People on the move: GVA; Meridian Business Support; Champion Accountants; Artez Group
Real estate adviser GVA has appointed Mark Baldwin as an associate in its North West offices team based in Manchester.
Having worked in the offices real estate market for more than 15 years, Baldwin’s most recent position was at PATRIZIA where he worked as a senior leasing and asset manager.
He brings considerable experience of the region’s offices market having previously worked for JLL, Lambert Smith Hampton and Colliers in London and in the North West.
Baldwin also has a strong, diverse background in asset management, development and commercial leasing, so is ideally placed to complement GVA’s North West offices team.
He joins Chris Cheap (regional senior director), Ian Steele (director), Jonathon Lowe (associate), Rhys Evans (surveyor) and Jenny Mallon (graduate surveyor).
Balwdwin has worked closely with several high-profile clients in both the public and private sectors, which include The Homes and Communities Agency, BBC, The Home Office, British Land and St Modwen.
Baldwin said: “I am very much looking forward to joining the North West team at GVA. Their client base and range of instructions are highly impressive. They are a forward thinking, dynamic company and I am keen to add value to their already established strong presence in the market.”
Cheap said: “I am delighted to add someone of Mark’s calibre to our North West Offices team.
“He offers a wealth of experience in the leasing and asset management arena having worked in both advisory and client posts. Mark’s appointment further demonstrates GVA’s commitment to providing the best service and advice in the industry.”
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North-West-based recruitment specialist Meridian Business Support has appointed industry heavyweight Derek Skelton as the managing director of its industrial business unit.
With more than 30 years’ experience in the staffing sector, Skelton joins Meridian from PMP Recruitment which he founded in 1991 and ran for 25 years as managing director.
He turned the start-up into a major national player that last year generated £330m in sales, by winning briefs with numerous national clients operating in the manufacturing, industrial, logistics and food processing sectors.
Skelton immediately joins Meridian’s board of directors and will be charged with expanding Meridian’s industrial division by developing a compelling sector business offer, expanding the branch network and working with the firm’s team of quality consultants to improve client service.
Mark Mitchell, chief executive, said: “We have bold plans to grow Meridian into a £300m business by 2021 and having conducted a strategic opportunity review – expanding our reach in the industrial sector is an absolute priority.
“With his track record of delivering business transformation and driving rapid growth, Derek’s skills and experience are precisely what we need to make our business goals a reality. The Meridian board is delighted to welcome Derek to the firm.”
Skelton said: “To me, Meridian has been the best kept secret in industrial recruitment – some would say a sleeping giant. The opportunity to grow our share of the industrial staffing market is huge so I leapt at the opportunity to work with Mark and the team.”
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Business advice specialist Champion Accountants has added two new members of staff, taking its Chester headcount to 16.
Sam Thompson, 29, from Penyffordd and Spencer Youd, 19, from Penymynydd have joined as audit and accounts senior and junior, respectively.
The two new additions will be responsible for accounts preparation for an extensive portfolio of some of the city’s leading businesses specialising in sole traders, partnerships, LLPs and limited companies.
AAT qualified Thompson boasts a decade of practice experience and joins the firm from a national accountancy and business practice where she worked as an accounts manager for six years.
Youd recently completed an AAT Level 2 Bookkeeping course at iCount Training in Chester, prior to which he studied A levels in Maths, Economics and History at Castell Alun High School in Hope.
Thompson said: “Champion has a great reputation, an excellent client base of local start-ups and SMEs and a clear ambition to grow which provides a brilliant place to work for career-driven individuals. This, and the practice’s friendly atmosphere is what attracted me to the role.”
Youd added: “I’m excited to join the team. Champion offers great training and I look forward to learning new things every day.”
Andrew Hopwood, director at Champion, concluded: “We’re thrilled to welcome Sam and Spencer on board. They will be a great asset to our office and the wider Group as Champion continues to go from strength to strength.”
Champion employs 110 staff across its offices in Blackpool, Preston, Manchester and Chester.
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Greater Manchester-based boutique construction specialist Artez Group has appointed five new members to its team following a record turnover in 2016.
The company has recorded a turnover of just over £9m, up more than 40% from 2015’s £6.3m.
Peter Hopley joins the company as group commercial director, while Mike Pickles has been appointed as commercial manager. In addition, Steve Porter joins Artez as site manager and Juan Dominguez is the latest quantity surveyor to join the team.
Emma Hadfield has also been appointed as finance assistant to support the senior management team in its growth plans.
Mike Banton, managing director, said: “2016 has been an incredible year for us. We’ve been involved in some truly iconic developments including Stubbs Mill in Manchester and The Dock 9 project at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, the latter of which we’re currently transforming into a stylish avant-garde restaurant and bar, The Alchemist.
The new recruits take Artez’s current number of staff to 27.
