People on the Move: Cowgills; St Ann’s Hospice; Mitchell Charlesworth; Napthens; Hays
Accountancy and business advisory firm Cowgills has promoted corporate finance director Sam Davies, to partner, just 18 months after joining the firm.
A graduate of Manchester Business School, Sam joined Cowgills during Summer 2018, from Knight Corporate Finance.
He has helped build the firm’s lead advisory corporate finance team, from its base in Manchester’s Spinningfields, which has delivered more than £100m of deals in the last 12 months.
The value of deals puts Cowgills for the first time in the top 10 list of North West financial advisors on the Experian M&A review.
Cowgills partner and head of corporate finance, Ian Johnson, said: “It is a fantastic achievement to be made a partner at age 33 and following such a short time with the firm.
“Since joining Cowgills, Sam has delivered some notable corporate finance deals and has become a rising force in the market.
“He has been instrumental in recruiting and developing a dynamic team – which is now 15-strong and still growing – his success is certainly well deserved.”
Sam has led some of the region’s leading corporate finance deals in 2019 including the MBO of King Construction backed by NVM Private Equity, the trade sale of Roadways to Breedon, the sale of Assist Group to idverde UK, the MBO of CTI Digital, the MBO of The Protein Works backed by YFM and the growth capital investment by Foresight into Steamforged Games.
Sam said: “I am delighted to become a partner at Cowgills. The team we have created is superb and has been instrumental to the growth of the division over the past 12 months.
“We have already built a strong pipeline of deals that we are looking forward to bringing to market in 2020. Cowgills have been extremely supportive, providing me with a fantastic springboard and I am looking forward to working with Ian and the other partners to continue to build on our success story.”
Ian Johnson added: “Sam has experience working as both an adviser and as a private equity investor with BGF. This breadth of experience has given him a depth of understanding of both the client and the investors’ side of a deal.
“This has enabled him to build a strong reputation, advising clients on private equity transactions and M&A deals whilst supporting them post-investment, which aligns with Cowgills’ long-term approach in working with our clients.”
“When Sam first joined Cowgills it was our intention that his appointment would help us push forward with our ambitious expansion plans and growing the corporate finance team in Manchester was central to that. He has forged a strong position in the market and is becoming a key figure in the North West corporate finance industry.
“The growth and success means that we now need to move the lead advisory team to new, larger offices in the city which will happen in the coming weeks.”
Cowgills, which is based in Bolton with offices in Manchester and Ilkley, is led by managing partner Paul Stansfield. Sam’s appointment now takes the number of partners to 15 and the firm has more than180 staff.
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A local physiotherapist is celebrating after being appointed as a Trustee of the prestigious British Lymphology Society.
Lucie Casserley is a member of the lymphoedema team at St Ann’s Hospice and has been a lymphoedema specialist for four years.
As a Trustee at the British Lymphology Society she will be helping the charity to support those involved in the care and treatment of people with lymphoedema and related lymphatic disorders.
Lucie Casserley
Lymphoedema is a condition that causes swelling in the body’s tissues. It develops when the lymphatic system does not work properly and can affect any part of the body, but usually the arms or legs.
Lucie said: “I am very excited to have the opportunity to get involved in the very valuable work that the BLS does to advance knowledge in the field of lymphology.
“Improving the expertise and skills of professionals caring for people with lymphoedema is something that St Ann’s is very passionate about and I’m looking forward to supporting the BLS in its drive to do this, for example by sharing information about the work that we do with specialists across Greater Manchester and throughout the UK.”
The lymphoedema team at St Ann’s provides specialist lymphoedema care across Stockport, parts of Greater Manchester, Bolton and South Cheshire.
St Ann’s Hospice, which operates from three sites in Little Hulton, Heald Green and the Neil Cliffe Centre in Wythenshawe Hospital, cares for thousands of patients every year with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.
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North West accountancy firm Mitchell Charlesworth has strengthened its audit and accounts team with two new appointments and a promotion.
Jonathan Lucas has joined the team as a manager, Heather Heyl has joined as an assistant manager, and Nick Spruce has been promoted to assistant manager.
Jonathan Lucas is ACA-qualified with more than 10 years’ experience in advising small-, medium-, and large sized-businesses. He specialises in the audit of public and private companies across a wide range of sectors including manufacturing, hotel and leisure, professional practices and charities.
At Mitchell Charlesworth Jonathan will manage a varied portfolio of clients, providing strategic financial advice as well as audit and accounts services. Based in the firm’s Manchester office, he joins from Saffery Champness and previously worked at BDO in Birmingham.
From left: Jonathan Lucas, Heather Heyl, Paul Wainwright, Nick Spruce
The firm has also welcomed Heather Heyl to its Manchester office. Heather started her accountancy career in 2004 as an apprentice at Bennett Verby in Stockport and qualified as a chartered certified accountant in 2010.
At Mitchell Charlesworth Heather provides audit and accounts services to a mixed portfolio of clients ranging from owner-managed businesses to charities.
Newly-promoted Nick Spruce graduated from university with a degree in accountancy and financial management before gaining his ACA qualification.
He has more than seven years of experience of working with a wide range of small- and medium-sized businesses across a wide range of sectors. Nick joined Mitchell Charlesworth’s audit and accounts team in Liverpool in 2017 and his promotion will see him take on larger client delivery responsibilities.
Paul Wainwright, managing partner, said: “We look for the very best talent that the North West has to offer and these appointments and promotion will help the firm deliver its ambitious growth plans and ensure the service and expertise we offer our clients is of the highest standard.”
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Regional law firm Napthens has continued to expand its service in Southport with the appointment of highly-experienced family lawyer, Sally Abrams.
Sally joins Napthens after 24 years of family law experience – mostly spent with North West firm Birchall Blackburn Law – and will be based out of the firm’s Southport office, serving clients in Sefton, West Lancashire and Liverpool.
Sally, of Southport, will advise clients on a range of family law issues, from pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements to divorce and dissolution of civil partnerships, property disputes and matters involving children.
Sally Abrams with Tony Coates
She has extensive experience in dealing with high-value pension arrangements and complex matters relating to business owners and property portfolios.
Late last year Napthens moved to larger premises in Southport, on Hoghton Street in the town centre, to allow for future growth.
Sally, also a member of Resolution, said: “I am delighted to be joining Napthens at a time when the firm is expanding, and I’m looking forward to playing a part in these growth plans and working with the firm’s clients across the area.”
Tony Coates, partner and head of Napthens’ Southport office, said: “Sally brings vast experience of family law to Napthens and will play a key role in developing our private client service offering as our growth strategy for the region continues.”
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Andrew Bredin, regional managing director of Hays North West, has been elected to the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) North West Regional Council.
Andrew begins a three-year term with the council, during which he will draw on his experience of the local employment landscape, as well as providing insights into the current outlook and skills requirements from employers. Andrew has more than 30 years’ recruitment experience having joined Hays in 1987.
The CBI has 12 regional and national councils and holds elections for its members each year to help shape CBI policy. Council members have a direct say in what the CBI does, as well as inputting evidence to drive policy development and CBI campaigns for change.
Andrew Bredin
Andrew, who also has responsibility for Hays across Yorkshire and the North, Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: “Being an active member of the local business community and having worked with the CBI for many years, I’m looking forward to making a positive contribution to help the CBI tackle key issues affecting businesses across the North West.
“We have 11 offices across the North West alone, so providing our staff with the policy, business and political intelligence supported by the CBI is invaluable. My appointment to the council will ensure we can not only stay in the know ourselves, but also keep our clients informed on topical issues.”
