People and personalities of 2009

2009 saw a number of high profile comings and goings at leading North West businesses and organisations.

The North West Development Agency finally got its new chairman, Robert Hough, who replaced the ubiquitous Bryan Gray at the helm of the region’s largest Quango.

Mr Hough, a lawyer by trade, made his name as one of John Whittaker’s most dependable lieutenants at property giant Peel Holdings – and is widely respected throughout the North West business community as an strong facilitator and safe pair of hands.

At Peel, after four years as chief executive Andrew Simpson’s departure was revealed in October.

The former Rothschild dealmaker is understood to be seeking opportunities in the private equity sector will long be remembered for his successful but abrasive anti-congestion charge campaign during 2008.

Having led and implemented an overhaul of the Peel portfolio – which includes the Trafford Centre, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Mersey Docks, MediaCity and windfarms, Mr Simpson considered his work there to be completed.

No review of the people and personalities of 2009 would be complete without mention of the extraordinary events at listed retailer JJB Sports.

The Wigan-based company – which narrowly escaped administration – saw the departure of chief executive Chris Ronnie in January, originally suspended and then dismissed.

After a turbulent year, the group, under the temporary leadership of retail veteran Sir David Jones, has finally steadied the ship, selling its gyms division for £80m, going through a CVA, raising £!00m through a rights issue.

The new year will see JJB move forward under the leadership of Keith Jones, who has been lured from the owner of Curry’s, DSG.

While the JJB saga rumbled on all year, there was an almighty fall-out at stockbroker WH Ireland, where former CEO Laurie Beevers and long-term side-kick David Youngman were ousted after a major bust-up with a new management team. 

Holidaybreak, the listed Cheshire tour operator also lost its chief executive this year – with the highly regarded and ambitious Carl Michel quitting in July to seek a new challenge.

The multi-lingual executive believes his future career opportunities may lie outside the UK and expressed concern over the 50p tax rate introduced by the Government for high earners.

Heejae Chae meanwhile was ousted as chief executive at Warringon-based Volex in March before returning to the North West business scene in September at Tameside-based technical tapes manufacturer Scapa.

Mr Chae, who joined as executive director, is expected to replace out-going chief executive Calvin O’Connor when he retires at the end of this year.

In the professional services sector, Paul Lee, one of the powerhouse legal figures in the North West, said this month he would step down as chairman of leading law firm Addleshaw Goddard.

Mr Lee, a hugely-respected figure in the North West, has enjoyed huge success in transforming Manchester firm Addleshaw Sons and Latham into a national practice thanks to mergers with Leeds firm Booth and Co and more recently City firm Theodore Goddard.

While Mr Lee’s decision to begin winding down after a near 40-year legal career was not a great surprise, shockwaves were made by another legal departure, that of Simon Woolley from DLA Piper.

Mr Woolley, 42, a banking partner at DLA Piper, and managing partner of the Manchester office for three years, unexpectedly quit lin October and was replaced by litigator David Gray.

Mr Woolley is thought to be seeking an executive role outside the legal sector and his next move will be keenly anticipated.

The region was left to mourn three great characters of the business world, with the deaths of former Grant Thornton managing partner Graeme Whittaker, retired Stanley Group chief Lord Leonard Steinberg and Stockport businessman David Hopkins.

Mr Whittaker died from cancer weeks after retiring and his passing drew warm tributes from friends and colleagues.

Lord Steinberg – a tower of the Greater Manchester Jewish community – died suddenly in London, having travelled to the capital to attend a vote in the House of Lords.

Mr Hopkins meanwhile, a huge advocate of international business and an active member of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, succumbed to cancer after a long battle against the disease.