People on the move: ITS Technology Group; Seriun; Sancus Finance; Chad Harrison International

Cheshire-based alternative network provider ITS Technology Group has appointed Daren Baythorpe as its managing director.

Bathorpe has previously held senior management position and has been an adviser with BT and Severn Trent Water.

Until recently he was managing director of BT Openreach’s business and corporate delivery division.

After spending the last six months performing a business strategy and advisory role for ITS, Baythorpe is now playing a role in advancing and expanding the company.

He said: “I’m really excited about working with ITS and the wider team more formally, the business has many unique qualities and the team have worked hard to establish themselves as a major altnet provider.

“I’m impressed with how the company has grown in such a short space of time, through its core strengths, and through the passion and drive of its senior management team.

“ITS are a fantastic business and I feel the time is right given the opportunity in the marketplace, for us to continue to grow and become even more successful in the future.”

Chief executive Roy Shelton, CEO of ITS Technology Group added, “Daren has excellent credentials and has led and transformed some of the largest and complex workforces in the UK telecoms sector. Plans are already in place and being delivered for the next phase of our planned significant growth of our 21 networks throughout the UK, including the augmentation of our concessions and our national network.

“ITS goes from strength to strength and with Daren’s focus and direction along with our additional investment from our first institutional investor there are some exciting times ahead.”

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Burnley-based managed IT and support services company Seriun has appointed Raimonda Zapasnike as its new head of accounts.

She will be looking after customer and supplier accounts, making sure all financials are up to date and regulating cashflow, invoicing, purchasing and payments.

Aside from her lead accounts role, she will also be managing the day to day operation of the Burnley office.

Originally from Lithuania, Zapasnike travelled to England for a holiday more than years ago, but she loved it so much she decided to stay.

Raimonda said: “There were great opportunities in Burnley for us as a family, and with my new role at Seriun I feel settled and happy with the decision to move. I want to develop professionally by taking the ACCA, and I know I have the full support of Seriun who will help me achieve this. I’m looking forward to the future here in Burnley and at Seriun.”

Justin Sherwood, managing director of Seriun said: “We’re thrilled to have Raimonda as part of our team – she’s a perfect fit with her skills and personality and has settled in already. She has a very important role here at Seriun and we will support her in any way we can, and look forward to seeing her grow and develop over the coming months.”

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Sancus Finance, the specialist business financial services firm, has appointed Jennifer Roberts to a newly-created role of regional director – North.

She will be based in Manchester and will be responsible for increasing awareness of the benefits that the firms’ financial solutions can bring to businesses in the region.

The move comes as Sancus Finance continues a period of sustained investment which includes a focus on expanding their geographic footprint. The firm is committed to ensuring that UK businesses can access the flexible funding solutions they need to support their business growth.

Roberts aims to bring a fresh outlook to the role having started her career at HSBC Bank progressing into the Foreign Exchange market most notably with AFEX where she worked with corporates and SMEs to bring effective foreign exchange solutions to meet their requirements.

More recently she was National Sales Manager for Age UK Enterprises, a charitable organization where she nurtured a national intermediary network to support the growth in revenue from insurance customers.

Roberts will work with the wider Sancus team to provide innovative funding solutions for firms looking to access finance to support their business aspirations.

The firm specialises in the provision of supply chain finance, which ensures faster payment to suppliers and property finance to cover purchase, bridging and development projects.

In addition to this, they also offer two specialist finance solutions designed for educational institutions and a vendor partner programme for businesses looking to support the purchasing capability of their customers.

Roberts will be working closely with financial intermediaries in the region who act in an advisory capacity to businesses to ensure they are best equipped to support local businesses when financial planning and looking for effective solutions.

She said: “I am really excited about joining Sancus Finance at a time when they are investing and they regard the Northern region as an area of particular focus for them.

“There are many businesses in the region who are looking for financial solutions that will give them the certainty of funding they need to have the confidence to put their plans in motion. We need businesses to feel confident and to invest in growth if we are to support growth in the UK economy.”

The Sancus Group has seen consistent growth, having provided more than £570m of funding to SME’s and their owners.

The business attributes this continued growth to delivering fast and flexible finance solutions to clients on their own terms as well as diligent risk management, which is aimed at delivering a transparent and professional service to both funders and clients.

Richard Whitehouse, sales director at Sancus Finance, said: “Jennifer will bring fresh perspective to the team having seen the challenges that firms face when trading with firms outside the UK. With the UK economy continuing to experience uncertainty in the aftermath of the Brexit Referendum and the recent General Election, we want UK businesses to know that we are fully committed to supporting their financing needs and growth plans.

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Executive search firm Chad Harrison International has expanded its team with the appointment of two new members.

It has appointed Damien Davies and Ryan McFarlane to the team in its Liverpool office.

McFarlne joins as a search consultant, having worked in talent acquisition at Babcock International and completed a degree at Liverpool John Moores University. He enters the plastics and packaging division, working with companies around the world to connect the best in the international market.

Davies brings with him a wealth of experience in the chemicals and life sciences division and takes up the post of international search consultant. He has previously held senior positions with Rullion and M-tech 360.

His role with CHI will see him travelling internationally, working with senior chemical candidates and clients to provide executive search and selection solutions.

CHI managing director Luke Robbins-Wells said “Ryan and Damien stood out in the selection process more than other candidates and believe they will bring different skill sets to the team that will align with CHI’s core values. This signifies an exciting phase of growth for the company, which has seen our team grow substantially in the last 12 months.”

The recent appointments the launch of a new office Dusseldorf, Germany to ensure a closer relationship with the European plastics and packaging sector.

CHI is an executive search and selection company to the industrial sector. It provides talent acquisition solutions to the built environment, chemical, plastics, packaging, mining and metals sectors.