Appointments: Elevation; Dow Schofield Watts; Ward Hadaway; Grafton Freestone

RECRUITMENT firm Elevation has created a specialist senior finance team, following an increase in the number of regional businesses looking to appoint at a senior level.

Joint managing director Greg Parkinson has branded the raft of internal appointments as a “response to the demand for quality candidates”, amidst an influx of requests from firms across the region looking to hire senior financial professionals up to group financial director level.

The team, led by Greg Parkinson and fellow joint MD Lee Bhandal, now boasts regional director Fran Lee, director Justin Barber, associate director Dean Outram, business manager Andy Bath and senior consultant Rob Simpson.

Parkinson said: “Not only are businesses now looking to hire more commercial, strategically minded senior finance professionals, but those professionals are demonstrating more confidence in the market by being open to that next career move.”

Elevation employs more than 25 advisors based in offices in both South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
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DOW Schofield Watts, the specialist corporate finance advisory and equity finance firm with an office in Leeds, has welcomed a new member of staff to its Yorkshire team.

Paul Herriott joins from Ernst &Young in Newcastle where has worked with a range of national and international clients across a number of sectors including transport, manufacturing and automotive.

He is a chartered accountant and has a degree in economics and a MSc in finance and investment from Durham University.

Herriott’s arrival takes professional staff numbers in Dow Schofield Watts’ corporate finance team across the North of England to 16.
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LAW firm Ward Hadaway has appointed a former senior human resources executive from transport giant Arriva as its new director of HR.

Lisa Davies joins the law firm, which has offices in Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle, after 12 years working at Arriva.

She said: “It’s an exciting time to join and I’m looking forward to contributing to the firms continued growth and success. The firm has an excellent reputation in a sector which is dealing with a lot of changes.”

Jamie Martin, managing partner at Ward Hadaway, said: “It is terrific to be able to welcome Lisa on board.

“Her experience and track record will prove invaluable to the firm as we continue to develop our vision of being a Northern law firm for national business.”

In the year to the end of April 2013, Ward Hadaway saw its annual turnover rise by 10% to a record £33m.

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GRAFTON Freestone, the installations specialist of growing interiors firm Richard Grafton Interiors, has hired interior designer Sarah McIntosh to join its 12-strong Harrogate team.

She joins having spent six years working with Summerbridge-based kitchen specialist Clarity Arts, and is the fifth interior designer to join the firm since its launch just 18 months ago.

As well as her experience in interior design, McIntosh also brings a wealth of computer aided design (CAD) experience.

The move is a return to her roots, as the young designer had her first job working with Richard Grafton in 2001, before going on to study Interior Design at Leeds College of Art & Design.