People: Marktlink; ICT Reverse; Haines Watts; Simpson Millar; Robert Scott; GC Angels

From left: Alexander Wilson, Jonathan Parkinson, Hari Griffith

Marktlink, an independent international mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory firm, has announced the appointment of two new consultants to its Manchester office.

The recently launched UK HQ is the ninth office in the international Marktlink network, and the new hires are the first since the opening of the Manchester branch earlier this year.

Established in 1996, Marktlink intends to have offices operating in 10 European countries by 2025. With its head office in Amsterdam, the company provides expert advice to entrepreneurs in the upper SME market on M&A transactions, representing both buyers and sellers, and now operates across a network of nine offices in five countries.

The operation, though historically centred in the Benelux region, has in recent years expanded rapidly to Germany and Scandinavia prior to its opening in the UK.

The UK team has been bolstered by the recent additions of Alex Wilson, who has joined from Deloitte, where he worked as part of the tax & legal team in Leeds, and Hari Griffith, who has joined from OneToOne Corporate Finance in Chester.

Alex, an old Etonian and University of York graduate, has relocated to Manchester for the new role, said: “I am really looking forward to working with my colleagues in Manchester to grow Marktlink’s presence in the UK. My personal goals are to make an impact on Marktlink and the UK M&A market.

“To me, M&A is the most involved and exciting way that you can contribute to the growth of a business. By working to assist entrepreneurs through this process, it means that I can make a meaningful and long lasting positive impact on their business.”

Hari joined OneToOne, an independent corporate finance adviser, from Mitchell Charlesworth Accountants, where he undertook his ACCA qualification and worked in tax and audit. He has experience in all aspects of the corporate finance role, including advising shareholders on sale and buying of business, fundraising, and forecasting.

Hari said: “I am keen to build on the skills that I have gained from my previous roles. Mergers and acquisitions constitute some of the most dynamic parts of the financial sector, and this is a great opportunity to be a part of a growing international team.

“Working with primarily SMEs means that we will be having a real impact on people’s lives and businesses. With that in mind, Manchester is a hotbed of innovative SMEs that would benefit greatly from expert M&A advice, and I cannot wait to get stuck in.”

Marktlink managing partner, Jonathon Parkinson, said: “We are continuing to build our UK team to support our existing and new clients. Both Alex and Hari have proven themselves to be high calibre candidates with fantastic financial and professional services expertise gained from experience at both Big 4 and independent firms.

“I believe that this range of experience will benefit them both greatly in their roles and will bring a depth of knowledge to help support our clients in the M&A process. I look forward to seeing both Alex and Hari develop within the team at Marktlink and build a career in M&A, whilst helping support our continued growth in the UK.”

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A North West academic is to work with Morecambe-based ICT Reverse to help the company’s drive to further develop its sustainability strategies and practices.

Prof Joe Sweeney, the Dean of the School of Science, Engineering and Environment at the University of Salford, has agreed to become the company’s scientific advisor to help them develop new ideas going forward.

Prior to joining Salford, Prof Sweeney held chairs at the University of Lancaster, Huddersfield and Reading. He has more than 30 years’ experience working in the sector, with a breadth of impressive accomplishments that include founder and chair of the Royal Society’s Industry Fellows College. He has a strong global profile and has published more than 100 scientific articles.

Managing director of ICT Reverse, Craig Smith, said: “We are a company that focuses on sustainability and have been collaborating with Joe on a number of exciting projects where his help has been invaluable. To have Joe agree to work with us and advise us as we move forward is a massive coup.

Prof Joe Sweeney

“He is a hugely respected expert in his field and when he offered to help, I was overjoyed, and I know he will make a massive contribution to the important projects we are working on.’’

Prof Sweeney said: “I have been working with Craig and ICT on an exciting project in collaboration with Lancaster University which looks to extract precious metals from recycled goods, and I have been really impressed with the company’s ideas.

“I am passionate about the environment and especially driven by the idea of ‘corporate recyclability’ where businesses and households can responsibly recycle everything that goes into their premises or homes.”

He added: “I am really looking forward to getting involved with ICT Reverse to look at areas like this and other possible scientific developments that could help businesses and individuals tackle the climate crisis.’’

Throughout his career, Joe has gained extensive experience of working with UK and EU global tech companies, bringing industry and academia together on projects which have consistently delivered tangible impact.

He has also been responsible for securing grants totalling more than £9m from charities, research councils and industry, both in the UK and internationally.

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Accountancy firm, Haines Watts, has bolstered its tax incentives and reliefs service line in Manchester, with a newly launched capital allowances offering.

The team will be headed by David Holroyd who joins Haines Watts as a director. With more than 35 years’ experience exclusively providing capital allowances consulting services, David holds an enviable reputation with businesses and professional advisors.

From left: David Holroyd, Mario Minchella, Sam Moore, Jonathan Scott

He will be joining Jonathan Scott, tax partner, and Mario Minchella and Sam Moore, tax incentives and reliefs managers, respectively, who already work alongside some of the region’s most well known names in construction and property.

Jonathan said: “Whilst most businesses and accountants will be aware of capital allowances in general terms, it requires a different exercise and skillset to survey qualifying assets and truly maximise the value of a claim – especially when claiming relief for commercial property.

“Our new multi-disciplinary team combines a deep knowledge of tax legislation with a proficient surveying process that captures costs that would generally go unnoticed.”

David Holroyd said: “Capital allowances in the UK have never been as complicated or as generous as they currently are, and many businesses need specialist assistance to simplify and take advantage of this valuable relief. I am looking forward to further developing the capital allowances offering within the Haines Watts network and working closely with other offices to provide market leading specialist advice to clients.”

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National consumer law firm Simpson Millar has further cemented its reputation as a leading player within the Court of Protection with a flurry of new appointments.

Spearheaded by industry heavyweight and co-chair of the Court of Practitioners Association (CoPPA), Melanie Varey, the team oversees the property, financial affairs and personal welfare of people who lack mental capacity to make decisions for themselves.

Further to growing demand for its services both during the pandemic and beyond, the firm has now welcomed Radek Wojtylko, Pete Myers, Alex Kimpton and Holly White to the department in the roles of paralegal, senior paralegal, legal administrator and Solicitor, respectively.

Their arrival follows hot on the heels of a number of senior hires for the team including Kate Edwards who is known as one of the leading authorities on Court of Protection (CoP) in the country, and who joined last year and Kayleigh Smith, who has been involved in some of the leading cases to be reported in the past few years.

Mel Varey, a partner and head of Court of Protection at Simpson Millar, said: “It’s an honour to welcome Radek, Pete, Alex and Holly to the team.

Simpson Millar Court of Protection team

“Their experiences, expertise and their passion for the work we do on behalf of the Court of Protection means they are perfectly placed to support our clients, many of whom are vulnerable and reliant on us to act in their best interests.

“The four of them join us at an exciting period of growth for the department, which is now one of the largest, most formidable and most experienced Court of Protection teams in the country.

“Collectively, Radek, Pete, Alex and Holly truly embody many of our goals here at Simpson Millar, most importantly offering our clients transparent and forward thinking legal solutions, and it is a real privilege to have them all on board.”

Based in Manchester and bringing more than five years’ Court of Protection experience to the role, solicitor Holly White specialises in supporting clients who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, or who need a professional deputy due to complex family dynamics.

Holly has a wealth of experience in working collaboratively with clients and their families to support them during difficult times and to develop and build a positive relationship.

Pete Myers has a huge depth of experience helping families in difficult circumstances and has worked with many who have experienced life changing injuries including brain and spinal injuries. He brings his wisdom and calm approach to solving problems and smoothing the path for clients whether they have a deputyship or a personal injury trust.

Alex Kimpton provides invaluable support to the team. He focuses on compliance issues, liaising with the Office of the Public Guardian and the Senior Courts Costs Office.

Joining the firm in October of last year and supporting the solicitors with both Deputyship and PI Trust matters, Radek Wojtylko also joins the Manchester-based team as a paralegal.

Having previously worked within the legal sector in both personal injury and family teams, he brings a unique and sympathetic insight into the challenges faced by families in conflict, or negatively impacted as a result of an acquired brain injury.

He is tasked with assisting Court-appointed deputies with the general management of the Deputyship case load, helping to prepare Deputyship Court applications, liaising with clients and assisting in the setting up of personal injury trusts.

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Oldham cleaning product manufacturer and distributor Robert Scott has appointed Darren Williamson as its new head of procurement.

Darren joins the business from safety supplier Arco, where he was product and procurement manager for its cleaning and hygiene and workplace safety categories.

He brings more than 30 years’ procurement experience to his new role at Robert Scott and will oversee the ongoing purchasing of all the business’s requirements, leading on expanding its range of sustainably sourced and manufactured cleaning products and equipment to support businesses in reducing their environmental impact.

Darren Williamson

Darren said: “I’ve always admired Robert Scott – it’s a great family business that I wanted to be part of. With almost a decade of experience in cleaning and hygiene procurement, my plan is to continue the great work the team is doing and build on its extensive range of products, as well as looking to add new, innovative products with a particular focus on sustainability and environmental credentials. I’m very much looking forward to helping to take the business forward.”

Alastair Scott, sales director at Robert Scott, said: “Darren joins the business at an exciting time. We’re investing considerably in innovation to bring new products to market that will help businesses clean efficiently and effectively in ways that are better for the environment. Introducing more reusable and recyclable items is a key area that we’re currently looking into, and we want to ensure the ways in which we source and manufacture these products have positive sustainability gains, too.

“Darren’s extensive experience and knowledge of procurement for the cleaning and hygiene sector will be a fantastic asset for the business to lead the team as we look to expand our ranges to support customers.”

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Sam Patchitt, business consultant and founder of start-ups Yellow Label and Finstant, has started a new role as investment and portfolio manager at GC Angels.

The appointment comes as the angel investment service seeks to broaden its support for Greater Manchester’s start-up scene.

Sam is an award-winning finance professional with more than six years of experience in investment, data analysis, project management and strategic planning, alongside the experience of founding two start-ups.

In 2016 he started a food tech business, Yellow Label Technology, a tool that helped to reduce food waste in supermarkets. Sam later founded Finstant, a software company that allows anyone to produce a cash flow forecast in under 10 minutes.

The business went on to produce the world’s first cash flow forecasting tool in Facebook Messenger, which it now white labels to clients across the country.

Sam Patchitt

Sam was first introduced to GC Angels through the Growth Company’s Access to Finance (A2F) service. Following an introduction, he pitched to them to use the Finstant software, when he began speaking to Jess Jackson, head of investment at GC Angels.

In his new role, Sam will play a vital role in driving the GC Angels deal pipeline, facitilating investment into eligible start-ups, and helping them to generate further investment from the GC Angels’ network. Sam will also manage the businesses currently within the portfolio to support their growth.

Sam said: “It’s been great getting settled in to the role and getting to know Jess, Sarah and the wider team at the Growth Company. I’m very excited about the Manchester tech scene at the moment, which is growing quickly and is really diverse.

“While our tech scene may be relatively young, this is a huge benefit as we don’t seem to have any boundaries regarding the types of businesses that are springing up. As a result, there’s a heap of ‘fringe tech’ out there, from gaming tech to health tech, and I’m excited to begin building relationships with these businesses and help them grow.”

Jess Jackson said: “Having Sam on board brings a unique perspective as he has experience of the investment process from every angle. This means he can really get under the skin of the businesses we work with and help them find the best possible solutions to allow them to grow. I’ve known Sam since he pitched to us in 2019, so I’m really pleased he’s finally joined our team, and look forward to working alongside him.”

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