Appointments: DWF promotes five; CBRE boosts valuation team; and more

LAW firm DWF has made five senior promotions in its insurance team.

Tom Higson and Scott Smeaton have both been promoted to partner and Neil Irving and Nathan Jones to director at the firm’s Manchester base. Carole Chantler has also been promoted to director in the firm’s London team.

Higson joined DWF in 2000 and specialises in defendant personal injury litigation, while Smeaton joined in 2008 and heads the motor team.

Paul Berry, national head of insurance at DWF, said: “We are delighted to make these promotions to the insurance practice group which continues to grow, with tremendous support from our existing and new client base.

“DWF has seen excellent growth in recent years and the insurance team is no exception, producing 42% growth in the last two years with a total of just under 500 insurance specialists nationwide.

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CB RICHARD Ellis (CBRE) has bolstered its Valuation Advisory and investment consulting team with four senior promotions and two new appointments.

Nicky Dymock and Iain Selbie have been promoted to associate director, while Nick Mullins, who heads the team, has been promoted to senior director. Prina Shah has also been promoted to senior surveyor.

The firm has also appointed surveyors Nick Huddleston and John Dunlop from Mouchel and Capita Symonds respectively.

“The recruitment of John and Nick further strengthens our offering and ensures that we are extremely well placed to continue to deliver a first class service to our clients,” said Mullins.

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LAW firm Addleshaw Goddard has prmoted its current head of business development, Lance Sapsford, to the role of business development director.

“Lance has been leading the BD team extremely well since November 2009 and we are delighted to confirm his appointment as director,” said managing partner Paul Devitt.

“The team has a key role in our business, and, under Lance’s leadership, it will continue to help us thrive and demonstrate what is different about our offering.”
Sapsford has been with the firm since 2005, and has previously worked at BLP and KPMG.

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MANCHESTER-based lender Bridging Finance has appointed Jon Buckley as its new corporate development manager.

The short term funding company, which is part of Henry Moser’s Jerrold Holdings Empire, has recruited Buckley to its sales department to develop relationships with firms in the legal, accountancy and banking sectors. He has 30 years of experience in financial services, having worked for NatWest, RBS, Zurich and Alliance & Leicester Commercial.

Chris Baguley, managing director of Bridging Finance, said: “Jon has a wealth of experience working with medium to large corporate clients, advising on financial planning and lending solutions.  I’m confident he’ll make a significant impact at Bridging Finance.”

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YORKSHIRE bank has appointed Ian Fields as a business partner at its Liverpool Financial Solutions Centre.

Fields, who has over 15 years’ banking experience, has joined from Allied Irish Bank (GB) where was a relationship manager.

Andrew James, managing partner for Yorkshire Bank in Liverpool, said: “Ian has a deep knowledge and understanding of the many business considerations across many sectors and will be a real asset to the business banking team.”

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SIMMY Goldmeier has joined independent Manchester financial adviser Concerva as its first graduate trainee.
 
Goldmeier will be the first to go through Concerva’s Graduate Trainee Programme where he will learn all about the money management industry.

A graduate with a first-class BEng (Hons) degree from City University, London, Goldmeier worked for two years as an accountancy clerk at a firm in north Manchester prior to joining Concerva.

Concerva director Chris Williams said: “Simmy is a real ground breaker because while graduate trainee schemes are standard in other professions, in the world of financial planning they are extremely rare.”