People: Raft of promotions at law firm; New director at property development firm; Managing partner appointed at finance firm; and more
Leeds-based top 200 law firm, Shulmans LLP, has announced four associate promotions as part of its career development scheme ‘Forward with Shulmans’ (FwS).
FwS is open to all members of the firm, not just lawyers or senior managers. It was designed to provide all employees with a clear path to becoming an associate or partner. Mel Bulmer and Kirsteen McFadzean have been promoted in the Shulmans Business Support team; Nicky Morgan has been promoted in the Plot Sales team; and Lindsey Hodges has been promoted within the firm’s QCAS division, a leading provider of conveyancing services.
Morgan started her career with Shulmans 25 years ago as an office junior and is now Head of Plot Sales, leading one of the largest and most experienced specialist operations in the country. She manages the relationships with some of Shulmans’ largest clients, including UK top 20 housebuilders and developers. Her reputation within the industry has enabled the team to win a plethora of new work in recent years.
As Head of Business Development (BD), McFadzean leads the firm’s BD strategy and advises on engagement with both new and existing clients, ensuring that relationships are managed in a way that adds maximum value. She has created a team that manages a comprehensive programme of marketing activities which helps to position the firm in an increasingly competitive market place.
Hodges is a qualified licensed conveyancer and has a wealth of experience in residential conveyancing. As Quality and Technical Manager in the firm’s QCAS division, she is involved in managing some of the largest client and referrer relationships at the firm. Her work includes providing supervision and technical support to conveyancing teams as well as ensuring a high level of service and efficiency.
Since joining the firm in 2015, Bulmer, a qualified lawyer, has taken a leading role in developing business excellence and ensuring Shulmans’ regulatory obligations are satisfied. Her role is to identify areas where more efficient working practices can be introduced and then work with the appropriate teams to make the necessary changes. She has also worked to maximise the effectiveness of communications, through processes, systems and technology, including a centralised customer due diligence function and the implementation of GDPR requirements.
Rosemary Edwards, Partner and Chair of the Forward with Shulmans panel said: “We are delighted to announce these four promotions, all of which are well deserved. It is particularly pleasing to see the promotion of colleagues from a range of disciplines from across the firm. Each of these candidates has developed their career via a different route and this demonstrates how flexible our FwS scheme can be. All four of them have spent time nurturing and developing colleagues and passing on the knowledge and experience which they themselves have acquired.
“The success of Shulmans is testament to the strength of our people, and we appreciate the importance of developing individuals and rewarding the outstanding performance of the team. We hope that these recent achievements will inspire other colleagues to progress their own careers with Shulmans.”
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Property developer Newby has appointed Anthony Mackle as Director of Sales and Marketing.
Mackle spent almost a decade at regeneration specialist Urban Splash, before moving on to roles as Head of Sales at CITU and Group Sales Manager at The Parklane Group. His most recent position was Sales Director at Manchester-based Step Places.
Mackle, who lives in Harrogate, will direct the sales and marketing team, creating an engaging and consistent brand and seamless customer experience. Newby is primarily a residential property developer and is based at Newby Hall near Ripon. The company currently has developments taking place in and around Harrogate and Pateley Bridge, along with a high-profile 77-apartment development in the centre of York.
He said: “It was clear that Newby had some great developments underway and having visited them the quality and high specification of the homes was very apparent. Working on such great projects is always very appealing, especially when they are all so varied – from a converted mill in the Yorkshire Dales to a luxurious apartment building right in the centre of York. Newby is an ambitious company with an exciting period ahead, and I very much look forward to being an integral part of that.”
Nick Moody, co-owner of Newby, said: “Anthony’s passion for delivering the perfect customer experience, along with the many years of expertise he brings with him, made him the obvious choice for the role. We’ve got an extremely exciting year ahead with some incredible buildings in great locations. They’re all very different, so the challenge of delivering great results on each of these is the reason we needed someone with Anthony’s skill set and experience. It’s great to have him on the team.”
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Finance director and partner at Woodrow Mercer Finance, James Roach, has been appointed as managing partner of the 22-strong firm. In his new role, he will lead the rapidly expanding national finance search and selection consultancy that has its head office in Leeds, with predecessor Neil Muffitt becoming chairman.
Having held a wide range of FD roles since 2009, Roach initially joined FDYL, now part of Woodrow Mercer Finance, six years ago as a portfolio FD. He took on a full time position with the business a year later and helped to launch the consultancy’s recruitment division.
As well as managing the senior finance operation, he combines his FD consultancy work with ongoing recruitment assignments in the Yorkshire region.
After seven years as managing partner,Muffitt moves to the role of chairman. In addition to working with Roach to provide strategic oversight, he will continue to recruit and manage the firm’s team of portfolio FDs, and provide hands-on financial consultancy to businesses.
Muffitt said: “Having been part of FDYL since 2003 and then spent the last two years overseeing the merger of the firm with Woodrow Mercer and the subsequent expansion, the time is right to hand over the reins as we embark on the next stage in our development.
“James and I have worked closely over recent years and it’s exactly the right time to be placing the firm in James’ capable hands, while I will remain closely involved with the business at both a strategic and operational level.”
Roach added: “Neil has done a wonderful job of bringing the two firms together and has created a stable platform for our further growth. We’ve established a reputation as a consultancy run by experienced FDs which, therefore, has a genuine understanding of what clients need in their finance function, whether it’s a permanent finance director, a full-time interim or a part time FD or FC. Two years ago, we extended our services with the launch of a specialist division for more junior financial roles and we are now embarking on our next phase of expansion by opening a network of offices throughout the UK.”
Woodrow Mercer Finance currently has offices in Leeds, Birmingham and Nottingham, and there are plans for additional regional offices in the coming months.
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North Yorkshire estate agent, Alistair Hogben, has joined Dacre, Son & Hartley’s Wetherby office where he will manage the branch and busy sales team.
In his new role, Alistair will head up the Market Place office’s team, who handle residential sales and lettings throughout Wetherby and its surrounding towns and villages including Boston Spa, Collingham, Tadcaster, Spofforth, Sicklinghall, Bramham, Harewood, Scarcroft and Kirk Deighton. In addition, he will support Dacre, Son & Hartley’s Area Director Paul Baxter, who heads up the firm’s Harrogate office.
Alistair, who is a Member of the National Association of Estate Agents (MNAEA), brings a wealth of experience to the role after previously working as a Senior Residential Valuer at a national firm based in Harrogate and RM English in York.
He said: “Dacre, Son & Hartley is a long-established brand with an unrivalled reputation throughout the region for offering a high-quality service that is delivered with the utmost integrity. This is an excellent opportunity to join a busy office in a popular and sought-after part of Yorkshire, marketing everything from large country homes through to town centre apartments and cottages. I look forward to using my skills and experience to further enhance such a well-regarded and established business, at an exciting time of growth.”
Paul Baxter said: “Alistair has a strong track record working in the region’s estate agency industry and has an excellent local market knowledge, which makes him the ideal candidate to lead our Wetherby team. The office enjoys a strong market share throughout Wetherby and the surrounding villages along the A1 corridor and expanding our team will enable us to continue building on the level of service that we are renowned for, at a busy time for the firm.”
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Keith Madeley, known as Mr Yorkshire, has been appointed Head of Corporate Relations at Yorkshire Asian Business Association (YABA).
Sharon Jandu, MD Yorkshire Asian Business Association, said: “As head of Corporate Relations, YABA will receive the benefit of his wealth of experience in the corporate, not-for profit, charity and financial services sectors and in these troubled and divided times.
“Keith has an incredible passion for diversity and inclusion, his un-denying commitment for bringing communities together will be highlighted through this role.”
Madeley’s achievements include receiving an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list in 2011 for service to the communities of Yorkshire and his appointment as Lay Canon of Ripon Cathedral in 2013 for services to business and education. His most recent accolade in 2018 was being made an Honorary Fellow of Leeds Trinity University, for services to education and business.
He is also currently promoting a series of bestselling and award winning educational children’s books written by his wife, Chris, and has secured sponsorship and support from both regional and global companies enabling them to communicate effective messages to children.
