People: Sagars; Algeos; Nugent Santé; Two Stories; Simpson Millar; Laurus Homes

Neil Poulton

Neil Poulton has been appointed managing director at GRP-owned Thomas Sagar Insurance. He started at the end of March 2021.

Business founder, John Meadows, will remain involved with Sagars, in particular client relationship management, but he has stepped back from his leadership role, with Poulton taking overall responsibility for the Burnley-based broker and reporting to Neil Thornton, GRP MD Retail.

Sagar is a chartered insurance broker that provides insurance solutions for the corporate, business and private sectors.  Founded more than 60 years ago, it was acquired by GRP in 2018.

Neil joins Sagars from Marsh Commercial where he was a branch director. He has more than 30 years’ in the insurance industry and is hugely experienced. He said that Sagars’ heartland of the East Lancashire area has a lot of manufacturing businesses, including BAE and Rolls Royce. They attract smaller engineering companies in the supply chain, which are the major client base for Sagars.

Neil Thornton said: “Neil has a deep understanding of the particular needs and requirements of our clients and will be a steady hand as we navigate through the current hard market. I warmly welcome him to Sagars and am confident that with his leadership we will take the business forward to the next phase in its strategic journey.”

Neil Poulton said: “Sagars is the leading brokerage in the East Lancashire area and I am very excited by the prospect of working alongside John to service our client base and grow the book.”

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Liverpool medical distributor Algeos has appointed a new operations manager. Neil Smith joins with more than 30 years’ experience in supply chain and operational management.

Possessing vast experience of working on business transformation and projects in warehousing, FMCG logistics and supply chain, Neil’s qualifications include IOSH, NEBOSH, Prince2, Six Sigma and CPC. He is also trained in lean methodologies, originating from Unipart’s lean sensei by Toyota.

Neil’s portfolio includes clients such as Unipart, Handleman UK, Bargain Booze, IMS, Kimberly-Clark, Sainsbury’s and Rick Bestwick. He also project managed and was accountable for Adidas’s stock processes for the 2012 London Olympics.

He brings to Algeos first class knowledge within category management, general merchandise, logistics, utilities, and eCommerce. Neil will be looking to improve processes and operational activities to support business growth, which will, in turn, support the launch of the new Algeos website later this year.

Neil Smith

Neil said: “I am delighted to join Algeos and really proud to be part of a family-run business with a solid reputation built on honesty and integrity.

“The vision of Algeos and their innovative ways of working are very much in line with my own, with a focus on achieving operational excellence and high levels of customer satisfaction.

“The team have made me feel very welcome in my short time here and I am really looking forward to working with them. It is clear that Team Algeos are dedicated to doing their utmost to meet the needs of our clients and customers.”

Jackie Fisher, Algeos chief executive, said: “We’re so pleased to welcome Neil. He brings with him a wealth of experience in operational excellence, and a very collaborative approach.

“Neil is already proving to be an asset to Team Algeos, demonstrating a real customer-focused attitude and a friendly, approachable personality. We know that Neil will empower our operations team and transform our fulfilment abilities, and are really looking forward to working with him.”

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Health insurance and wellbeing specialist Nugent Santé has promoted two of its senior members of the team to its board of directors.

Rob Rigby

Rob Rigby and Alison Wignall, formerly head of sales and head of operations, respectively, are now directors and have an equity stake in Nugent Santé. Rob is now director of sales, and Alison is director of operations.

The Preston-based company sits within the wider The Santé Group, including life insurance business Santé Life and broker support business ArchAngel. It also includes specialist private medical insurance broker network, Santé Partners.

Santé Group chief executive, Paul Nugent, said: “Rob and Alison have been with the business since we started life in 2014 and have contributed significantly to the group’s success.

Alison Wignall

“They both share a passion for driving the business forward and have been instrumental in putting working practices in place that have enabled Nugent Santé to evolve and become one of the leaders in its field.”

He added: “As a group, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the way businesses are prioritising health and wellbeing as a central function to how an organisation operates. With this, we need to respond quickly to changes in how businesses look after their people and make sure we have the products, service, and infrastructure to support our clients. Rob and Alison have made sure this happens.”

The Santé Group now employs 27 people at its Lancashire headquarters but will be expecting headcount to treble over the next five years.

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Lancaster brand consultancy and design studio, Two Stories, has announced four new appointments, following a succession of client wins.

Eleven new clients, across a host of sectors, have appointed the team, contributing to a 70% increase in business for the consultancy over the past six months.

Six new national clients – the London Symphony Chorus, software and services investor Hg, deviant skincare, childbirth injury charity MASIC, Sabella Interiors and Event Television – join five new regional clients – luxury home cinema and gym company Quintessential, digital PR and content led SEO agency Digitaloft, audio visual integrators Pure AV, Aquajade bathrooms and Lancaster Business Improvement District (BID) – on the consultancy’s roster.

The studio has added two designers, Emily Fell and Lauren Rankine, developer Ryan White, and Stacey Waugh as head of brand communications to the team, to deliver brand strategy, brand communications, brand identity design, print and digital design, website development and design, for Two Stories’ new and existing clients.

From left: Stacey Waugh, Emily Fell, Lauren Rankine and Ryan White

Rob Ellis, managing director and co-founder, said: “It’s a really exciting time for Two Stories, with the business growing significantly both in terms of our client base and team. Our appointments bring a new dimension to the studio – it’s a team that’s full of talent, experience and energy, and we can’t wait to see the impact that has on the business.”

He added: “Our new client wins are testament to the quality of work we’re producing and the service we’re delivering. We’re working on some amazing projects at the moment, focusing on driving our clients’ businesses forward through purpose-led brand development, communications and design, and we genuinely can’t wait to show them off in the coming weeks and months.”

The consultancy, which was launched in September 2019 by co-founders Bekkie Hull and Rob Ellis, already works for a host of national clients including Channel 4’s 4Sales, industry body of sustainable events isla and The Advertising Association, as well as well known regional businesses, Dennison Trailers, MH Stainton Homes, Butler Interiors and Cornvale Fine Foods.

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One of the country’s leading authorities on Court of Protection (CoP) has joined Simpson Millar in a move that further cements the firm’s commitment to building an unrivalled, national network of specialists acting on behalf of people who lack capacity to make decisions for themselves.

Based in Manchester and appointed to join the property and affairs division, Kate Edwards brings with her more than a decade of experience during which time she has co-authored the Court of Protection Handbook and been named as a ‘rising star’ by the prestigious legal directory, Legal 500.

Her appointment to the team – which oversees the property, financial affairs and personal welfare of people who lack mental capacity to make decisions for themselves – sees her join fellow expert and solicitor Carl Marston, who joined the business last year, and who previously worked at both Irwin Mitchell and Lees Solicitors.

In 2020 Kate was invited by Mr Justice Hayden to join the ‘hive committee’ – a small group of key individuals who could consult rapidly on the issues affecting the working of the CoP during the pandemic – at the start of the COVID-crisis. A position she continues to hold, representing property and affairs solicitors as part of the network.

Joining from Wrigleys, Kate has a wealth of expertise in professional deputyship, including complex cases involving high value litigation, cross border disputes and welfare issues. She is also involved with applications for statutory wills, gifts, gratuitous care payments and other related matters.

Kate Edwards

First appointed as a professional deputy in her own right in 2013, she has gone on to work with hundreds of traditional and blended families from a whole range of different backgrounds and cultures, including those from the travelling community.

She will now also work to support Simpson Millar’s personal injury department, including acting on behalf of victims of serious injuries and medical negligence who lack capacity.

Carl, who has previously led a team managing the day to day financial and property matters, also has a considerable knowledge of personal injury and clinical negligence claims having been a serious personal injury lawyer for 20 years before he chose to pursue his interests in the Court of Protection.

This insight has helped him to provide invaluable assistance to personal injury solicitors and has helped him build strong relationships with his clients and their families throughout the claim process.

Kate said: “I am delighted to be joining the CoP team at Simpson Millar. My whole career has been dedicated to this field, which, in itself, is dedicated to ensuring that our clients – many of whom are extremely vulnerable – receive the outcome that best meets their need.

“I have a particular interest in contested applications, assisting family members to resolve problems with another family member who is deputy or attorney, and I am excited to continue this work as part of Simpson Millar’s national network of top-quality lawyers.”

Melanie Varey, Simpson Millar’s head of Court of Protection, said: “It’s an honour to be welcoming Kate to the team. Her expertise and passion for the field is highly impressive and makes her perfect for the role.”

In 2012 Kate founded the Court of Protection Practitioner’s Association (CoPPA) and continues to sit on the national executive committee.

An experienced spokesperson on key topics, Carl has regularly featured in the press – including appearances on BBC Radio and TV to discuss various areas of the law within his expertise. He established a strong relationship with charities through fundraising and presenting informative talks on key issues.

Kate’s arrival at Simpson Millar follows a string of ‘strategic appointments’ for the firm which is working to bolster its national network of ‘top-quality lawyers’ and its personal injury, public law and private client offering across the country.

Earlier this month the business welcomed Cara Nuttall as a new family law partner in a move which furthers the firm’s ambitious expansion plans for 2021.

The move forms part of Simpson Millar’s ambitions to ‘open’ up the law to make it easier for people to get legal help and support when they need it most.

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Laurus Homes has taken on five new employees and awarded a promotion as the business continues to expand its operations throughout the North West.

The profit-for-purpose homes builder, the housing development arm of Trafford Housing Trust, has recently announced plans for new developments in Whalley alongside two further schemes in Lancashire.

Jacqueline Sumner joins as regional sales manager for the North, and Daniel Eccles is the new regional sales manager for the South. Esther Barr has been promoted into a new role as sales progression manager.

Jacqueline Sumner

Jacqueline said: “It is very exciting to be a part of such a vast expansion for the business throughout the North. I am really proud to work for a forward-thinking organisation that genuinely cares about its people and customers, and I am looking forward to playing my part in improving the neighbourhoods they work and live in.”

Dan said: “The company vision and plans match my ambitious outlook on life, and I am excited to be part of the journey and share in Laurus’s success, creating homes and communities we can be proud of.”

Daniel Eccles

Three new sales advisors have also joined the business and are responsible for housing developments throughout the North West, including Delamere, Congleton, and Winsford.

Zac Worthington, head of sales at Laurus Homes, said: “It’s an exciting time for Laurus Homes as we have plans to launch several new developments later this year to complement a number of developments already on site.

“We’ve seen a strong demand for new homes across the North West and we’re delivering a product to our customers that we’re very proud of. It’s great to have so many new employees on board, each bringing valuable experience and expertise to Laurus Homes as we continue our ambitious growth plans.”

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