People: DLA Piper makes partner promotion; Reed Boardall announces MD of transport division; and more

DLA Piper has promoted Sheffield-based litigation and regulatory lawyer Alastair Clough to its partnership.

Clough’s wide practice covers environmental, health and safety law and product safety as well as compliance matters.  He has particular expertise in contaminated land and waste management issues, in assessing and allocating environmental liability risk in transactions and in handling sensitive product safety scenarios.

Petra Billing, DLA Piper’s office managing partner in Sheffield, said: “I would like to congratulate Alastair on his promotion. He is a brilliant lawyer and I look forward to seeing his continuing contribution in the years to come. This promotion is a testament to DLA Piper’s commitment to South Yorkshire and the wider region, by supporting our growth and developing our people.”

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Temperature controlled storage and distribution business Reed Boardall has appointed Graeme Richardson as managing director of its transport division.

With expertise in operations management, logistics and supply chain management, Richardson joins from National Holidays where he was a director.  Previously, he spent five years with Tesco in a variety of roles including as area distribution manager for the North and as primary manager – national rail operations.

Prior to that, he was regional planning manager with Eddie Stobart for almost five years.

Marcus Boardall, deputy chief executive, said: “With his strong track record in transport and experience of working within the retail sector, Graeme will bring fresh insight to our transport operation.  He will be focussing on finding new opportunities and helping us to be even better at what we do.  Working alongside Andrew Baldwin, managing director of our cold storage division, we have a great team in place to take the business forward.”

Commenting on his appointment, Richardson said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to move back into transport and to work for one of the leading refrigerated logistics companies in the UK.  I’m really looking forward to being part of a family business where I can make a real difference.

“Reed Boardall offers a unique proposition.   With 25 years of experience behind it, it has evolved to meet customers’ changing needs and provide a reliable, integrated cold storage and transport solution.  Despite turbulence in the sector, it has remained steady and I believe we have a great opportunity to build on our position of strength.”

Reed Boardall is one of the largest temperature controlled food distribution businesses in the UK, storing and delivering frozen food from manufacturers across Britain and Europe. It employs more than 750 staff at its single site in Boroughbridge.
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Leeds-based construction fit out firm Morris & Spottiswood has appointed a new business development manager.

Former AECOM business development manager Martyn Howie joins the firm with extensive experience within multinational construction and engineering sectors. His new role will involve targeting fit-out, housing, mechanical and electrical (M&E) and maintenance contracts around Morris & Spottiswood’s regional hubs in Leeds and Warrington.

Morris & Spottiswood CEO Jon Dunwell said Howie joins at an exciting time for the £80m turnover business which employs circa 400 people. He said Howie will “fill a void” in the firm’s sales arsenal providing greater reach across counties including Yorkshire, Lancashire, Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland.

“We are very pleased to welcome Martyn into the Morris & Spottiswood team,” said Dunwell. “Having worked for the likes of Fortune 500 listed AECOM, as well as local and national architectural practices, he has precisely the sort of background we require to achieve our growth targets. Martyn comes with in-depth understanding of engineering, design, consulting, construction, and management services for a wide range of clients.

“He will be playing an important role developing our business right across the north of England, reaching further and deeper than we have gone before. We see huge potential to grow in the Yorkshire region surrounding our Leeds site, which has become a major hub in the last 12 months following significant investment.”