People: Domis; Primas Law; H&H Insurance Brokers; Project Solar; Assetz Capital; Harrison Drury; Ashfield HR
Construction company, Domis, has revealed that Kingsley Thornton has become managing director, with immediate effect, following the retirement of co-founder and managing director, Lee McCarren, after seven years of service.
With Kingsley’s help, Lee McCarren has steered Domis’s fast growth since the company’s formation in 2017. To date, Domis has delivered more than 5,000 new homes and a full portfolio of commercial spaces across dozens of schemes around the UK.
Succession planning at Domis has been under way for some time. Kingsley Thornton is unanimously agreed by all members of the board to be Lee’s natural successor to take Domis into its next phase of growth, supported by the experienced management team that Lee has put in place.
Lee McCarren said: “It has been a huge honour to serve as managing director of Domis for seven years and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a team in that time. The time is, however, now right for me to think about life beyond Domis and enjoy what comes next for me and my family.
“The business couldn’t be in a better position and I am delighted to hand over the reins to Kingsley under whose stewardship I am certain Domis will continue to build inspiring new schemes and delight clients across the UK.”
Kingsley Thornton said: “Lee has been a fantastic leader, mentor and friend to me over the last few years and, speaking on behalf of all of the Domis team, we thank him for his commitment to building our business and pushing us to be ambitious and successful.
Now as managing director of Domis, I am looking forward to taking the business forward into a new phase, building on the success Lee and I enjoyed together as we deliver more high quality schemes in places around the UK where new homes are in shortest supply and highest demand.”
Simon Ismail, managing director of Manchester developer, Salboy, said: “Together with Fred Done, Salboy’s founder and biggest supporter, I want to thank Lee McCarren for the enormous contribution he has made not only to the Domis business but to the skylines of Manchester, Salford and many other cities across the UK.
“Lee has been a fantastic leader who has built a hugely capable and ambitious team at Domis who have a proven track record of executing to the highest standards on each and every scheme they take on. Kingsley has the board’s full support and confidence to continue in Lee’s footsteps.”
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Clare Brookfield
Fast-growing corporate and commercial law firm, Primas Law has appointed Clare Brookfield as the firm’s new Business Development Manager to help lead on bolstering growth and elevate the company profile across the North West.
Clare brings more than a decade of experience working across various businesses and sectors and joins from the networking organisation, Professional Liverpool where she was the Head of Engagement.
Leveraging her extensive connections from across the region, Clare will work with Primas to enhance and build its profile and reputation, providing strategic input into the firm’s ongoing impressive growth trajectory.
Clare said: “This is a role I am so excited to make my own, especially within such a dynamic and fast growing firm. It’s clear that Primas is committed to providing clients with exceptional service, and I’m looking forward to working with the team across our three locations to further grow our presence.”
Managing Partner, Adam Kerr, said: “Welcoming Clare to the Primas team is a great step forward for us as we continue to pursue our significant growth plans. Clare’s extensive experience and impressive network will be invaluable in raising our profile and attracting the right clients to help us grow.
“I am also really looking forward to working with Clare in developing the firm’s strategic plans for growth.”
Primas Law is a specialist corporate and commercial law firm specialising in employment, real estate and construction, insolvency, litigation and corporate and commercial, with offices in Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire and London.
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Kally Shane
A former trainee has been made a director of the company where she started work 14 years ago.
Kally Shane has been promoted to Operations Director at Carlisle-based H&H Insurance Brokers (HHIB), which operates across the North of England, the Scottish Borders and Wales.
Kally has risen through the ranks since joining HHIB as a trainee account handler in February 2010 and will now take a senior strategic role in the business alongside Managing Director Paul Graham.
Kally said: “It’s a real honour to be made a director. I’ve been given so many opportunities to develop my career and this is definitely the culmination of those years of working towards an ultimate goal.”
Kally completed her industry qualifications within two years of joining HHIB and was promoted to Account Handler Supervisor in 2015. She was made Operations Manager in 2018 before moving to Head of Operations two years later.
In 2022, she was one of only a handful of applicants from across the UK to be selected for a prestigious industry training programme run by insurance giant Aviva. As part of the Future Leader Programme, Kally regularly travels to Aviva’s offices in London for training with industry experts and leaders, and attends national conferences and events, alongside her day job. She is due to complete the two-year course in October.
Paul Graham said: “Kally’s enthusiasm, expertise and experience are a huge asset, and her well deserved promotion to director level was a natural step on her career path.”
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Tom Armstrong
Project Solar, the UK’s biggest solar panel installer, has appointed Tom Armstrong as its new Managing Director.
Armstrong, who has worked at Tameside-based Project Solar for more than a decade, most recently as Group Sales Director, will also be responsible for the commercial solar and battery division across Project Better Energy, Project Solar’s parent company.
The appointment follows investment into Project Better Energy from private equity firm, Freshstream, late last year, and is an integral part of its growth strategy as it sets its sights on new targets in both the residential and commercial markets.
Having adopted a whole-home renewables approach to take his own 150-year-old farmhouse to 2050 net-zero building standards, Armstrong is a firm advocate for the renewables industry and is passionate about helping more people realise the benefits.
He said: “I’m really proud to be leading Project Solar on our next chapter as we aim to consolidate our position as the UK’s top solar installer. My vision is for every homeowner in the UK to seriously consider solar panels. This means we’re on a mission to ensure that everyone fully understands the finance options available to them, and the financial benefits of installation.”
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Mark Roberts
Assetz Capital, the Manchester-based funder in the SME commercial property and residential development markets, has confirmed that Mark Roberts has joined to lead the growth of its development finance arm. While Mark’s role is national, his remit will also focus on the expanding North West market, enabling Assetz Capital to build on its £232m of lending already secured in the region.
Mark joins from LDS Sales Guarantees, where he was also their Relationship Director. He rejoins the business having previously been a Relationship Director at Assetz Capital for more than three years.
Andrew Charnley, Assetz Capital Managing Director, said: “The North West remains a core market for Assetz Capital given our location and long standing commitment to house building. With the ongoing demand for housing nationally and in the North West not being met, with over 21,000 homes stuck in planning, it is important that we play our part in the cycle by providing access to liquidity for SME developers at the pace and reliability they deserve.”
He welcomed Mark back, saying: “As a proven leader in the development finance space, his expertise and market knowledge will enable us to continue to grow our footprint both nationally and in the North West, as we look to hit our £300m lending milestone in the North West.”
Mark Roberts said: “It is great to be back at Assetz where I can use my expertise to sculpt development deals in a way that suits both borrowers and brokers’ needs. With the depth of liquidity and experience within the Assetz team, this is an exciting time to be back with the business to help grow our development book further.”
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From left: John Chesworth, Paul Brook, Sean Gibbs
North West law firm, Harrison Drury, has retained experienced barrister Paul Brook as a consultant to provide additional support to clients in resolving disputes.
Paul, who has been a barrister for more than 35 years, will support Harrison Drury’s commercial and property litigation teams, enabling the firm to provide clients with access to external counsel at an early stage.
He will advise clients on disputes involving commercial contracts, property and construction, and shareholder and partnership matters, as well as with issues arising from insolvency. He has a particular interest in disputes arising from the breach of directors’ duties.
John Chesworth, executive chairman at Harrison Drury, said: “We’re always looking for ways to improve client service. Bringing Paul in is a strategic move that deepens our expertise and further enriches the quality of advice we give to our clients.”
Sean Gibbs, head of Harrison Drury’s commercial litigation team, said: “Working closely with our solicitors, Paul will act as a valuable external counsel, providing an independent voice to guide clients through court procedures. Ultimately, this is about working efficiently and effectively as a team on behalf of clients to resolve disputes in the clients’ best interests.”
Paul said: “My approach is one of principled negotiation of outcomes in the best interests of clients, taking account of commerciality, the prospects of success and the client’s objectives. I’m excited by this new consultancy role because it offers the firm and its clients specialist barrister support much earlier in the process of a dispute, meaning we explore all the options for resolution and, hopefully, get to a favourable outcome quickly.”
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Lucy Smith – Ashfield
Lucy Smith has joined Ashfield HR as Senior Human Resources Consultant based at Alderley Park.
Her role spans the diverse range of HR services that Ashfield offers, but she is primarily involved in training and developing managers.
Ashfield is an experienced HR consultancy working predominantly with small and medium businesses (SMEs).
It was set up by Faye Briffa after a 20 year career in HR working primarily in the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Lucy previously worked as Head of People and Growth for Doodledo Ltd, the film and animation company based in Manchester where her job responsibilities includes employee life cycle, strategic leadership, learning and development, appraisals and performance reviews, change management and conflict resolution.
