People: Knowsley Chamber; Bank North; PR Agency One; Gamlins Law; Bespoke; Workhouse
Knowsley Chamber has appointed Lyndsay Stanistreet-Tyer as its new business relationship manager.
Lyndsay brings 35 years of experience to this newly created role and is well known across Knowsley and the Liverpool City Region business network.
After more than eight years as general manager of the Suites Hotel & Spa in Knowsley, Lyndsay will join the chamber to help grow and retain membership, help develop the calendar of activities and support the wider Knowsley business network. Lyndsay’s expertise in business relationship management will give the chamber a stronger support offering to existing and new members.
Knowsley Chamber has welcomed nine new businesses into membership over the past two weeks (Apollo Sports CIC, Homesure UK, MJS Joinery, North Mersey Business Centre, AFC Knowsley CIC, The Potter Group, Maggie O’Neil Community Resource Centre, Simple Heating, and Huyton Asphalt/HA Civils), and Lyndsay’s appointment will help the chamber to manage and support members as they grow out of the pandemic.
Alan Seeley, chairman of Knowsley Chamber, said: “We are really pleased that Lyndsay is joining us in this new role. It has been tough for many businesses during the pandemic but chamber membership levels have remained steady. In the past two months we have started seeing membership grow again so Lyndsay’s appointment is perfect timing.
“Lyndsay will help us maintain our high standards of business relationships, as we look to grow the chamber and support Knowsley businesses as they grow out of the pandemic.”
Lesley Martin-Wright, chief executive, Knowsley Chamber, said: “We are really looking forward to having Lyndsay in the team. Anyone who has stayed at the Suites or attended a business event in the hotel will know Lyndsay. The Suites is an iconic hotel in Knowsley and Lyndsay has been the driving force behind its growth and success over the past eight years. Her experience in building and maintaining good business relationships will complement the existing expertise we have in the chamber team.”
Prior to her role at The Suites Hotel, Lyndsay worked for Betfred in Gibraltar, in the marketing team, and as international sales director with Rio Drinks NL, in Spain.
::
Bank North, which claims to be the UK’s first regional bank of the modern era, has appointed Deepak Haria and Madis Toomsalu to its board.
Deepak Haria
Deepak Haria joins as independent non-executive director and chair of Manchester-based Bank North’s board audit committee, bringing 32 years of audit, advisory, and governance experience in banking and financial services across the globe. Deepak is currently a senior advisor at Meghraj Capital, an investment banking advisory company. He also advises businesses in the UK, Africa, and Asia, mentoring early stage fintech and start-up ventures. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Madis Toomsalu will join the board as non-executive director bringing extensive experience in financial markets and credit, having helped create a €2.5bn credit portfolio. Madis is CEO of AS LHV Group, the biggest financial group in Estonia and an anchor investor in Bank North, his work at the group also brings invaluable real-world fintech experience to the board.
Madis Toomsalu
Madis also serves as chairman of the supervisory board of LHV Bank, LHV Insurance and LHV Asset Management, as well as being chairman of the board of LHV UK Limited. He also sits on the management board of MTÜ FinanceEstonia, a non-governmental organisation working to support internationalisation and innovation in the Estonian financial services sector.
The two appointments follow Bank North being granted Authorisation with Restrictions (AWR) by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), completing the first phase of an intensive regulatory journey which coincided with the closing of Bank North’s Series A funding round. The capital from this round will support the bank’s ongoing development during mobilisation, as well as providing capital to support initial lending activities.
Ron Emerson, chair of Bank North, said: “These new appointments to our board bring valuable expertise as we progress through this next critical phase of the regulatory process and commence lending. Deepak’s experience working with central banks and regulators across the world will be invaluable as we move through our mobilisation phase when engagement with regulators is paramount to building a robust bank.
“Madis brings considerable banking knowledge, having built a multibillion-euro credit portfolio, driving LHV Group to be a clear leader in its home market. LHV Group is a leading fintech operation in Estonia, together, these skills will allow Madis to help us build the best products we can, while acting as a strong voice for our investors.”
Deepak Haria said: “The team at Bank North has shown extraordinary skill in the run-up to securing a licence, and it is exciting that the vision to create a new regional lending bank for the UK is becoming a reality. At this stage of the company’s journey, a high quality regulatory relationship and audit rigour are key priorities, and I look forward to supporting Bank North as the business continues to build momentum.”
Madis Toomsalu said: “Bank North will bring a unique proposition to SMEs across the UK, combining cloud-native banking technology with regional empathy, allowing borrowers to access capital more efficiently. I look forward to working with Ron and the rest of the Bank North team to help guide the company through this critical mobilisation phase and commencement of initial lending activities.”
::
James Crawford, managing director of Manchester-based PR Agency One, has been appointed by the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) as a Fellow.
As part of this new role, James will help to shape thinking on the future of the PR industry.
The PRCA, the world’s largest professional PR body, has welcomed 16 new Fellows who have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to public relations in the UK.
James Crawford
New Fellows are invited to join on the unified recommendation of the chairman of Fellows, the board chairman, and the director general. Fellows are entitled to use the designatory letters FPRCA, as well as provide recommendations for the industry.
James set up his award-winning PR, digital and reputation consultancy in 2011. It works with clients such as Decathlon, Gazprom Energy, Allied London and One4all Gift Cards.
James said: “It’s a great honour to be recognised by the PRCA. My first business celebrates its tenth anniversary in September, so the timing of this fellowship has a wider symbolism, too. I hope we continue to work with the PRCA and others in driving standards of professionalism and accountability. To say I am proud is an understatement.”
::
North Wales law firm Gamlins Law has recruited three highly experienced personal injury and clinical negligence lawyers. It has brought on board Simon Roberts, Elen Wynne Roberts and Sally Richards.
Simon, Elen and Sally have a background of working with clients across the UK, including on some of the most complex and high profile cases.
Their decision to join Gamlins Law marks a return to North Wales for all three who have previously worked in the area or have strong family connections.
Simon and Elen have worked together at North West firms, most recently at a Liverpool-based PI firm. Simon has acted for clients in multiple million-pound claims and is a specialist in serious and catastrophic injury cases.
Elen has a background ranging from road traffic accidents and multi-party actions to complex brain injury cases as well as clinical negligence claims.
Sally, who has previously worked for law firms in Chester and Liverpool, also specialises in catastrophic and serious injury claims.
The new team’s combined experience means that Rhyl-based Gamlins Law can handle the full breadth of PI and clinical negligence cases ranging from product, occupier and employer liability claims and RTAs through to the more serious and complex cases.
From left: Elen Wynne Roberts, Simon Roberts, Sally Richards
Managing director, Ron Davison, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to recruit three of the best PI and clinical negligence lawyers, not just in Wales but in the whole of the UK.
“One of our objectives as a business is to demonstrate that all of the high quality legal services clients require can be found in North Wales and not just the major cities. The recruitment of Simon, Elen and Sally is a further high profile demonstration of this ethos.”
He added: “With a greater move towards hybrid working, we are being approached by some of the UK’s best legal talent who are now able to combine working for an ambitious business such as Gamlins Law while living in one of the most attractive parts of the UK.”
Simon said: “I am delighted to have joined Gamlins Law, a firm with a fantastic reputation and now with the capability to meet all the needs of PI and clinical negligence clients in North Wales and elsewhere.”
Sally said: “I decided to join Gamlins Law because the firm stands for the right values in the way it acts for its clients. When you are acting for clients in often complex and highly emotional cases, it is important they can trust their lawyer and know they are completely committed to their best interests.”
Elen said: “My roots are firmly in North Wales so, in many ways, this move feels like I am coming home.”
Gamlins Law employs more than 70 people and will move to a new HQ at Morfa Hall in Rhyl later this year. It has further offices in Mold, Ruthin, Denbigh and Holywell.
::
Digital agency Bespoke has appointed Chris Dunkerley as senior digital marketing strategist.
Chris brings with him 17 years’ experience in the creative industry, working directly with stakeholders at international, multimillion-pound businesses, as well as successful SMEs across a huge range of sectors, from the UK to Dubai.
Chris Dunkerley
He said: “My role at Bespoke will be to help manufacturing and service businesses achieve record breaking results. As a lead generation agency, Bespoke is a leader in its own right. The holistic approach we take, working hand-in-glove with inhouse marketeers to achieve exceptional results, really sets us apart.
“I’m really looking forward to working with Bespoke’s clients to come up with visionary ideas and hone their messages – be that to explain, direct, instruct, encourage or sell – and then to smash their sales targets as a result.”
Employing 12 staff in both Chorley, Lancashire, and London, Bespoke is a lead generation specialist agency. As well as designing and building websites, the agency also delivers online campaigns through retainers to help in-house marketing teams maximise their returns from their online spend.
::
North West creative agency, Workhouse, has further strengthened its core focus on client relationships with the appointment of two new staff.
Jemma Redpath joins the agency’s client services team as an account manager from BJL in Manchester, where she managed and developed client relationships on the Asda, Craghoppers and Pilkington Glass accounts. Jemma will work closely with Workhouse’s digital and design studios to deliver highly creative and results-driven strategies that help clients achieve their business goals.
Claire Whittle, left, and Jemma Redpath
Following her time at 10up as a senior project manager and team lead, Claire Whittle returns to Workhouse as digital production lead to further bolster its delivery capabilities. She will use her 12 years of experience working with brands such as Nespresso, L’Oreal and Facebook to lead the agency’s digital production team, working alongside its strategic, creative and engineering disciplines to deliver hardworking creativity for clients.
The news follows a strong financial performance from the agency, despite the continuing challenges of the pandemic.
Managing director, Martin Meadows, said: “It’s been a very positive year for us, not only financially but strategically. The pandemic has given us a real opportunity to focus and we now have a clear direction of travel.
“We’ll continue to invest in the very best skills and talent to realise our ambitions, so we’re excited to welcome both Claire and Jemma and can’t wait to see them help us deliver an unrivalled experience for our clients.
Established in 1992, Workhouse employs more than 30 staff and works with clients such as Stax Trade Centres, Crown Paints, Topps Tiles, Mix Interiors and Sanipex Group.
