On the move: the latest East Midlands hires
Ashby-based alternative lender ThinCats has appointed James Pepper as executive director of client services.
Pepper brings over 20 years’ banking and capital markets experience to the firm having previously held senior leadership roles at Lloyds TSB, RBS, Barclays and HSBC.
He will take responsibility for ThinCats’ Transaction Management and Client Services teams.
Pepper will join ThinCats from Alvarez & Marsal, where he serves as a senior director, in February 2023.
ThinCats CEO Amany Attia said: “I am delighted that James is going to be joining ThinCats’ senior leadership team. We have ambitious plans to scale our business over the next few years and James will have a key role in helping to achieve this. We are at an exciting stage in our growth trajectory and it’s testament to our progress in recent years that we can attract people of James’s calibre in our mission to deliver better funding solutions for mid-sized SMEs across the UK.”
Pepper added: “I am very pleased to be joining ThinCats early next year. ThinCats is leading the way in providing access to funding in an area of the market that has been underserved for many years. I look forward to using my skills and experience to help deliver an excellent service to the increasing number of corporate finance advisers and borrowers that are choosing ThinCats as their preferred funding partner.”
Fantasy games manufacturer Games Workshop has capped an “astonishing” period of growth with the appointment of a new non-executive chair.
John Brewis, who has served as an independent non-executive director of Games Workshop since 2018, will take on the role from 1 January 2023.
He replaces Elaine O’Donnell as chair of the company.
Games Workshop told the London Stock Exchange it will look to appoint a new senior independent director and chair of its remuneration committee, as well as a new non-executive director, “in due course.”
Earlier this year the Nottingham firm reported revenues of £414.8m – up from £369.5m the previous year – while its pre-tax profits leapt from £150.9m to £165.5m.
Balance: Wealth Planning has added a new face to its team in West Bridgford.
Declan Gamble
Declan Gamble will work alongside four other financial planners at the firm to deliver holistic advice to clients.
Gamble, who specialises in income tax strategies, said: “I was drawn to Balance as it felt like they were trying to break the stigma of financial planning being product lead and heavily focused on acquiring client’s assets rather than providing holistic financial advice.
“It was clear from the first chat I had with Rebecca that Balance: Wealth Planning is built on a culture of focusing on the client’s goals and really getting to understand what they want to achieve in their lives over the short and long-term and then using financial planning solutions to help them get there. It was also clear that there is a genuine team spirit at Balance rather than the old-style structure of silos of many smaller advice firms working under one roof with little communication between teams.”
Rebecca Aldridge, managing director of Balance: Wealth Planning, added: “[Declan] is a great fit for the business and our team, as he shares the same values when it comes to holistic planning and caring for our clients. Declan joining the Balance family adds another layer of expertise to our already highly skilled team as the business continues to grow.”
