People: Law firm appoints head of real estate; New CEO for building society; and more

Law firm Irwin Mitchell has announced a new head of real estate for its Sheffield office.

Andrew Wallis joined Irwin Mitchell in 2011 and specialises in development projects from site acquisition through to exit strategies, in particular joint ventures and forward funding agreements.

He has a broad experience of all types of commercial property transactions and has also driven a number of major investment portfolio acquisitions and disposals. He has particular expertise in the Student Accommodation and Build to Rent Sectors being the lead advisor on the biggest student accommodation property deal in the whole of the UK in 2016 at £417.5m.

Wallis said: “Irwin Mitchell has a very strong reputation for real estate work and I am delighted, and being a Sheffield lad, particularly proud to be leading the team here in the city. I am fortunate to be leading an already great team of exceptionally talented people and really excited about our ambitions for growth. Clients are everything and continuing to deliver a first class client service is paramount to what we do.”

Earlier this month, Irwin Mitchell announced that its new national head of real estate, Adrian Barlow, had joined the firm. In August it also revealed that it had increased its turnover during 2016/17 by 6% compared to the previous year, taking revenue to £235m.

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Beverley Building Society has welcomed Karl Elliott as chief executive.

He comes to Beverley from financial services mutual OneFamily in Brighton, where he spent three years commuting from his home in Yorkshire, having previously worked for Harrogate based Engage Mutual for 15 years.

Elliott said: “I am delighted to join the team at Beverley Building Society, it appeared a fantastic opportunity from the start as its values of trust, honesty and empathy for customers are consistent with my own. I’m sure we can deliver a healthy combination of commercial success and social good by putting the needs of customers and their families first.”

“When looking to return to my roots in Yorkshire, Beverley Building Society was a fantastic fit for me; in good shape and with real potential to have more impact across the East Riding. It’s also great to see the Society working so closely within the community and supporting activities and charities that matter to our members.”

Brian Young, chair of Beverley Building Society, added: “This announcement concludes the Board’s thorough process to recruit Karl as our new leader. His skills and experience will very much complement our executive team, which includes deputy chief executive, Janet Bedford with a background as finance director and Mark Marsden as risk director. We are ideally positioned for the challenges that lie ahead.”

“In addition to his professional background, Karl is also keenly interested in the social and economic challenges of the community and the role our Society can play in supporting families across the region, something that sets us apart from many of the national institutions.”

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Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance has appointed John Gribbon as regional director, as the firm looks to increase its focus on the Yorkshire and North East region.

Gribbon joins from RBS Invoice Finance, where he spent 26 years in various senior leadership positions, including regional managing director in the North.

In his new role at Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance, he will be responsible for building the STB ‘brand’, identifying opportunities to support local SME businesses and the professional community with a view to building a local team in Leeds.

Gribbon said: “Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance has demonstrated its commitment to funding the UK’s SME community, and works in partnership with management teams and advisors to devise truly bespoke funding facilities. They have seen outstanding levels of growth since inception, making the firm one of the top 10 providers of asset based lending in the UK.

“I am looking forward to working with the professional community and businesses across Yorkshire and North East, and developing STB’s already strong reputation for delivery.”
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HSBC’s Leeds office has recruited two corporate banking relationship directors, Mark Watson and Jamie McCullough.

They bring more than 35 years of experience and knowledge of the banking sector, having both worked closely with the West and South Yorkshire business community in their previous roles.

The appointments further strengthen the corporate banking team across West and South Yorkshire, led by Mike Swift, following a period of strong growth.

Watson and McCullough will have responsibility for managing a portfolio of clients, with a particular focus on businesses with turnovers between £50m and £350m.

Swift said: “The West and South Yorkshire region is a thriving part of our corporate banking business and we are continuing to see strong growth from new and existing customers. As two of the best mid-market bankers in the region, we are delighted that Mark Watson and Jamie McCullough have joined our growing team. Their appointments are a demonstration of our continued desire to invest and develop our full corporate banking proposition in the region.”

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