People on the Move: Fluid Commerce; Adlington Retirement Living; Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall Solicitors; Jones Melling

Manchester ecommerce agency Fluid Commerce, which has rebranded from Fluid Digital, has appointed Rob Pimlott to a newly-created role as an ecommerce growth strategist.

Rob has held senior ecommerce positions at brands including mountain sports retailer Ellis Brigham and all terrain footwear specialists Inov-8 for more than 10 years.

He will use his experience of delivering significant online sales growth for these brands to develop strategies for Fluid Commerce clients with similar ambitions.

Rob’s recruitment comes as the agency announced that it has rebranded from Fluid Digital to Fluid Commerce.

Managing director Adam Hindle said it was something he had been considering for some time, adding the management team had wanted a name that better reflected the agency’s more than 10-year specialism in the development and marketing of ecommerce websites for retailers such as Trutex, Lakeland Leather and ChloBo and delivering revenue growth.

At Ellis Brigham, which turns over more than £40m, Rob was the national online manager for five years. In that time he doubled online turnover from 10% to 20% of the brand’s revenues using internal team expansion, new technology, improving user experience and customer journey and streamlining processes.

At inov-8 Rob was head of global DTC (direct to consumer) commerce, managing the brand’s ecommerce websites and markets and achieving 28% sales growth in 2019 compared with 2018.

Rob said: “I’ve been lucky enough to work in ecommerce for more than 10 years and have seen significant change in that time, but it really feels like the market is progressing faster than ever before and causing huge disruption to traditional shopping high streets as it goes.

“It has never been more important that retailers have a strong online presence and I’m excited to be sharing my experience with clients of Fluid Commerce and guiding them towards growth.”

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Jacqui Woodall

The management arm of Adlington Retirement Living has appointed two general managers to its new developments in Romiley and Ramsbottom.

Jacqui Woodall will lead a team of eight – six duty managers, a housekeeper and a maintenance technician – at The Folds in Romiley, and Aimee Clayton will also head up a team of eight at The Cottons in Ramsbottom.

Both general managers began their careers as carers and amassed more than 30 years’ experience in health and social care before joining Adlington Management Services.

Aimee Clayton said: “Coming from a care background helps massively and makes you appreciate the whole concept of retirement living communities.

“When I think back to my time as a carer, I was going into people’s homes to help them and sometimes I would be the only person they’d see in the course of a week.

Aimee Clayton

“I love the whole ethos of Adlington Retirement Living – we promote as much independence as possible, but then we also offer support when it’s needed … and all the activities we have here stop people from being isolated.”

Jacqui Woodall said: “One of the most important things to me is to know that we’re making a difference. Knowing that if somebody wasn’t living here, maybe they wouldn’t have joined in.

“It’s a lovely feeling when you can see people gaining new friendships, laughing and smiling. You just think that’s what retirement communities are about. That’s why we do this job.”

Adlington Retirement Living, which has always designed and built its own schemes, brought the management of its retirement communities in-house with the launch of Adlington Management Services in 2019.

Ed Gladman, Adlington Retirement Living managing director, said: “Our move to manage our own developments is part of our strategy for long-term growth. It ensures we can provide a consistently outstanding service to our homeowners.”

Adlington Retirement Living develops and operates high-end, purpose-built retirement communities in the North West, Yorkshire and The Midlands.

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Daniel Long and David Buskey

North West law firm Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall Solicitors has announced two of its directors have been promoted to head the firm’s commercial and private client services.

Daniel Long – who became the firm’s youngest ever partner at the age of 28 in 2015 – is now director and head of commercial, while his colleague, David Connor, steps up to become head of private client.

The pair join the firm’s new leadership team, created late last year with the appointment of its first managing director, Simon Brown.

They are now responsible for the performance and strategic development of the private client and commercial service offerings, and aim to drive the growth of the firm from its current turnover of £5m.

They will be responsible for the work of around 50 lawyers at the firm and its eight offices across Manchester and Lancashire. The firm’s commercial arm includes dispute resolution, commercial property and corporate and commercial services, while services provided by the private client team include family, divorce law, conveyancing, wills, trusts, probate and medical negligence.

David and Daniel started working for the firm in junior roles, working their way through the ranks.

David’s career with 200-year-old WHN Solicitors began in 1988 as an articled clerk and Daniel joined as a paralegal in 2009, before his promotion to partner and, ultimately, director.

Michael Shroot, chief executive of WHN Solicitors, who was himself promoted to the role when the new leadership team was created last year, said: “Daniel and David are great examples of the career progression available at WHN, both joining in junior roles and working their way up to the point where they are now steering the firm’s strategic direction.”

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Kellie Wakefield

North West property and construction advisory firm, Jones Melling, has appointed senior associate Kellie Wakefield, to manage its building surveying team.

Kellie qualified as a building surveyor 10 years ago. She previously worked at Hollis LLP’s Liverpool office before taking up her role at Jones Melling.

She brings a wide breadth of experience in general building surveying, including dilapidations, pre-acquisition vendor surveys as well as her senior-level skills in project management.

Kellie will oversee the firm’s 11-strong building surveying team across its Preston, Chester and London offices as well as assisting the directors in growing and developing Jones Melling into the future.

Director, Gary Melling, based at the firm’s Preston office, said: “Kellie is a team player with brilliant leadership skills.

“It was clear from our first conversation that she is commercially-minded and really enjoys her work. She has already demonstrated excellent rapport with our clients and will play an integral role in establishing long-standing business relationships for the firm.

“Her role will also include responsibility for the day-to-day management of the building surveying team and she will take a lead in its development.”

Kellie said: “Ken and Gary made me feel valued right from the start.

“Their enthusiastic and forward-thinking approach to business is very refreshing. The firm offers a professional, yet family-like, environment to work in and I look forward to extending my management skills and being in charge of such a talented team.

“I worked predominantly in the warehousing and commercial sectors in my previous role in Liverpool, so I’m also looking forward to working on wider range of client projects including across the education and care sectors and, in particular, on listed buildings.”

Kellie studied and graduated with an MSc in Commercial Building Surveying from Liverpool John Moores University.