People on the Move: No Brainer; Lichfields; Forbes; Hilton Smythe
Cheshire PR, social media and content marketing agency, No Brainer, has bolstered its ranks with three new appointments as it targets further growth in 2018.
The firm has picked up several new contracts already this year and hopes to build on its recent success with a trio of new starters, including an account manager, account executive and an office manager.
Michelle Turner, 33, joins the team with more than 10-years’ experience in the industry having previously led the PR and marketing team at video games publisher Ripstone.
She takes up the position of account manager at the agency and will work across a range of B2B and B2C accounts.
Emily Craig has switched to the Cheshire firm having spent two years working in a similar role at a Manchester-based agency.
The 22-year-old from Warrington has a range of sector experience and will strengthen the agency’s PR and social media offering, working in an account executive role.
And Melissa Phillips, 36, has joined the business as an office manager.
Her previous roles include administration and project management with firms such as Iris Worldwide, the British Council and HCD Economics.
No Brainer director and co-founder, Lee Cullen, said: “Year-on-year we’ve successfully grown the agency by adding skills and expertise to our team at the right time. Welcoming three new members of staff at the same time shows our determination to continue that growth and each of them brings something completely different to the agency.”
No Brainer was founded by Gary Jenkins and Lee Cullen in 2015.
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The Manchester office of national planning and development consultancy Lichfields has appointed Melissa Wilson as a new senior planner.
Melissa joins from The Environment Partnership where she worked as a senior environmental planner.
A Chartered Town Planner and Chartered Landscape Architect (Management Division) with more than seven years’ consultancy experience,
Melissa has worked on projects across the UK.
Melissa Wilson
She has recently focused on infrastructure and residential planning schemes, and her background in landscape planning and management will add a new dimension to Lichfields’ Manchester office.
Melissa said: “I am delighted to be joining the county’s leading planning consultancy, and look forward to working with the Lichfields team.
“I hope the breadth and depth of my experience on multi-disciplinary projects, in both the private and public sector, and my technical skills in town planning and landscape architecture will support the office’s growth and development.”
Lichfields’ senior director, Simon Pemberton, head of the Manchester office, says that given Melissa’s experience and specialist skills she will be working predominantly on residential and logistics developments across the North West and West Midlands.
He said: “We are delighted to welcome Melissa to the team and look forward to utilising her unique skillset to benefit our existing clients.”
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North West legal firm Forbes has recruited two new associates to join its successful housing and regeneration (property) team.
Catherine Kennedy and Francesca James will work out of the firm’s Preston office, dealing with clients on a wide range of property-related transactions, including development transactions, acquisitions and sales, leases, licences, deeds of variation, utility agreements and title rectification.
Francesca James, left, and Catherine Kennedy
Catherine has more than 30 years’ experience in commercial property transactions of all types, including urban regeneration, NHS estate reconfiguration, public/private partnerships, funding and development schemes.
Francesca has a wealth of experience within the supported living sector and has also dealt with right to buy/right to acquire and staircasing transactions.
Stuart Penswick, Forbes’ head of housing and regeneration, said: “We are delighted to welcome Catherine and Francesca to our growing team which provides sector-leading specialist services to registered providers as we continue to build on our excellent reputation.”
The dedicated social housing team is one of just four law firms, regionally, to be ranked as Band 1 in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
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Hilton Smythe is expanding its leadership team by appointing award-winning sales manager Belinda Daniels to join its Bolton office.
The firm, which is based on Wood Street and has a staff of more than 40, supports clients looking to buy and sell businesses across the UK.
Belinda will be managing and supporting Hilton Smythe’s dedicated sales team.
Although new to the business sector, Belinda has been in retail all her working life, most recently managing different brands in a prestige department store within the Trafford Centre.
Ms Daniels said: “I love the sales environment, but anyone who has worked in retail will know it can be quite taxing on your work/life balance. It can mean a lot of late nights, working Christmas, and a lot of travel, and I felt that I was ready for a new challenge.
“The team at Hilton Smythe have been incredibly supportive in helping me pick up the ‘business broker’ skills, while I’ve been sharing the management and retail skills I’ve developed over the years. Every day is completely different, and I look forward to learning all the ins and outs of the business. I am loving the challenge.”
Gareth Smyth, group managing director at Hilton Smythe, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Belinda to the company. She brings with her a wealth of experience in the sales sector, and I know she has a lot to give to the role.”
Belinda Daniels
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