People on the move: Moore and Smalley; Principal Insurance; Extreme Low Energy
North West accountancy firm Moore and Smalley has appointed Paul Locker as a corporate services director.
Locker joins the firm after two years as head of audit at Rushtons Chartered Accountants.
He will provide audit services and wider business advice to a portfolio of clients throughout Lancashire and Cumbria. His particular specialisms include advising motor dealers, construction firms and other owner managed businesses, as well as auditing defined benefit pension schemes.
Tracey Johnson, audit partner at Moore and Smalley, said: “Paul has a wealth of experience and will be a trusted adviser to our clients. His appointment further strengthens our senior team as we continue building for the future.”
Paul, from Grimsargh, said: “It’s clear that Moore and Smalley is a forward-thinking company and its commitment to client service impressed me. Having watched the business consistently grow, I can see that my sector expertise suits the firm’s clients well.”
Prior to his most recent role, Paul has spent ten years in audit and financial management roles across North West firms.
A graduate at The University of Sheffield, Paul lives with his wife and children in Grimsargh. He is a keen fisherman and is treasurer of the local Wetlands Trust.
Moore and Smalley has offices in Preston, Blackpool, Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancaster, Southport and East Midlands. It employs 20 partners and 200 staff.
::
Principal Insurance has recruited Penny Wardale to the newly-created boardroom position of human resources, training and compliance director.
Wardale has joined the specialist insurance group from Autonet where she spent nearly five years as HR director.
She brings more than 30 years’ insurance sector HR experience to the Manchester-headquartered broker.
Her career began in 1986 at Commercial Union Assurance whom she joined as a graduate trainee. There she earned successive promotions to become a learning and development consultant.
She was recruited by Independent Insurance in 1999 as the insurer’s training and development manager before moving to intermediary Carole Nash where she spent nearly a decade as head of HR.
Her arrival at Principal is part of a wider strategy by the Manchester-headquartered group to further strengthen its management team. The company has reinvested heavily in staffing, systems and technology this year in order to effectively manage ongoing growth as the business matures.
In the past 12 months it has created over 80 jobs and now employs some 110 staff across its Manchester, Lancaster and Dublin operations.
Gross written premium – which doubled to breach £10m in the group’s last financial year (ended October 2016) – is forecast to hit £15m in 2016-17 as the group continues to report strong growth across its motorcycle, specialist motor, home, van and commercial insurance portfolio.
Wardale said: “Principal is a relatively new business led by experienced hands. With that comes recognition that you can’t simply grow for growth’s sake but, as a business matures, you need put in place the people and processes that protect its integrity.
“I’m delighted to have been invited to join and contribute to what is a highly dynamic and professional management team.”
Her arrival coincides with the introduction of Principal first apprenticeship scheme. The two-year, salaried programme was on September 4.
Wardale added: “I am passionate about the important role apprenticeships can play in nurturing and developing talent for the future. With this in mind, I am looking forward to watching our first apprentices settle in and pursue what is an extensive and exceptionally well-structured learning programme.”
Principal was founded in 2011 by Dave Bowcock who worked alongside Wardale for many years at Carole Nash. Since then it has grown substantially, arranging niche insurance cover for around 40,000 policyholders across the UK and Ireland.
::
Innovative North West energy technology company Extreme Low Energy (ELe) has brought a product designer into its team.
James Long, 23, will work on ELe’s award-winning products, improving their consumer appeal by concentrating on enhancing appearance, packaging and ergonomics.
Long graduated from Brunel University with a first-class honours degree. In his final year he was awarded the prestigious Graham Hawkes prize, named after the famous marine engineer, for redesigning a bike’s tyre to reduce spray.
Originally from Wiltshire, Long has made the move north to West Lancashire, joining ELe after successful internships with design consultancies PDD Group, i3Works and also Samsung.
Mark Buchanan, director and founder of ELe, said: “It’s pleasing to bring such a skilled creative into the team.
“James will focus on shaping how ELe products look, feel, function and, ultimately, how they are delivered to clients and consumers.”
Long said: “It’s an exciting challenge to join a business involved in the burgeoning field of low energy technologies.
“I am determined to develop attractive, reliable and sustainable product solutions for ELe and its customers.”
From its head office in Skelmersdale, ELe specialises in creating innovative low-energy infrastructures utilising DC power, having identified the huge energy and carbon savings that can be made by eliminating the wasteful AC/DC power conversion used by many electrical products.
