People on the move: Equilibrium Asset Management; Hill Dickinson; Cushman & Wakefield; RSM; Harrison Drury
People on the move: Equilibrium Asset Management; Hill Dickinson; Cushman & Wakefield; RSM; Harrison Drury
Equilibrium Asset Management has bolstered its headcount just weeks after being named as the fifth best small company to work for by The Sunday Times.
Carl Hayes, Laura Stewart, Clare Hamilton, Charlene Love and David West have all been hired as client managers by the Wilmslow, Cheshire-headquartered chartered wealth management company.
It means Equilibrium now boasts a team of 63 experts and also follows on from its significant investment into the refurbishment of multiple meeting rooms in Wilmslow.
With an office in Chester also, Equilibrium is in its 22nd year as a business and now manages more than £600m worth of assets for more than 850 families across the UK.
Hayes has worked in financial services for eight years and specialises in pensions and investments, while Laura Stewart joined Equilibrium following advice she had received from industry experts.
Stewart, who has worked in both Vietnam and in the Middle East, has nine years’ experience in the financial sector and has worked on complaint handling projects for various financial institutions.
Currently working towards the Diploma in Financial Planning, Hamilton says she joined Equilibrium because of the company’s “great reputation” within the industry.
Mum-of-two Love spent five years in investment management at Brewin Dolphin and described Equilibrium as a “forward thinking business”.
West has managed a portfolio of clients’ defined contribution pension schemes and specialised in pension scheme lending, which provided him with valuable insight into retirement planning, and is looking forward to building relationships with clients.
Gaynor Rigby, Equilibrium managing partner, said: “After coming fifth in The Sunday Times’ 100 Best Small Companies to Work For 2017’ we were keen to grow our team of experts.
“Carl, Laura, Clare, Charlene and David are all important hires as we look to continue to improve what we offer both current and potential clients.
“What’s also good is that we have now grown into all the space at our Wilmslow headquarters, with 63 staff now on our books.”
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Commercial law firm Hill Dickinson has appointed Alasdair Mackinnon as a partner in its rapidly growing banking team.
Mackinnon, who was previously with DWF in Manchester, will lead Hill Dickinson’s banking and finance operation in Manchester and will also work within the national banking team which is led by Head of Banking and Finance, Richard Capper.
He said: “I have been practicing in the banking and finance sector for over 14 years, providing legal advice to a wide range of clients including both high street banks and alternative lenders, local corporates and private equity houses.
“The opportunity to join and to lead such a fast-growing and dynamic team was a real draw for me. I am delighted to be working with Richard and the team in Liverpool and London to continue to grow the banking business and provide exceptional service to our clients.”
Head of Hill Dickinson’s banking team Richard Capper welcomed Alasdair to the team and said: “Alasdair joins us with a huge amount of experience in this sector and is also extremely well connected within Manchester’s banking and finance community. He was clearly the right person to lead our delivery here in the city and to support the wider team in Liverpool and London. We are delighted to have him on board.”
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Cushman & Wakefield has announced 53 partner promotions across its EMEA business, including four for its Manchester office.
The promotions were made as part of the annual review cycle and cover a range of skill lines, business units and geographies. Individuals were appointed following a rigorous selection process led by members of the EMEA board and the partners’ taskforce.
The promoted quarter in Manchester are: Chris Brown (industrial agency), James Lockwood (residential), Neal Riley (public sector advisory) and Andrew Teage (planning).
John Keyes, head of the Manchester office of Cushman & Wakefield, said: “I’d like to congratulate Chris, James, Neal and Andy for taking this significant next step in their careers.
“They are trusted partners and future leaders who excel both in generating and executing business and in inspiring and supporting their teams. Each new Partner is being recognised for consistent excellence and their readiness to play a vital role in the future growth of our business.”
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Audit, tax and consulting firm RSM has appointed qualified solicitor and share scheme specialist Martin Cooper as a director in its Manchester office.
Cooper developed his share schemes expertise initially at Eversheds solicitors and then at a Big 4 accountancy firm, where he specialised in all forms of employee and management incentives, acting for a wide range of clients from small start-ups to large listed companies.
He also has in-house experience, working as a lawyer in a financial services firm.
In his new role, Cooper will provide support to a growing number of corporate clients – advising on all-employee share schemes, bespoke management incentives and related tax and legal issues, whilst working closely with the team to grow the firm’s share scheme service offering.
Jill Jones, RSM’s regional managing partner in the North West, said: “The right share scheme arrangement can deliver significant commercial advantages for businesses, and Martin’s extensive knowledge will help our clients to maximise these benefits to support future growth.”
Cooper said: “As a leading middle market adviser, RSM was a natural fit for me. The firm acts for a range of large corporates and fast growing businesses where effective share schemes could add real value, and I look forward to drawing on my experience to support ambitious North West businesses.”
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Harrison Drury solicitors has made Allan Sumner the new head of its Lancaster office.
Sumner, a specialist in commercial property and development law, joined Harrison Drury in April 2016 and will now spearhead the firm’s growth in the city and wider region.
John Chesworth, managing director of Harrison Drury, said: “Our Lancaster office has grown rapidly in the last five years, going from one lawyer when we opened here in 2014 to a team of eight lawyers and support staff.
“We’ve big plans for further growth in the area and wanted to formalise the role of ‘office lead’ in Lancaster. Allan is a hugely experienced lawyer who is used to leading teams and building relationships with the business community at all levels. He is a natural choice to head up our Lancaster office.”
Allan added: “It’s an honour to be given this opportunity to build on the success we’ve already had in improving the depth and breadth of commercial legal services in the Lancaster and Morecambe region.
“These are exciting times for the region and the Bay Gateway in particular offers massive potential for investment and growth. I look forward to continuing our close working relationship with local professionals and business groups to make the most of these opportunities.”
