People on the move: FW Capital; Fanatics International; Liverpool City Region LEP

FW Capital has appointed a new investment executive to work with the team in its Manchester office on the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).

Adam Husband joins from NatWest where he spent nine years most recently as a relationship manager.

He is responsible for identifying and investing in small and medium sized businesses that require funding from the £102m NPIF – FW Capital Debt Finance, focusing on Greater Manchester, but with the ability to support businesses across the North West.

The fund can make loan and mezzanine investments of between £100,000 and £750,000.

Husband said: “The opportunity to work at FW Capital, which has established itself as a leading provider of alternative finance was a big factor in my decision to leave the bank.

“The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund initiative is very exciting and FW Capital has already provided more than £5m of loans to SMEs across the North of England, which will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the region’s economy.”

FW Capital’s fund manager in the North West, Gary Guest said: “We’ve been very busy with applications to NPIF, nonetheless we need to ensure that we are reaching out to as many businesses as possible to ensure they know that this exciting new fund is available.

“Adam has longstanding ties with the local business community and will be a great addition to the team. We’re delighted to have him on board.”

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Manchester-based Fanatics International, the global specialist in officially licensed sports merchandise, has announced the appointment of seasoned global e-commerce and branding executive Steve Davis as president.

Throughout the course of his career Davis has strategically navigated the evolving retail landscapes around the world, having most recently served as the chief executive of digital fast-fashion retailer Rue La La.

Reporting directly to Fanatics chief executive Doug Mack, Davis will be tasked with leading the rapid growth of Fanatics’ international division, which provides a sophisticated omni-channel platform to help top sports brands and teams better service their global fan bases with a larger, more-timely merchandise assortment regardless of how or where their fans want to shop – online, on mobile, at games or at some of the biggest sporting events around the world.

Mack said: “Steve brings a broad range of commerce and brand-building expertise to Fanatics with a deep understanding of the global retail landscape. His leadership will significantly advance our global footprint and expand the multichannel, merchandising and manufacturing capabilities that we provide to all our partners worldwide.”

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Seven new private sector members have been appointed to the board of the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to help drive forward economic growth in the area over the next three years.

The new people have a wealth of experience in the region’s key growth sectors, international investment, skills and the third sector.

They are: Prof Janet Beer, vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool; Paul Corcoran, managing director of Agent Marketing; Dr Jon Hague, vice president Open Innovation, Unilever R&D; Laura O’Brien, vice-president and site head at Seqirus; John Syvret, chief executive, Cammell Laird Group; Angela White, chief executive Sefton CVS and Mark Whitworth, chief executive of Peel Ports Group.

Chair of the Liverpool City Region LEP, Asif Hamid said: “All seven new board members are leaders in their fields and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the LEP directly related to the LEP’s priorities.

“These appointments add to the outstanding Board members we already have in place and ensure we have an effective and diverse leadership that supports our continued work to drive economic growth. I look forward to working with them to deliver increased prosperity across the City Region.”