People: mfldirect; Browne Jacobson
mfldirect has appointed Theo Kortland to manage its new vehicle refurbishment centre in Coalville.
Kortland joins the company from Cazoo, where he was UK chief of production, and brings 25 years’ automotive industry experience to the role, including a stint in the hot seat at Smart Fleet Solutions.
As managing director, he will oversee the redevelopment of the 22-acre site in Leicestershire into a state-of-the-art vehicle conditioning centre, doubling mfldirect’s capacity to assess, image and refurbish vehicles.
Kortland said: “I’m delighted to be joining mfldirect at such an exciting time for the business. My ambitions for the site reflect the ethos and values of mfldirect and what the company aims to achieve for its customers. This includes offering the latest innovations in repair technology and delivering great quality vehicles with minimal impact on the environment.
“As a people-centric business, creating a safe and exciting place to work will be a top priority, with a strong focus on training, empowerment and nurturing excellence.”
Damian Oton, managing director – fleet at mfldirect, said: “Having worked with Theo for many years, I know that his analytical approach to the industry balanced with a real passion to do the right thing for the customer is an ideal fit for mfldirect. His experience in leading the Smart Fleet Solutions team and more recently at Cazoo gives him a great perspective to bring our ambitious plans for the Coalville site to life.”
Browne Jacobson has appointed ten aspiring lawyers to its trainee scheme for 2022-2024.
The new recruits add to the 36 trainees already in place at the Nottingham-based law firm, bringing the total number of trainee solicitors at Browne Jacobson to a company record 46.
Three of the new cohort will be based in Nottingham, while the remaining seven trainees will join the firm’s offices in Birmingham, London and Manchester.
Browne Jacobson’s new trainees
In recent years Browne Jacobson has put diversity and inclusion at the heart of its trainee recruitment programme, leading to it being named the UK’s number one social mobility employer.
Richard Medd, managing partner at Browne Jacobson, said: “To welcome another 10 trainee solicitors to the firm, in addition to the 16 that joined us only in March and our other future lawyers speaks volumes of the vast growth and strength of our business in the last 12 months.
“As usual, the standard of the applications we received was exceptional and the amount of interest we received from some really talented candidates was overwhelming. We are so pleased that our national reputation for diversity and social mobility, inclusive culture and the quality of work we are delivering continues to attract such a diverse range of high-quality individuals, both regionally and nationally.
“Each of our future lawyers bring with them an ambitious, fresh and creative approach that will perfectly complement the vibrancy of our business and support our firm’s O Shaped values and commitments. We know they are the right people to support our strategy to make a positive difference across business and society. They will be able to thrive in a firm that presents multiple opportunities for real development and a firm that empowers its junior lawyers to lead.”
