People on the Move: Together; theEword; Kuits; DSG; Forbes Solicitors

Alex Garland

A property finance expert has joined specialist lender Together as its corporate relationship director covering the North of England.

Alex Garland, who has worked in commercial real estate finance for nearly 20 years, will be responsible for nurturing existing relationships and widening the specialist lender’s network of corporate clients and advisers as it grows its presence across the UK.

A former senior director at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group, Alex will operate regionally, covering Manchester, Leeds and the North East.

He is the latest addition to Together’s growing corporate relationship team, which was set up to provide customers ranging from large businesses to individual investors with finance of more than £1m.

Alex, who lives in Manchester, is returning to the company where he started his career as a commercial underwriter 17 years ago.

He said: “It’s great to be back. I’ve been working in mainstream banking for a long time now and that market has changed significantly over the last decade. I’m ready for a new challenge and, having started off in specialist lending, I’ve come full circle.”

Alex has spent his career in the commercial and corporate real estate sectors, lending on deals of between £25,000 and £200m.

In his new role Alex will report to Andrew Charnley, who joined Together from Lloyds in November as its head of corporate relationships.

Just last month the specialist lender announced the appointment of Alex Bodie, corporate development director for the North West. Together has also hired Sonia Mann in the Midlands and Andrew Fouli in London and the South East.

Andrew Charnley said: “We’re delighted to welcome Alex as the latest recruit to our highly-successful and growing business. He will team up again with our commercial CEO, Marc Goldberg, and offer his vast expertise in commercial and corporate lending as we continue our expansion.”

In its latest quarterly results Cheadle-based Together, which now employs more than 750 staff, revealed its loan book had increased to £3.47bn in May from £2.78bn the previous year.

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Manchester-based place marketing agency theEword has added to its offering with the appointment of two new dedicated sector managers who will be responsible for delivering campaigns across the agency’s property and leisure clients.

Jonny Fox joins having previously managed multichannel and inbound marketing campaigns for housebuilder Barratt Homes. Most recently he ran marketing communications for brands across the Timpson Group.

Mariel Rubinstein and Jonny Fox

Mariel Rubinstein will look after leisure and destination campaigns, with a particular focus on millennial and Gen Z audiences. She joins from Liverpool-based Nova, the tech-focused start-up mentorship and investment firm.

The new hires come off the back of a flurry of client appointments, including Latimer Homes, Marketing Manchester and the Far East Consortium.

Aisha Riaz, operations director, said: “We’re excited to have Jonny and Mariel as part of the team.

“Our recent wins in the property and leisure sectors show that these organisations are committing to increase sales and revenue by hiring an agency that understands their sector.”

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Manchester commercial law firm Kuits has further strengthened its litigation offering with the recruitment of senior lawyer Peter Kaye.

The team, which the Legal 500 praises for its ability to “mix hard-nosed litigation skills with genuine commercial nous”, announce the hire following a period of considerable growth.

Peter, who has 35 years of experience in the legal sector, returns to Kuits having previously worked at the firm between 1986 and 1998.

Peter Kaye

He specialises in complex contractual disputes, shareholder and partnership disputes, and contentious estate and probate matters. Peter is also a member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association (PNLA).

The team is also set for further growth later in the year, welcoming two newly-qualified solicitors following completion of their training contracts with the firm.

Peter Kaye said: “It is a wonderful feeling to return to Kuits after two decades away, particularly as it celebrates its 110th anniversary. I have been welcomed back with open arms, which demonstrates that the firm has retained its unique family culture.”

Managing partner Steve Eccleston said: “Our strategy has always been to attract and recruit the best calibre of commercial advisors. The appointment of Peter reinforces our commitment to providing excellent commercial advice alongside trusted client service. It’s a pleasure to welcome him back.”

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DSG’s Mark Kearsley has been appointed as the new chairman for the Merseyside branch of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and Association of Taxation Technicians (CIOT/ATT), in the 90th anniversary year for the professional body for tax advisers in the UK.

A senior tax manager at DSG Chartered Accountants, Mark takes up the position having been an active member of the committee for the past five years, latterly as vice chairman and programme secretary.

As chair Mark will be responsible for setting the direction of the CIOT/ATT on Merseyside for the benefit of the regional business community. This is in alignment with the body’s wider mission to promote education in taxation.

A chartered accountant and chartered tax advisor, Mark joined DSG in 2008 and is responsible for tax advisory and compliance across a varied portfolio of corporate clients, from large big four audited international trading groups to family owned SMEs.

Mark Kearsley

He said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed as chair of the Merseyside branch of CIOT/ATT in advance of 2020, the 40th anniversary year for the local branch and the 90th anniversary for the national institute.”

Mike Stott, head of tax at DSG, said: “We’re incredibly proud that Mark has been appointed to this high-profile role, and it is testament to his commitment to the region and local businesses that he has taken it on.”

The CIOT is a not-for-profit organisation with a purpose to promote education in taxation.

The Merseyside branch has 700 qualified members and 300 students who are studying for their qualification.

Nationally, the CIOT has more than 17,000 chartered tax adviser members who are subject to the Institute’s professional standards and are supported by its London head office and worldwide network of 40 branches.

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Forbes Solicitors has appointed Helen Marsh as a partner in its commercial property team.

Helen, who is based at the firm’s Central Lancashire office, advises on a full spectrum of commercial property law issues including sales, purchases and leases for both landlords and tenants, ranging from one-off transactions to year-round property portfolio management.

She brings a wealth of experience with particular specialisms in landlord and tenant work in the leisure, retail and e-commerce sectors as well as expertise regarding offices and warehousing.

Helen has spent the past four-and-a-half years as commercial property partner in a Manchester city centre practice growing her network and has an established reputation. She is an active member of the Manchester Law Society Commercial Property Committee and an Ambassador for Women in the Law UK.

Helen Marsh

Her appointment forms part of Forbes’ commercial team’s strategy to grow its client base in the Manchester area, as well as being in response to an increase in demand for the services it provides.

She said: “I am delighted to be joining a team which has an excellent reputation for its work across the commercial property sector and which, like me, prides itself on delivering a tailored service in a down-to-earth manner.”

Adam Bromley, partner and head of commercial property at Forbes, said: “With a client base consisting mainly of SMEs, ranging from new start-ups to established multi-site companies, and from retailers and restaurateurs to manufacturers and office users, Helen transacts properties in locations throughout the North West and nationwide.

“She has a superb reputation and we are delighted to welcome her to the team.”

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