People: Promotion at Grant Thornton; Energy firm grows senior management team; and more

Grant Thornton has promoted Debbie Watson to audit associate director in its Yorkshire office as it celebrates new client wins.

The not-for-profit specialist steps up from her role as senior audit manager to lead Grant Thornton’s not-for-profit work in Leeds and provide support for the Sheffield office.

Watson will focus on expanding Grant Thornton’s existing portfolio. She has already secured the audit of Yorkshire Housing, Leeds’ largest housing association, and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, on behalf of the firm.

Watson said: “Grant Thornton is a fantastic firm to work for and one which puts investment into understanding its clients and people development. I’m excited to build on our not-for-profit offering in Yorkshire as we continue to shape a vibrant economy in the UK; one which brings together all sectors.”

Andy Wood, managing partner, Grant Thornton Yorkshire, said: “We would like to congratulate Debbie on her promotion and look forward to seeing the results of her leadership in growing the business. We are confident Debbie’s expertise in this sector will help to strengthen our market position in the region.”

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Utility management specialist Orchard Energy has made a trio of appointments to its senior management team.

The changes follow the appointment of Amar Hussain as managing director of the business in April, and further underline Orchard Energy’s plans for future expansion.

Orchard Energy is headquartered in Elland, West Yorkshire, and has regional offices in Glasgow, Cardiff, Bristol and Newcastle.

Lucia Harney-Dey, who was previously associate director for new business (North), has been appointed to the role of I&C development director, and will be responsible for driving sales and growth across the business, while heading the new business team.

Nohman Ali, who joined Orchard Energy in May 2013 as an energy consultant, before becoming a senior energy consultant and then head of renewals and retention, has been appointed to the role of client services director.

In his new role, Ali will be responsible for driving company revenue through client retention and renewals, and will head the renewals team and bureau services team, which plays a vital role in client retention and aftercare.

Commercial manager for water, Chris Quinn, has been appointed to the role of commercial director for water.

Quinn will be tasked with developing and growing Orchard Energy’s water department, driving business development and managing client retention.

Harney-Dey, Ali and Quinn join financial director Simon Worrall, operations director Collette Watts and managing director Hussain on the Orchard Energy board.

Orchard Energy managing director Amar Hussain, said: “This trio of appointments to the senior management team further underpin our ambitions as a business, and I’d like to congratulate Lucia, Nohman and Chris on their new roles.

“All three of them have progressed through the business and so bring with them a wealth of experience from within the energy industry, and an acute understanding of the opportunities that lie ahead for Orchard Energy.”
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Des Woodbine

East Yorkshire-based HMRC-handling and tax dispute specialist Independent Tax has appointed a VAT associate to offer its clients expert guidance on VAT-related cases and enquiries.

Des Woodbine has joined the business from HMRC, where he worked for 13 years. He also brings a wealth of additional transferable skills to the post after spending the early part of his career as an insurance underwriter responsible for assessing levels of risk.

Gary Brothers, managing partner of Independent Tax, said: “Des is the latest in a series of new appointments that we’ve made during the last year and he’s a fantastic addition. The business is growing fast and we’ve built a team with expertise in a number of key areas. With his specialist VAT knowledge, Des definitely brings a whole new dimension to the business.”
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A multi-million-pound fabrication business has announced expansion plans as well as welcoming a new production director.

Leeds Welding Company (LWC), which currently employs more than 100 people, is celebrating year on year growth by investing in several areas, including the acquisition of a new building in Leeds.

The new 33,000 sq ft building will house new dedicated sub-contract robotic welding cells. This will increase production capacity for fabricated assemblies as well as creating several jobs.

The announcement came as the company welcomed chartered engineer Ian Verity as production director.

He said: “I am really looking forward to working with Leeds Welding, this is a fantastic company that has seen year on year growth and are now investing money back into the local economy with this new building which will be ready by the end of 2017.

“I’ve joined the business at a time of huge development and investment and there is a lot to do to make sure that the logistics and systems have a flow that will capitalise on the investment and make the business really fly.”

Coupled with the experience of launching new IT systems Ian has extensive experience in setting up production facilities utilising Lean principles to implement new factory layouts focused on improved flow of components.

Richard Eaglen, managing director at LWC, said: “This is great news for Leeds Welding, we are very pleased to welcome Ian to the company and to be making this investment in our business. By changing the factory layout and implementing modern manufacturing techniques we are able to manage our growth more effectively and ensure that our operational efficiency continues to improve.

“This is a huge investment for us and is a direct result of our strong business growth. The new building will give us the opportunity to expand our workforce to ensure that our high customer service standards are maintained.

“We employ highly skilled people in all aspects of fabrication from design to delivery of goods ensuring we offer value for money and great customer service. We will continue to invest in equipment and technology to ensure that we stay at the leading edge of our industry, maintaining our reputation for quality products with a service to match.”

The new site is an addition to the 67,000sq ft that LWC currently operates from.