People: Co-op Live; Slater Heelis; Rhino Doors; Ultimate Visual Solutions; Suttons Tankers; Parfetts
Co–op Live, the new music and live entertainment arena opening in Manchester in 2023, has announced the appointment of the team that will lead on sales of the arena’s premium hospitality offering.
The five-person team is being led by Head of Premium Sales, Becci Thomson, and will be responsible for the sale of 28 suites, 12 lounges and club spaces, and 2196 premium seats.
Thomson’s team has decades of experiences in premium sales and will be based out of Co–op Live’s new HQ in the Northern Quarter.
Paula Jupp joins as Senior Sales Manager, bringing extensive experience of the Greater Manchester business scene. Jupp spent 15 years at the Manchester Evening News, latterly as Head of Commercial Business and Events, and, most recently in a strategic role at the city’s inward investment agency, MIDAS.
Alongside Jupp, three Sales Manager have also joined the team at Co–op Live. Maxine Price is a highly experienced professional in Manchester’s entertainment sector, with 20 years in various hospitality sales roles at the existing Manchester arena (current name – AO Arena).
Edward Coulson has a decade of commercial expertise across a range of businesses and sectors including real estate, and joins along with Mark Bennett, who has previously worked in sales roles at Manchester City Football Club and Lancashire Cricket Club.
Developer Oak View Group was supported by Elevate Sports Ventures in the search for the team. Co–op Live’s new HQ has been custom designed as an experiential showcase of the venue’s premium spaces. Visits will be available to arrange by appointment.
Becci Thomson, Head of Premium Sales, Co–op Live, said: “Co–op Live has put a lot of focus into the design of amazing premium experiences, and we’re really excited to have this team on board so early in the sales process to deliver on our revenue goals. Paula, Maxine, Edward, and Mark bring a diverse skill-set, passion and deep sales expertise in the Manchester market and I know they are excited to get started.”
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From left: Fakhruddin Maimoon, Chris Bishop, Hannah Costley
North West law firm Slater Heelis is naming a series of new appointments across a range of legal departments as it continues to bolster its operations across Manchester.
The full-service law firm has welcomed seven new legal recruits and four team members in business support roles since 2021, with further appointments in the pipeline for the coming months.
With offices in Manchester city centre, Sale and Timperley, the firm now has more than 160 employees and growing. The team expansion is partly a reaction to the increased demand seen by the firm for legal services in all aspects of life and business since COVID-19 restrictions began to lift.
The growth in legal talent also sits alongside ongoing recruitment drives for practice management roles, with Lawrence Stansfield having recently joined as a new business administrator, Kate Miller as a marketing executive, and Debbie Hughes as a file opening administrator.
Of the new legal appointments, Hannah Costley has been appointed as a solicitor in the crime and regulation department. Costley completed her training contract focusing on police misconduct and regulatory matters and brings extensive experience in advising, from suspects under caution and defendants before the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts to interested parties at inquests and officers facing misconduct proceedings.
Slater Heelis’ private client team has also been strengthened with three new arrivals, including solicitors Claire MacKenzie and Fakhruddin Maimoon. Marcus Sorton has also joined the department as a data input administrator.
MacKenzie will specialise solely in Court of Protection cases, while Maimoon will advise on a range of private client matters. The latter brings commercial litigation experience from a top tier international law firm and is fluent in Gujrati, Urdu and Hindi.
The dispute resolution team welcomed solicitor Lauren Adams in January, who brings with her plenty of litigation experience.
Further appointments include Jodi Tuson and Louise Richardson, who have both joined the family law team as a solicitor and consultant, respectively. Paralegal Kelsey Marron also joined the team in June.
Managing partner, Chris Bishop, said: “We’ve been expanding and enriching our team on all sides, continually adding to our capabilities and expertise to ensure that we deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients.
“The growth of agile working – one upshot of the pandemic – has enabled flexibility that can accommodate for a variety of working preferences and attract a range of talent from across the UK. We’re a strong advocate of agility in the workplace and providing an environment that empowers lawyers to perform at their best.
“It’s rewarding to see the Slater Heelis team continue to grow and flourish after such a demanding year, and we’re looking forward to strengthening it further in the coming months.”
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Burscough-based Rhino Doors, a designer and manufacturer of bespoke and CPNI-rated engineered doors, has recruited a new head of procurement to work alongside the wider team in developing and implementing procurement and cost saving strategies.
John Smith, who has a background predominantly in high precision engineering and has worked in procurement since 1986, joins in a part time capacity and brings with him a wealth of experience with blue chip companies.
Having worked in various sectors, including newspaper printing, oil and gas, food technology, homeland security and nuclear, John’s role is to provide professional procurement services on a project-by-project basis, working with the wider supply chain to deliver the best possible outcomes for the company in terms of cost, quality and delivery.
John Smith
Managing director, Stuart Lawrence, said: “We’re very pleased to welcome John to Rhino Doors, and he brings with him an excellent reputation and extensive knowledge of worldwide supplier networks.
“His background in industry and his experience across multiple sectors will no doubt ensure that he is a very valuable asset to the team.”
John Smith said: “It’s a pleasure to be joining Rhino, especially at such an exciting time for the company, and I am thoroughly looking forward to working on some brilliant projects with a talented team of people.”
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Video wall technology experts Ultimate Visual Solutions (UVS) has appointed experienced service engineer Jonny O’Brien in response to increased demand for its products and services.
Jonny O’Brien
Jonny’s appointment to the installation and service team comes as the company, based in the Business First – Burnley Business Centre, expands to cater for demand from across the world.
Managing director, Steve Murphy, said: “Jonny joins us as we continue to expand and already has a wealth of knowledge about our products and services, so has been able to hit the ground running and it is great to have him on board.”
UVS provides video wall displays and audio visual solutions to a range of clients across the UK and the rest of the world.
It has a full suite of remote access and online demonstration services.
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Suttons Tankers said it is delighted to announce the appointment of Karoline Campbell as human resources director.
Karoline is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and has extensive senior level human resources experience, most recently with KCOM.
She joins Widnes-based Suttons at an exciting time in its strategic development and will focus on HR strategy to support business performance, employee engagement, training and development, as well as talent management.
Suttons’ drivers are at the heart of the business, so working closely with these colleagues will also be at the forefront of Karoline’s agenda, said the company.
Karoline Campbell
Managing Director, Michael Cundy, said: “As we continue to work with all of our valued customers and look to build further on our ambitious growth plans, it is crucial that we have the expertise to ensure that our workforce is well prepared.
“Karoline’s appointment will strengthen our ability to have a high performance culture with committed, driven individuals who are supported and given great development opportunities.”
Karoline said: “I am delighted to have joined Suttons Tankers and I’m looking forward to playing an active part in its continued success and development.”
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Stockport-based Parfetts has appointed Steve Moore as head of retail to oversee the next phase of the wholesaler’s expansion of its symbol group.
He joins from Costcutter, where he was the regional business director responsible for sales and recruitment. He will manage a team of 25 business development managers across the North and Midlands.
Parfetts is on target to hit 1,000 Go Local Symbol group members by the end of next year. It sees its ability to give members value by building its relationships with suppliers as an essential part of its service. It also recently launched The Local, a new off licence-focused fascia.
Steve Moore
Steve Moore said: “I’ve admired Parfetts’ focus on the customer and seen the growth it has driven. I’m pleased to be joining the team and look forward to working with our retailers to help them develop their businesses.”
The appointment follows the announcement of a raft of board level changes to create a platform for further growth, which saw Guy Swindell and Noel Robinson named as joint managing directors (designate) from June 1, taking up their full roles on January 1, 2022.
Guy Swindell said: “Steve brings a wealth of experience to the role, and he will add significant value to our continued development and the operations of our retailers.”
