People on the Move: John Pye Auctions; Access; MuddyWellies; Freeths; KPMG

Valuers and auctioneers John Pye Auctions has expanded its business assets team with the appointment of key national figure, Gary Harper, president of the National Association of Valuers.

Gary joins John Pye as head of UK North West regional valuations and brings more than 27 years’ experience in machinery and business asset valuation and disposal advice, having previously worked for Lambert Smith Hampton and King Sturge asset agents.

John Pye has been making national news as it currently experiences its busiest period in 52 years. The firm recorded a 79% sales increase in July and August, after handling some of the biggest cases in the fall-out from COVID-19.

Gary Harper said: “I’m delighted to join the John Pye business assets team at such an exciting and pivotal time. The company has a brilliant reputation within the industry and I’m really looking forward to engaging the Northern marketplace with John Pye’s wide service offerings.

“I have valued and advised on a wide range of assets and, as a seasoned auctioneer, I’ve sold everything from a pin to a battleship – in my case everything from long-haired miniature dachshunds to major food pharmaceutical and manufacturing production facilities.

“I’m, therefore, really looking forward to offering my expertise and extending John Pye’s reputation in the North of the country.”

Established in 1968 the online auction house is the UK’s biggest general auction network, holding more than 1,300 auctions per year. During the coronavirus lockdown it saw a 94% increase in bidders per auction lots with new bidder registrations up by 34%, as savvy shoppers hunted for bargains.

Trevor Palethorpe, national head of valuations at John Pye, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Gary on board. Having worked on some of the country’s largest insolvencies he is incredibly experienced and his knowledge spans all asset categories and sectors.

“I have worked alongside Gary for a number years now on various NAVA committees and have seen first-hand the commitment he gives to all roles he takes on. I have no doubt he will be a real asset to the team.

“This is a really interesting time for John Pye – we’ve just had our busiest month on record following our instruction on a number of high-profile business insolvencies and millionaire bankruptcies. Gary is joining at the perfect time to help us continue this success in the North of England.”

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Mark West has been appointed to lead one of the most experienced Drupal development teams in the UK as he joins Manchester’s Access as head of development.

West leaves CTi Digital after seven years, where he held senior positions including head of Drupal, head of support and digital consultant. He joins the management team at Access and will oversee the fast-growing team of remote working and local developers based in the agency’s Manchester head office.

This latest senior level appointment follows seven other new digital hires in the past two months by the integrated creative and digital experience agency, including a head of quality assurance.

In addition to his seven-year stint at CTi, Mark was a lead Drupal developer at TalkTalk and web executive at Carphone Warehouse.

He brings a wealth of Drupal experience to his new role at Access, which is the only agency with Acquia Preferred Partner status in the North of England and a specialist in the Acquia Digital Experience Platform.

Mark West

West said: “I am looking forward to this exciting new challenge and the opportunity to nurture the burgeoning development team here at Access.

“I’m keen to bring my experience of production practices and processes into the agency, to ensure we continue to offer agile, high quality delivery as we grow to meet ever-increasing client demands.”

Digital director and co-owner of Access, Mark Hope, said: “With experience in Drupal and related open source technologies, people leadership and client-facing roles, Mark will be a huge asset to our digital team and growth plans.

“Mark is joining us at a really important time when we are structuring our teams for scalability to meet strong demand from existing partners, such as WaterAid and Edrington, as well as onboarding new clients and major global projects.”

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Lee Thawley and Vicky Pritchard, formerly part of the senior team at Sorted and AO.com, have launched Bolton-based MuddyWellies, a new brand and culture agency.

The new agency says it is set up to create cutting-edge experiences for clients, producing bespoke plans and building enviable initiatives that make a real difference to businesses, inside and out.

Between them, the founders have experience working with some of the UK’s biggest brands across a variety of sectors including, Halfords, Green Flag, Mercedes-Benz, Authentic Food Company, and Royal Bank of Scotland.

Vicky Pritchard, left, and Lee Thawley

They met eight years ago on a project that would see Appliances Online relaunch as superbrand AO.com. Their paths continued to cross, and in 2017, they reunited at Sorted, with Pritchard as people director and Thawley as head of brand.

Thawley and Pritchard describe themselves each as a welly, Thawley the reliable, tough left boot, and Pritchard the high gloss right, bringing the energy and sparkle.

Pritchard said: “It’s hard work keeping everyone engaged within a business, it’s tough finding that point of differentiation, or the core purpose to our being and avoiding values being just words on a wall. But, when you get it right, it can create such great stories and memories – and deliver such a great business return.

“Well, that’s where we come in. We dig deep, we get muddy, we focus on getting the wellies on the right feet – and your business going in the right direction.”

Thawley added: “What you do internally runs parallel to what you demonstrate externally. And that’s where the power lies.

“The greatest businesses – big or small – are built with brand and people at the heart of everything they do. So, we want to help more companies to build their perfect pair.”

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National law firm, Freeths, has appointed Jackie Heeds who will be joining the Manchester office as a commercial projects partner.

Jackie, who was previously at Eversheds Sutherland for 12 years within the international energy and infrastructure group and commercial team, brings a wealth of experience in major/complex infrastructure transactions procured through PPP – including joint ventures – /PFI/PF2 and has particular expertise in advising clients on projects in a wide range of sectors including transport and related regeneration, housing, accommodation, education and health.

She joins a growing national commercial team, following the appointment of Iain Bowler as group head last year and is recognised as a ‘leading individual’ in her field by legal 500.

Jackie Heeds

Managing partner of the Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds offices, John May, said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Jackie into our commercial team in Manchester, who is a leading lawyer both regionally and nationally in PFI/PPP work.

“Jackie’s arrival will further strengthen our national commercial and infrastructure team ensuring we continue to deliver excellent service to our clients throughout the UK.”

Jackie said: “It’s a really exciting time to be joining Freeths which has gone from strength to strength over the last 10 years.

“I am delighted to be part of the commercial and infrastructure team with its high calibre lawyers and the ability and backbone for us to grow this team further.”

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KPMG has invested in talent in its Manchester practice with 11 promotions, including the appointment of two new directors.

The promotions across a variety of service lines are part of a wider commitment within the firm to invest in talent and innovation in the North West, and support clients through the economic challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic.

Tania Dimitrovich

KPMG’s major investment in audit continues with seven promotions, while deal advisory has bolstered its team with two promotions and, in the firm’s tax and legal team, there are three promotions, including Tom Manning and Tania Dimitrovich, who both become directors.

Tom is a UK and international corporate tax specialist, working with some of KPMG’s largest regional and inbound clients. He advises businesses on a broad range of topics, including cross-border transactions, group reorganisations and treasury tax, as well as domestic tax matters and compliance.

Meanwhile, Tania is part of the corporate tax team and leads the tax governance team in the North West. She has more than 15 years’ experience in the sector, including time at HMRC as a tax inspector.

Tania said: “It’s been an incredibly challenging period for Manchester in recent months, but time and again the business community has proved its resilience and KPMG has been a key part of that story, supporting companies with experience and insight.

“I’m delighted to step up to the role of director, and proud to play my part in delivering on our strategy and helping our diverse range of clients get through the period of uncertainty that lies ahead, with an eye on ensuring long-term, sustainable growth.”

Tom Manning

KPMG’s office senior partner in Manchester, Warren Middleton, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has created profound challenges for our clients and the wider economy, which means our support and expertise is more needed than ever before.

“The latest round of promotions reinforces our commitment to invest in talent and serve the communities we’re part of in Manchester and throughout the North West.

“From the Job Retention Scheme to delivering audits and restructuring support, businesses are looking for expert advice that can help them get through the immediate crisis and focus on long-term sustainable growth. I’m confident KPMG has the right team in place to enable this to happen and get Manchester’s diverse, resilient economy back on track.”