People on the Move: Grant Thornton; Park Royal Hotel; Elan Homes; TLT; Duff & Phelps

Business advisory firm Grant Thornton has strengthened its Growth 365 team in the North West with the appointment of a brace of experienced industry experts.

Designed for CEOs and entrepreneurs running mid-sized businesses, the Growth 365 service provides bespoke insights, trend analysis and connection to an international network of dynamic leaders.

Sharon Kennett joins with more than three decades’ experience in strategic marketing, brand development and internal communications. She has worked both agency and client-side, advising the C-suite of internationally-trading businesses operating in multiple industries, including agriculture, pharmaceutical, international food and beverage export, and engineering.

Her most recent role was as marketing director for Frontier, the UK’s largest agricultural business which has a turnover of more than £1.5bn.

Also joining the Growth 365 team in the North West is Philip Treanor, an experienced commercial director with a strong legal and corporate finance background spanning almost 30 years.

Between 1993 and 2014 he worked for some of the region’s most active corporate law firms including Addleshaw Goddard, Brabners and Pannone, heading up the latter’s corporate department as an equity partner. He has led several high-profile IPOs, including 3i’s £28m investment in Go Outdoors, the sale of Leighs Paints, and the sale of On the Beach to ISIS Equity Partners.

In 2014 he became a commercial director for power distribution and protection equipment manufacturer, Mardix.

During a four year tenure, he worked with the management team to more than double EBITDA and turnover, alongside negotiating major contracts with global tech giants Microsoft, Google and Apple.

In 2018 he exited the business following its successful sale to Anord Control Systems, following investment from US private equity firm Bertram Capital.

Carl Williams, North West managing partner at Grant Thornton, said: “We’re continually adding to the diverse mix of advisers who support the leaders accessing our Growth 365 service.

“Sharon’s expertise in high-level marketing strategy and insight, and Phil’s blend of commercial experience and corporate deal making, add distinct, but complementary skills to an already strong team. Both understand the pain points faced by leaders looking to scale and unlock new market opportunities, and I have no doubt their counsel will be of real value to our clients.”

Sharon Kennett said: “The international connections and data-driven insights afforded by the 365 service are pitched perfectly for CEOs and entrepreneurs leading high-growth businesses. I’m delighted to be joining the firm and look forward to adding my strategic marketing and branding skillset to the offer in the North West.”

Philip Treanor added: “The corporate finance team at Grant Thornton is working with some of the most dynamic mid-market companies in the region. There’s a real demand from ambitious growth and exit-focused management teams for the consultancy provided by the Growth 365 service, and I’m incredibly pleased to join the team.”

Grant Thornton has also strengthened its pensions team in the region with a senior appointment, and a promotion. The firm has hired Tim Birkett as a director in its Manchester office to lead the pensions advisory offering in the North. Tim brings a wealth of experience to Grant Thornton, having advised a range of pension scheme trustees and companies on employer covenant matters for more than 11 years.

Karen Hancox, who has been at the firm since 2014, has been promoted to director and will lead the pension audit team in the North West.

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The Park Royal Hotel, an iconic four-star hotel in Stretton, Warrington, has appointed Mark Illingworth as its new general manager.

Mark has more than 25 years’ industry experience, having kicked-off his hospitality career as director for Thomson Select Group UK, the hospitality recruitment and consultancy agency. He went on to work for leading hotel brands across the country, including AccorHotels and Amaris.

He joins the team from the Mercure Haydock Hotel in St Helens, where he held the role of general manager for two years.

In his capacity as GM, Mark will oversee the hotel’s forthcoming rebrand to Delta Hotels by Marriott, as well as managing upcoming improvements to the hotel’s bedrooms, meeting spaces and public areas.

Mark Illingworth

Mark said: “I am really pleased to be joining the team at The Park Royal at such an exciting time for this iconic, well-respected venue.

“The Park Royal Hotel attracts a wide variety of clients, from business people drawn in by our meetings and events offering, to local residents coming to enjoy our spa and leisure facilities. It is a welcome challenge to be responsible for ensuring that throughout our rebranding process, we continue to meet the high standards that our guests expect of us.”

He added: “I’m particularly excited to be overseeing our Topiary in the Park restaurant. As one of just two Warrington-based restaurants to have received an AA Rosette, it demonstrates the high quality of the food and service that we provide.”

Mark will be overseeing the hotel’s 146-rooms and suites, the Topiary in the Park restaurant, 15 flexible meeting rooms, landscaped grounds, and its popular spa and health club.

Stephen Bench, divisional director at Almarose Hotels & Resorts, said: “Mark has a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry, both in consultancy and in operations. The knowledge that he brings to the role, combined with his familiarity with the North West hotel market, makes him the perfect person to oversee The Park Royal Hotel’s forthcoming rebrand and refurbishment.”

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Moving from accounts to sales has enabled Michelle Hughes to build a career with Elan Homes.

Michelle has worked at the housebuilder’s headquarters at Cheshire Oaks Business Park for more than a decade.

She has a background in banking and financing and initially joined the accounts department via an agency.

Michelle said: “Elan is a friendly place to work and it’s one of the reasons the turnover of the staff is very low. I’ve worked here for more than 10 years.

“I started in the accounts department and was there for four years before moving into sales. I was a senior office administrator for around six years before I was promoted to the role of field sales manager.”

Michelle Hughes

The main element of Michelle’s new role is to support the sales executives, exploring ways to generate new leads and convert leads to sales, planning marketing campaigns, and visiting sites.

“Because I’ve been at Elan for some years, I have a good working knowledge of the business,” Michelle added.

Michelle works closely with Elan’s sales director, Marie Morris, to oversee sales executives at developments across the North West and North Wales, including Kinnerton Meadows, Kinnerton, Handforth Court, Handforth, and Derwent Court, Chorlton.

Marie Morris said: “Michelle has been a valued member of the sales team for more than six years. When the vacancy for a new field sales manager became available she was a natural candidate for the role. She’s a real asset to the team and has quickly settled into her new role supporting sales executives across the region.”

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Law firm TLT has continued to attract leading talent in Manchester with the appointment of two legal directors.

Julie Goulbourne

Julie Goulbourne is a regulatory lawyer and joins TLT’s commercial team from Weightmans. Tom White joins the firm’s real estate litigation team from Kennedys.

The announcement rounds off a strong year of growth for TLT in Manchester, which saw the arrival of six new partners and the promotion of Kuldip Dhanoya to partner in May 2019.

Graeme Orchison, partner and location head for TLT in Manchester, said: “As a full service law firm, we’re pleased to be continuing to build out our core practice areas. Julie and Tom are fantastic additions to the team and will help to ensure that we are continuing to offer the best possible service to our clients.”

Tom White

Partners who joined TLT in Manchester in 2019 include: Employment partner Liz Cotton from JMW; real estate development partner Claire Hamilton from JMW; corporate partners Richard Life and Mark Traynor from HRC Law; construction partner Sean McCay from Squire Patton Boggs; and banking and restructuring partner Claire Graham from DWF.

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Duff & Phelps, the global advisor that protects, restores and maximises value for clients, has appointed Paul Reeves as managing director, further strengthening its debt advisory and restructuring offerings.

Reeves, who will be based in Manchester, joins Duff & Phelps from Fresh Thinking Capital.

Prior to this he spent 17 years as a partner at Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group (LCBSG), a UK-wide professional services provider.

While at LCBSG, he played an instrumental part in the national growth of the business, taking it from its early start in Bury through to being a large multimillion turnover insolvency firm with 18 UK office locations.

Paul Reeves

With more than 20 years of experience in banking and finance, with significant expertise building relationships with professional services organisations including funding providers, legal and accounting practices, Reeves will bring considerable experience, knowldge and skills to Duff & Phelps.

David Whitehouse, managing director and head of UK restructuring advisory, said: “Paul has extensive experience in helping to build successful insolvency practices, not least by developing deep relationships with professional services companies supporting mid-tier enterprises here in the UK.

“His understanding of the professional services sector — and the relationships he has within it — will be invaluable as we continue to build our service portfolio and profile over the coming years.”

Paul Reeves said: “Duff & Phelps offers one of the most comprehensive suite of support services available on the market today, providing organisations with a bespoke and personalised approach tailored to their specific needs.

“In taking on this new and exciting role I aim to build the relationships Duff & Phelps has within professional services to educate them further on the service lines and solutions we have available to support their clients.”