People: TDC; Thincats; Berkeley Shaw; Knowsley Safari; Liverpool LEP; Rhino Site Systems
Mid-market private debt fund Tosca Debt Capital (TDC) has made three new appointments to support its ambitious growth plans.
Rob Hanley joins as investment director and will help Manchester-based TDC’s portfolio companies to fulfil their strategic plans, support bolt on activity and use his credit skills to identify new investment opportunities for the firm.
Rob has more than 14 years’ experience across debt advisory, restructuring and corporate banking having worked in both the London and Manchester markets. Prior to TDC, Rob gained significant experience at international management consulting firm AlixPartners, working on several high profile financial and operational restructuring assignments across a broad range of sectors and geographies.
Rob moved to Manchester to join Grant Thornton’s advisory and restructuring team to focus on SMEs and mid-market corporates and latterly spent two years at HSBC as a relationship director. As part of these roles, Rob has led many transactions in the mid-market space, working with business owners, financial institutions, and private equity houses to deliver debt led solutions to support stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Tom Scatchard and India Kendrick have also joined the team as portfolio executives. Joining from BDO, Tom and India both have backgrounds in transaction services and audit. They will work on expanding TDC’s portfolio of investments, which typically comprise lower mid-market deals ranging from £10-30m and supporting new deal underwriting.
These hires further strengthen TDC’s investment and portfolio capabilities, and follow the appointment of Mat Deering who joined as a partner in April 2021.
Richard Williams, partner at TDC, said: We have known Rob for a number of years and believe he will be a great addition to our team, bringing exceptional experience in the debt markets across the full range of transactional scenarios.
“We’re also delighted to have Tom and India on board to diversify the skillsets in our portfolio team and add more flexibility to our investment resource. Having deployed £150m of investment in 2021 in UK mid-market deals, we aim to accelerate that growth during 2022 and the ongoing expansion of the TDC team will be a key enabler.”
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ThinCats, the alternative finance provider to mid-sized SMEs, has announced an appointment to bolster its presence in the North West, with Mike Dinnell joining as director of regional business development.
Mike brings a wealth of experience in the banking and finance industry, having previously worked at Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group. He joins ThinCats from Allied Irish Bank where he has spent the past five years as a senior relationship manager covering commercial businesses in the £1m to £30m turnover space.
Mike Dinnell
With business development director Dave Parr already in situ, Mike’s addition represents ThinCats’ commitment to funding in the region and its recognition that the area is a key location for ambitious and growing mid-sized SMEs. Mike will play a key role in servicing the increasing levels of demand for funding to support the growth of SMEs across the North West, working with the regional team to build relationships within the local business finance community.
Mike Dinnell said: “There’s currently a lot of demand for finance to support acquisitions and buyouts, I’m keen to hit the ground running and support the work ThinCats do with SMEs.”
Mike Hackett, head of business development, said: “It’s great to welcome Mike to the team as we continue to expand in the North West. Alternative lenders like ThinCats are continuing to play a growing and strong role to support the needs of SMEs. Mike will be helping us to lead the charge across the region.”
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Merseyside estate agent, Berkeley Shaw, has appointed Karen Parks as head of residential sales.
Karen has experience in property sales having worked in North Sefton for more than two decades, having previously worked for Michael Moon, Entwistle Green and Wainwright Edwards before opening her own agency in Formby.
In her new role, Karen will undertake all valuations in Hightown, Formby, Ainsdale and Southport as well as oversee the running of Berkeley Shaw’s Formby branch.
John Baybut and Karen Parks
She said: “I’m really looking forward to getting started with Berkeley Shaw. The company has built an effective business model over the many years they have been in operation, with an outstanding reputation for delivering for their clients.”
Berkeley Shaw managing director, John Baybut, said: “We are thrilled to have Karen join our team to lead our residential sales. Together we have developed a market leading plan which will make Berkeley Shaw the leading agent in the area. Karen’s expertise and contacts within the area are going to be a significant asset to us.”
The appointment follows a series of announcements from the company as Berkeley Shaw aims to expand its reach across the region including a recent merger with Keppie Massie Residential.
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At the start of what will be a significant year for Merseyside’s Knowsley Safari, the attraction has recruited former National Trust figurehead, Kirsten Warren, to the newly-created role of safari director.
Kirsten will be responsible for animal care, as well as staff and guest satisfaction and her appointment coincides with the 550-acre Safari continuing its 50th year celebrations and Knowsley taking the Liverpool City Region 2022 Borough of Culture mantle.
Kirsten Warren
Macclesfield-based Kirsten has worked at a senior level with several National Trust landmarks and has significant experience overseeing award winning events, such as Dunham Massey’s Christmas Light Trail. She is aiming to build on Knowsley Safari being one of the most respected and visited attractions in the North West and the UK.
Kirsten said: “This is an amazing time to join such an iconic attraction. Knowsley Safari is one of the region’s best loved days out, with generations of the same families having made memories here since it was founded 50 years ago.
“Knowsley Safari played an integral role in bringing families together during the pandemic and we want to ensure we continue to provide the much needed outdoor space and adventure filled experiences that bring families and friends together.
“Another focus this year is conservation. The team is involved in protecting endangered species around the globe, so heralding this and sharing our knowledge, both locally and internationally is of prime importance.”
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The health and life sciences sector in the Liverpool City Region has been further strengthened thanks to the appointment of several new board members.
Damian Mohammed
This LCR Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) sub-board plays a leading role in growing and developing such a vital sector, as well as supporting the economic recovery plans to ‘build back better’ post pandemic.
Peter Timmins, chair of the health and life sciences board has welcomed 13 new members. Amongst them are Rinki Deb, senior programme manager, Infection Innovation Consortium, (iiCON) led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Damian Mohammed, who leads on North West Strategic Partnerships at the Centre for Process Innovation.
Mr Timmins said: “The past two years have shown us the importance of collective collaboration in finding solutions for healthcare and as a board we will continue to strive towards positive health outcomes during these post-COVID pandemic times.”
Damian Mohammed said: “I’m looking forward to helping shape the future of this vital sector in the city region, particularly across innovation, diversity and inward investment. I hope to bring a new perspective to the board from my experience in the innovation eco-system in London and across the North West, as both an investment director and now at CPI, one of the founding members of Innovate UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult.”
Dr Rinki Deb
Rinki Deb said: “The health and life sciences board has a key role to play in championing and nurturing the Liverpool City Region’s sector offering – helping to secure the region’s position as a global leader in health and life sciences, driving sustainable economic growth, and creating long lasting social value for our diverse communities. I am passionate about supporting the interface between academia and industry to drive forward innovation in the sector.”
The new board members are: Lindsay Sharples, Acting Co-Director Enterprise & Growth – The Innovation Agency; Jan Ross, Chief Executive – The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust; Claire Eyers, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor, Research & Impact – The University of Liverpool; Clare Austin, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine – Edge Hill University; Phil Carvil, HealthTec Cluster Manager – Science and Technology Facilities Council – UKRI; John Dyer, Lead Teacher for Science Innovation – Liverpool Life Sciences UTC; Phil Blything, Managing Director – Glow New Media; Rinki Deb, Senior Programme Manager, Infection Innovation Consortium, iiCON – Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; Neill Liptrott, Lecturer in Pharmacology, Nanotherapeutics Hub Coordinator, CELT Biocompatibility Lead, Immunocompatibility Research Group Lead – The University of Liverpool; Paul Treloar, Head of Business Support – Sci-Tech Daresbury; Steve Molyneux, Operations Director – Bells Healthcare; Damian Mohammed, North West Strategic Partnerships – Centre for Process Innovation; Lorna Green, Chief Executive – Liverpool City Region Ventures.
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Specialist industrial door installation and maintenance firm, Rhino Site Systems, has appointed Jonathan Pullar as business development manager as part of its 2022 growth strategy.
The service division of Rhino Engineering Group, established in 2021, is led by managing director, Paul Andrews, and provides professional door installation and maintenance services to clients across multiple sectors, including transport, defence and national infrastructure.
Previously, the firm’s installation and maintenance services were housed within its parent company, Rhino Engineering Group. The creation of Rhino Site Systems as a separate organisation is part of a plan to scale up its bespoke service provisions for clients.
Jonathan Pullar
Pullar, who will be based at Rhino’s Burscough site, possesses a wealth of business development experience, having worked with national companies including Arrow Industrial Group, Tchibo International and Nestlé Waters.
His focus for the first quarter of 2022, will be to work with both past and present clients of Rhino Engineering Group, raising both customer awareness and the overall profile of Rhino Site Systems across the UK.
Paul Andrews said: “We’re very pleased to have Jonathan on board to continue steering Rhino Site Systems in a positive direction throughout 2022. Jonathan brings with him strong experience in this area, and we’re looking forward to expanding our client list, as well as branching out into new sectors.”
Jonathan Pullar said: “With recent growth within the wider Rhino Engineering Group, the company holds so much potential to go from strength to strength in the coming months, and I’m pleased to be a part of it.”
Rhino Site Systems is in the process of developing a nationwide task force which will see mobile engineers situated across the UK, offering world class operational and customer service to clients.
