People: Cattaneo joins AIM company board; Partner appointments for law firm; Accountancy firm adds to audit team; and more
Charles Cattaneo has joined the board of Westminster Group to support the security business’s plans to grow into a “substantial international security services company”.
The business, which is listed on the Alternative Investment Market, supplies managed security services and technology-based security solutions to governments, agencies and large corporates.
Cattaneo is the founder of Cattaneo Corporate Finance and is currently chairman of the West Midlands Regional Advisory Group of the London Stock Exchange.
He will take over as chair of Westminster Group’s audit and risk committees.
Cattaneo said: “This is an exciting time to join Westminster Group, I look forward to serving on the Board making a significant contribution to corporate governance and supporting the board’s strategy to make Westminster a substantial international security services company in the infrastructure sector.”
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Victoria Baker, Beth King-Smith, Robert Rice and Chris Mayers
Midlands law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys has strengthened its hand with the appointment of four new partners.
Corporate lawyer Robert Rice and wills, trusts and estate expert Victoria Baker join the firm’s Thames Valley office, while Chris Mayers’ experience in employment and professional negligence claims boosts the Wye Valley team. Meanwhile Beth King-Smith takes on the leadership of the firm’s contentious probate team in Worcester.
Richard Knight, the firm’s senior partner, said: “Our growth has always followed client demand and so it is now – we are always ready to take on talented people who can offer our clients the standard of expertise and care that we expect. We are delighted that Robert, Victoria, Chris and Beth have joined us and we look forward to working with them.”
Harrison Clark Rickerbys has 480 staff and partners based at offices in Worcester, Cheltenham, Birmingham, Hereford, the Wye Valley, the Thames Valley, Cambridge and central London.
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Magma Chartered Accountants has welcomed Matt Norris to its Rugby office as manager within the audit team.
Norris brings with him significant experience, based on a background at Grant Thornton and over nine years of experience working in both business services and audit.
He has gained experience working with owner managed businesses and clients in the charity sector.
Vicki Craig, audit partner, said: “Matt is very well regarded and respected in the marketplace as an auditor and adviser. He will be a great asset to the team in our expanding Rugby office.”
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Darren Hodson, corporate finance partner at Smith Cooper, has been elected to the board of ART Business Loans (ART).
Based at Innovation Birmingham Campus, ART lends between £10,000 and £150,000 to businesses across the West Midlands unable to access any or all of the finance they need from the banks.
It is governed by a Board of nine volunteer directors plus chief executive Dr Steve Walker.
Walker said: “We are delighted that Darren has joined the board. His background in accountancy and expertise in business finance and strategy fit perfectly with ART’s current needs. His experience of raising finance will be particularly valuable as we seek new sources of funding in 2019 and beyond, enabling us to increase the number of businesses we are able to support with responsible loan finance.”
Hodson added:“I am passionate about supporting businesses across the Midlands and ART plays an important role in providing access to funding for small business locally. I am looking forward to playing my part in supporting ART’s growth and development in the years ahead; helping to raise awareness of the important kind of finance it offers to businesses and the particular benefits it provides to investors.”
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Responsible Finance, the organisation representing the UK’s growing ethical and affordable finance industry, has appointed Paul Kalinauckas as its chair.
Kalinauckas is CEO of Wolverhampton-based BCRS Business Loans, a finance provider which he co-founded in 2002 after a career leading and launching a number of businesses.
Responsible Finance providers, also known as community development financial institutions, lend to financially excluded individuals and to viable businesses and social enterprises turned down by mainstream banks.
“I’m delighted to take up the challenge of this role,” said Kalinauckas.
“This is a critical turning point for responsible finance as an industry. We know community development finance works, and our sector has been successfully lending to otherwise-excluded businesses, individuals and social enterprises, at affordable rates, for over 20 years.
“There is widespread demand for more responsible finance than our members can provide – and even for more providers in our sector. Over the last two decades our members have built the infrastructure to serve their markets, creating jobs, resilience and opportunities in communities across the UK, including many of the most deprived.
“Our biggest overall challenge is access to affordable capital to lend on and to meet demand.
“Responsible Finance itself is the vital link between a network of specialist finance institutions, embedded in their local communities, and policy-makers and strategists.
“It is a vibrant body with a strong network of members, and is the leading source of information and learning about the provision and impact of ethical and affordable finance.
“20 years of evidence shows that responsible finance works. Our sector is entrepreneurial, innovative and ambitious to grow and continues to pursue a range of sources of capital investment, including through Government.”
Kalinauckas will continue in his role as CEO of BCRS.
