across all offices. As a result, we can offer greater value for money in terms of range and depth of services compared to any other regional based accountancy practice.”

After moving to Jack Ross, in Manchester, as an Audit and Accounts Senior, six months later Ms Johnson was promoted to assistant manager, finally joining Mitchell Charlesworth as an audit and accounts assistant manager.

Having previously worked at smaller firms, Jamie has been involved in many aspects of accountancy services (audit, accounts preparation, personal tax, corporation tax compliance and planning, P11D, payroll, VAT compliance, management accounts and bookkeeping).

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AUDIT tax and consulting firm RSM has appointed audit specialist as a partner based at its Manchester office.
 
Alison Ashley joins RSM from an automotive specialist practice where she has been an audit partner for four years; following over 12 years working at PwC and two top ten practices. She has a wealth of experience, with a specific focus on advising owner managed businesses, from single sites to groups of over £400m turnover.
 
In her new role, she will provide regulatory, advisory and transactional support to a large portfolio of clients and will help to grow RSM’s audit practice in Manchester.
 
Amanda Sayle has also joined RSM’s tax practice from the same specialist practice as an associate director and brings more than years’ experience in corporate tax and tax planning to owner managed businesses.

The appointment follows extensive investment in the North West tax team, including international and large corporates tax partner Rebecca Reading joining the practice in Manchester and the recent partner promotions of James Morris and Tina Mullington in Preston and Stoke, respectively.

Eric Solomons, office managing partner at RSM in Manchester, said: “It’s great to have Alison and Amanda onboard. They both bring a wealth of experience and specialist technical and sector expertise that will support our clients to move forward. I am sure that their experience and credentials will further enhance our offering to clients and corporates in the North West.”

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SWINTON Insurance has appointed Louise Breed as its new head of engagement and internal communications.  
 
Breed was previously head of employee engagement at the Co-operative Group, with responsibility for driving employee engagement during a period of significant change at the mutual.  
 
She brings more than 15 years’ experience to the role, having previously held senior communications and engagement positions with national multi-channel retailers including Marks & Spencer and Co-operative Pharmacy.
    
Reporting to people director Hilary Burns, Breed is responsible for all employee communications and engagement programmes at Swinton.
 
Burns said: “Louise is a great addition to our leadership team.  She brings significant experience to the role and importantly fresh ideas from outside the insurance sector.”