People on the move: Vibe Tickets; Hill Dickinson; SAS Daniels; GHP Legal; Scanlans

Luke Massie, founder and managing director of Lancaster-based Vibe Tickets, has been announced as the new face of VOOM 2017, the national competition designed by Virgin to help Richard Branson find the UK’s next best business idea.

The transparent ticketing app reached the final of the competition last year, and has benefited from business advice, positive exposure and being mentored by Richard Branson himself.

As part of VOOM 2017 and to celebrate the arrival of Voom Fibre, Massie will be presenting around the country on the VOOM bus tour.

Massie said: “VOOM 2016 has played a huge part in our story, and the lessons that we’ve learned from the world’s most famous entrepreneur have massively contributed to our success.

“As a disruptive business, we’re excited to be part of the conversation that’s encouraging the UK’s next generation of entrepreneurs.”

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Liverpool-based international commercial law firm Hill Dickinson has announced the appointment of John Gittins as non-executive director.

Gittins joins the firm with a wealth of experience, having previously worked with Electricity North West and United Utilities in non-executive roles, as well as holding concurrent roles with Nichols plc, Park Group plc and Claire House Children’s Hospice.

He also has more than 20 years’ experience working with PLCs in an executive capacity, operating as chief financial officer across a number of sectors within UK listed, multi-site, national and international businesses.

The appointment has been made following a management restructure that resulted in former non-executive director Iain Johnston being appointed as chief operating officer.

The restructure also saw Peter Jackson taking on the role of chief executive officer and David Wareing becoming chairman.

As part of his role, Gittins will focus on governance, risk management and financial controls and head up the firm’s audit committee.

Hill Dickinson chairman David Wareing said: “We are delighted that John has accepted the position. John will sit on the LLP board in an advisory capacity, bringing with him years of experience of working with a range of businesses including PLCs and international companies.

“He will be a valued addition to the firm as we continue with our plans for further investment in our key growth sectors.”

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Cheshire law firm SAS Daniels has announced Jeremy Orrell as its new managing partner.

The appointment has been made to support the firm’s plans for growth across its four offices in Stockport, Macclesfield, Chester and Congleton.
Orrell joined SAS Daniels in 2009 to head up its new corporate team, which has since quadrupled its turnover.

He became the firm’s Finance Partner in 2013 and has overseen a 50% growth in the firm’s annual turnover to £9m.

Orrell is also recognised in Legal 500 as one of the region’s ‘Leading Individuals’ in his field.

The firm has also appointed partner and head of music & media Andy Booth as deputy managing partner. Jonathan Whittaker remains as the firm’s senior partner.

Orrell said: “It is a great honour to be appointed as the firm’s managing partner during such an exciting time for us.
“We continue to attract outstanding legal talent to the firm and as a result have an incredibly strong and growing client base, who value our results driven approach to service delivery.”

We have enjoyed significant development and growth over the past five years and we intend to continue to build on this success in a controlled and strategic manner. We are committed to continuing our investment in developing the firm, our people and our clients.

Whittaker said: “As our business has grown, so too has the need to adapt our management structure.

“The appointment of Jeremy to managing partner puts us in a superb position to continue to develop and meet the future needs of our clients.”

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One of the region’s largest and longest established law firms has announced the appointment of a new equity partner.

Crime specialist Emma Simoes has become the tenth partner in the current team at GHP Legal, which employs around 100 staff.

GHP Legal, which has offices in Wrexham, Oswestry, Llangollen and Chirk, can trace its roots back to 1970 when it was known as Gwilym Hughes & Partners.

The firm is now a multi-disciplinary practice serving a client base stretching across more than ten counties in England and Wales.

A qualified duty solicitor and member of the local court and police station duty solicitor scheme, Emma joined the GHP Legal Crime team in late 2014. Prior to qualifying as a solicitor she worked as a welfare rights advisor and gained vast experience of dealing with DWP and Local Authority prosecutions.

Born and raised in Wrexham but proud of her Portuguese heritage, Emma volunteers regularly for the local community which includes feeding the roofless and fundraising for various charities as often as she can.

Managing partner Richard Lloyd said: “Emma is well-known for her passionate and sensitive handling of cases, particularly in the youth court, and her appointment adds yet another dimension to the already diverse skills set that exists among the GHP Legal team.”

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Scanlans has expanded its property management division with three new arrivals at the firm’s Manchester office.

Paul Christopher, Mark Elves and Victoria Thomas have been appointed as property managers to help Scanlans meet growing demand for its services.

Christopher previously worked at Scanlans for more than a decade and has rejoined from Zenith Management (NW).

In his new role, he will spearhead the introduction of a new online client portal and electronic maintenance management system.

Elves was previously at Realty Management in Stockport, while Thomas has worked at firms including Vets4Pets, where she was estate manager, and Cushman & Wakefield.

Scanlans is a national practice which has seven partners and 70 staff across its offices in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, London and Cardiff.

Its property management division specialises in residential block management across the north west and the Midlands, with a portfolio that includes Manchester developments Granby Village, The Edge and Smithfield Buildings.

The firm also has a surveying consultancy with a focus on commercial and residential property, in addition to building surveying and LPA receiverships.

Partner Ian Magenis, who heads the property management team in Manchester, said: “The trio join Scanlans at an exciting time, with several schemes coming on stream in Manchester and the Midlands, bringing more than 750 new units under management by the summer.
“Mark and Victoria bring a wealth of experience to the practice and have taken on the management of a number of residential schemes in Manchester.

“We are delighted to welcome back Paul. The new leaseholder portal and software system provide him with the perfect opportunity to continue developing his career at Scanlans.

“The firm prides itself on delivering a high-quality and efficient service to clients and these improvements will enhance our ability to do that.”