People on the move: Together; Everton FC; Shop Direct; Freedom Finance
SPECIALIST lender Together, based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, has announced two further appointments to its leadership team.
Brian Jackson takes on the role of operations director for retail activity, whilst John Hunt (pictured) joins as chief risk officer in the retail division. 
This follows the announcement of Peter Ball as chief executive of retail, and completes the retail board.
Jackson previously worked for British Gas where he was director of credit and collections.
Hunt joins from Nationwide, where he spent six years in various senior risk and compliance roles, most recently leading a programme to redevelop the company’s enterprise risk management framework.
Chairman Mike McTighe said: “Since creating our new corporate governance structure we’ve made a number of high-profile appointments to create a really dynamic executive team that will drive the business forward.
“Brian and John each bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge in their areas of expertise, and we’re delighted to welcome them to Together as part of our formidable new leadership team.”
::
EVERTON Football Club have announced the appointment of Steve Walsh as director of football.
Formerly joint assistant manager and head of recruitment at Premier League champions Leicester City, he will take up his new role with immediate effect.
His strong reputation has been forged over many years, working as a part-time scout for Bury, Chester and for 16 years for Chelsea in the north of England while holding down a day job as head of physical education at successive comprehensive schools in Chorley, his home town.
He was elevated to a full-time role at Stamford Bridge as European Scout before being persuaded to join Newcastle and subsequently becoming a key member of Nigel Pearson’s staff at Leicester City and Hull City prior to returning to Leicester in 2011.
Following Pearson’s departure, he remained as Claudio Ranieri’s joint assistant manager and head of recruitment in the Foxes’ first title-winning season in their 132-year history.
During his career, he has been credited with scouting and recommending the signings of such players as Gianfranco Zola, Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante.
Everton chairman Bill Kenwright said: “It’s great news to welcome Steve to our new era at Everton Football Club. His track record, particularly at Leicester City, is already the stuff of football folklore, and both myself and Farhad, having spent time with Steve, are convinced he is exactly the right fit for our Club and our new manager, Ronald Koeman.”
Walsh said: “I’m proud and privileged to become director of football at such a fantastic and historic club. With a new manager and a new major shareholder, it feels very much like a new era here at Everton and that potential is what is most exciting.”
Manager Ronald Koeman said: “It’s really good for the club to have someone in Steve who has shown his quality in his job at a number of clubs over many years. That’s the experience and quality he will bring to us at a good time in the season.”
::
LIVERPOOL-based Shop Direct, the UK’s second largest pureplay online retailer, has announced its third data-focused senior appointment in under a month, bringing in McKinsey & Company junior partner Assi Gol to lead its customer intelligence teams.
Gol, who will take up the position of customer intelligence director in September 2016, will be charged with even further strengthening and accelerating the development of Shop Direct’s data-fuelled approach to ecommerce.
He will oversee the data science and data strategy teams, whose aims are to uncover insights that will improve and further personalise the user experience across the company’s Very.co.uk, Littlewoods.com and VeryExclusive.co.uk retail brands – helping Shop Direct on its journey to become a world class digital retailer.
::
LOAN platform Freedom Finance has further strengthened its senior team with Jeff Poole has joining as managing director of Freedom Consumer Finance and Zoe Cuthbertson as Freedom’s new head of marketing.
Both will be based at Freedom’s headquarters in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester.
Poole has worked in the financial services and payments marketplace for more than 25 years and brings a wealth of experience in the unsecured lending space.
Before joining Freedom Cuthbertson spent four years at BPP, a provider of professional and academic education and has also held various marketing positions at Shop Direct Group, a leading online retailer.
