People: APS Group; CTS; B-Compliant; Potter Rees Dolan; Beech Tree; Dept

Tony Massey

Cheshire-based global marketing services business, APS Group, has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of Tony Massey as executive director.

Tony will have joint responsibility with John Holmes for group-wide business development and marketing, reporting into APS managing director Nick Snelson.

He brings more than 25 years’ experience in the marketing services world having previously held senior positions at HH Global, Williams Lea and, most recently, as vice president of international business development for Innerworkings Inc. There he led international growth and development from a regional, pan-regional and international perspective.

Tony joins the business as it looks to further invest in a series of growth objectives including the recent launch of a purpose built 110,000 sq ft secure communications facility in Preston Brook.

Nick Snelson said: “In our 60th anniversary year, despite COVID, the business has remained resilient during the last 12 months.

“Hiring someone of Tony’s calibre will only accelerate the growth of the group as we build upon a series of successful wins in 2020.”

Mr Massey said: “I’m really excited to be joining APS, it’s a dynamic business that has successfully expanded into Europe and the US as well as diversifying into agency, digital and retail services, to complement its print, data and fulfilment offerings. The solid foundations that have been set over recent years give us a great platform for expansion and I’m really looking forward to being part of this future success.”

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As part of its three-year plan to become one of Google Cloud’s largest dedicated global partners, Manchester-based CTS has appointed two specialist chief technology officers (CTO), in a strategic move that will allow the business to better support its customers.

Olivier Van Goethem

Olivier Van Goethem, who joins from Google Cloud, will become CTO of CTS’s Google Cloud Data and Infrastructure modernisation practice. Olivier will work with customers to utilise Google Cloud in the most effective way for their organisations, making the best use of the solution’s data capturing and analysis capabilities.

Meanwhile, Stuart Cummings, who was previously CTS’s head of presales, will become CTO of Work Transformation. Stuart’s role will see him work with customers on their IT strategy to ensure it enables their business to work efficiently and productively, through solutions such as Google Workspace – formerly known as G Suite.

CTS says it is dividing the CTO role into two to meet the changing needs of its customers.

Stuart Cummings

Tom Ray, CTS managing director, said: “Lockdown has completely altered how organisations work day-to-day and businesses are reviewing their tech strategies as a result. But it’s important to recognise the IT strategy of every business is different, too.”

Prior to joining CTS, Olivier spent two years as a data analytics specialist at Google Cloud and three years at Cloudreach as Cloud Product Lead. He said: “A business’s tech journey doesn’t stop once they move to the cloud – it’s an ongoing process. I want to help customers unlock insights and realise value from their data, using the capabilities of Google Cloud.”

Meanwhile, Stuart has worked at CTS for 10 years and said: “During my time at CTS we’ve always adapted to meet the changing needs of our customers and that’s exactly what we’re doing now. It’s important that we understand the different journeys that businesses are on when it comes to tech adoption – it’s not a one size fits all approach.”

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Manchester-based B-Compliant is strengthening its team of financial specialists with the appointment of two compliance consultants with more than 50 years’ combined experience.

The extra capacity provided by the duo will help the financial compliance experts meet rising demand for their services from across the UK.

Joanne Smith joins on a part time basis, picking up a range of work, from developing monitoring programmes for clients, to file reviews and risk assessments. She entered the financial services sector 30 years ago as an adviser and has worked as a compliance consultant since 1997.

Gill Thompson-Daly has spent the past 20 years in Jersey’s financial sector, most recently as a compliance officer. She will be helping B-Compliant’s clients stay appraised of industry developments by producing technical documents, such as policies and procedures, as well as regular updates on regulatory changes.

Joanne Smith, left, and Gill Thompson-Daly

Gill said: “I was drawn to B-Compliant by the team’s energy, work ethic and technical knowledge. In just a few years, the firm has become hugely successful by understanding what clients want. I hope my skills and experience will add value to the business and assist its future growth.”

Vicky Pearce, B-Compliant director, said: “Both Gill and Joanne have vast experience in the financial compliance sector and are welcome additions to our team.

“We are keen to sustain our rapid development and their technical knowledge will help us achieve these aims, whilst maintaining the high standards of client care that form the bedrock of our proposition.”

B-Compliant specialises in compliance for FCA-regulated businesses, including financial and mortgage advisers, wealth, fund and discretionary investment managers, private equity firms and insurance brokers.

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Over the past 12 months Manchester-based serious injury firm Potter Rees Dolan’s Court of Protection (COP) legal team has gone from strength to strength, increasing to a team of 11 solicitors and paralegals.

Led by Ruth Wright, who has more than 15 years of experience acting as a professional Court of Protection deputy and as a professional Trustee for both children and adults, the COP team manage settlements for personal injury and clinical negligence clients who are unable to manage money themselves.

This includes children with cerebral palsy, adults with severe brain injuries, mental health problems or learning difficulties and elderly clients with dementia. The team ensures funds are used to help with specialist rehabilitation, support and necessary adaptations to an individual’s home. The team also provides professional Trustee services.

Joshua Coupe

New appointments include: Joshua Coupe and Hayley Yates – both paralegals – who joined the team at the end of 2019. Last summer, solicitor Isobel Cairns joined from Royds Withy King, where she completed her training contract, which included a period in the Court of Protection team. Abigail Cuffe joined as a paralegal at the end of 2020, having previously worked in the Court of Protection Department at another firm and for Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) where she dealt with several Court of Protection claimants. Rachel Snowdon has recently been promoted to paralegal after joining Potter Rees Dolan in 2017 as a PA within the COP team. In early 2021, Court of Protection solicitor Samantha Spain joined the team from Switalskis Solicitors. She is appointed as deputy for a number of clients who value her input and followed her to Potter Rees Dolan.

Ruth Wright said: “The Court of Protection Department is going from strength to strength and the people who have joined the team over the last year or so have added to our expertise and experience. Having a strong team ensures that we are able to provide a top-quality service to our clients both now and in the future.”

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Beech Tree Private Equity has appointed Leigh Thomas as an investment manager.

Leigh joins from Barclays Corporate Bank where he undertook roles in both relationship management and more recently leveraged finance, where Leigh spent four years supporting both private equity and corporate clients in financing strategic transactions such as Growth Capex, Cash Outs and M&A.

Leigh’s role will be focused on sourcing and executing investment opportunities as well as supporting the portfolio.

Leigh said: “It’s an exciting time to join the firm and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to support Beech Tree in its expansion as the firm continues to seek investments in high growth UK businesses in attractive sub-sectors.”

Managing partner Andy Marsh added: “We’re delighted to be able to announce this new hire and recognise the growth and strength of Beech Tree. This is an exciting time for both Beech Tree & Leigh as we continue to complete new investments and bolt on acquisitions in what is a difficult economic environment.”

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The Manchester arm of international digital agency Dept has welcomed four new female digital experts.

Joining just in time for International Women’s Day, these new starters bring a breadth of experience across marketing, project management, design and user experience.

Lavinia Alexoiu is Dept’s newest senior UX designer, joining after a three-year posting at Manchester’s Accenture Interactive where she worked as senior product designer and a UX designer. Lavinia is an experienced end-to-end designer, skilled in taking digital products from discovery all the way to launch and beyond.

She said: “I’m excited to be joining Dept. The agency’s approach to redesigning digital experiences for multiple industries made me feel like I want to be part of their journey. Its wide portfolio of projects means that I have the opportunity to apply a wide range of skills and also continuously learn and grow, alongside a brilliant team.”

Ali Marler also joined Dept in March as a designer. With four years’ experience working in creative agencies, most recently at The Drawing Room in Manchester, her specialist skillset in branding, digital and print design is a great addition to the team.

Senior marketing manager, Alexandra Moorhouse, worked for Manchester Central, I-COM and, most recently, MIDAS, Manchester’s inward investment agency, prior to joining Dept. With eight years’ experience in marketing and communications, she is now responsible for delivering Dept’s sector-focused strategies and campaigns with core competencies in content creation and event management.

From left: Lavinia Alexoiu, Alexandra Moorhouse, Ali Marler

She said: “Joining a global company that’s driving innovation and transformation is an exciting opportunity. It’s impressive how quickly Dept is launching solutions to help clients open new revenue streams and build a loyal customer base in the new digital reality. I’m looking forward to helping the agency achieve its ambitious growth plans.”

Dept has also welcomed Jo Warrilow to the role of service delivery executive within its DOS (Digital Operations Services) team where she coordinates projects, manages resources and ensures the smooth running of day-to-day operations. Her seven-year professional track record involves business support and project coordination for Mercer, WYG Group and Breast Cancer Care.

Melissa Hermitt, operations director, said: “We’re delighted to welcome this talented group of women to Dept, especially on International Women’s Day. Women are having a massive, positive impact on the future of our industry and we’re seeing that right now, here at Dept. There are so many benefits to building a gender-balanced and diverse workforce, from greater innovation and faster decision making, to improved productivity.”

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