People: Together; Allcott Commercial; Slater Heelis; Zappify; Natterjack Marketing; Apex Computing Services

Martin Souter

Cheadle-based specialist lender Together has appointed financial services expert Martin Souter as its commercial credit and risk director.

Martin will be responsible for overseeing credit risk, leading the corporate underwriting, portfolio and risk management teams.

He has more than two decades’ experience in financial services, including 16 years in corporate banking at Barclays.

Speaking of joining Together, he said: “As a business I worked with and supported whilst at Barclays I already had a good understanding of their culture and experience in the industry, and knew that it was something I wanted to be a part of.

“Together is a well known name in the specialist lending sector. I’m looking forward to playing a key part in taking this forward and helping the business deliver its growth ambitions.”

Martin joins Together after four years at Radius Payment Solutions where, as group credit director he led a team of 170 people across 13 countries managing credit risk across its range of products and services.

Prior to this, he worked for Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank both as a relationship director and as a credit director in restructuring, working with and supporting a number of corporate businesses across the northern region.

With a doctorate in genetics, Martin initially began his career as a geneticist before moving into finance.

Marc Goldberg, commercial CEO at Together, said: “We couldn’t be happier to have Martin join our leadership team here at Together. He has amassed a wealth of knowledge of the industry through a successful career in finance, and already has a firm understanding of what our company stands for.”

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Jon Powell, associate partner at Allcott Commercial, is relocating to Manchester to head up the firm’s continued expansion in the region.

Jon’s extensive commercial surveying expertise and client relationships mean he is ideally placed for reinforcing Allcott Commercial’s position in the North West, the firm said. The move will bring growth to the area by creating new graduate roles, and it will enable Allcott’s team to support a greater number of clients in the Manchester and Liverpool regions.

Over the past year, Manchester and Liverpool have been a key focus for Allcott Commercial, and as a result, the firm’s commercial surveying work in these cities has more than doubled. Jon’s move will bolster that growth. As well as working closely with the other senior surveyors in our team, Jon will take on graduates from the Manchester area, extending the company’s capacity while supporting the next generation of commercial surveyors.

Jon Powell

Jon joined the firm in 2021, originally covering the Midlands and London. Since then, his career has since gone from strength to strength. As Matthew Baker, commercial partner, said: “After joining the firm, Jon quickly became one of our leading commercial surveyors. His passion and expertise for commercial building consultancy, and particularly dilapidations and contract administration work, is clear. The fact that Jon goes above and beyond to make sure projects are completed successfully is evident in the exceptionally strong relationships that he has developed with our clients.

“We are thrilled that he has agreed to head up our Manchester expansion and reinforce Allcott Commercial’s presence in the North.”

The opportunity to widen the network in the North came at the right time for Jon, who had always been interested in moving to Manchester. He said: “I have enjoyed living and working in the West Midlands, but it is time for something new, and Manchester has always appealed to me. The city is a trailblazer for the Northern Powerhouse, and the scope for construction and redevelopment in the city are immense.

“I am looking forward to seeking out new avenues of commercial surveying work, and cementing our existing client relationships by continuing to offer our excellent, comprehensive service across a wider region.”

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Manchester-based law firm, Slater Heelis, has made a double appointment of Helen Taylor and Les Oldfield to its thriving residential property law team.

Both new additions join from Linder Myers with Helen assuming her role with Slater Heelis as a Chartered Legal Executive and Les as a paralegal.

Specialising in a wide range of residential property conveyancing matters including sales, purchases and re-mortgages, Helen has a wealth of expertise in dealing with part exchanges, new build and other matters of matrimonial transfers, declaration of trust, deed of grant and probate sales.

Les Oldfield and Helen Taylor

Helen said: “The reputation Slater Heelis holds really attracted me to the position and I am delighted to be working with Zara Banday and the wider residential property law team who all share my ethos and values when it comes to providing committed client care. Both Les and I very much look forward to a successful career with the firm.”

Zara Banday, head of residential property at Slater Heelis, said: “The team is growing in strength and stature as we enter our 250th year as a law firm.

“Both Les and Helen bring a pro-active and pragmatic approach to each and every client to ensure property transactions are as smooth as possible and in these current climes of uncertainly is a welcome approach for their clients who always know they are getting the most sensible, realistic advice and support from us as a team.”

The appointment comes at a time of growth for Slater Heelis which will see the firm move into new larger offices in Sale. The 10-year agreement between Orbit Developments and Slater Heelis is for the entire 11,688 sq ft first floor of Crossgate House.

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Bury-based virtual business card company, Zappify, has recruited Manchester Metropolitan University graduate Lauren Grantham as a full-time digital marketing specialist to work alongside founders Keith Robinson and Paul Smith, and Amy Conlock, the company’s head of marketing, to further develop the platform.

Keith Robinson and Lauren Grantham

Keith said: “We are excited to have Lauren on board, and look forward to a bright future for the business, despite these difficult economic times. We are amassing a high quality portfolio of clients and have attracted thousands of new users across scores of businesses over the past 12 months.”

Lauren said: “I am delighted to be joining such an exciting and developing business in my first professional role.

“I have a great passion for sustainability and am super excited to be working with Keith and the Zappify team.”

Keith added: “The virtual card is adaptable and intensely agile, so it is constantly being updated. This year, we are looking at bespoke product developments for each client, with a number of trials under way with global companies to help them get even more out of the product. We continue to innovate and take the product way beyond a business card as it evolves into a great digital marketing tool.”

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Cumbrian marketing firm, Natterjack Marketing, has made a senior appointment to its team.

Maryport’s Lindsay Gray launched the firm in October 2018, with the company growing year on year.

Rosie Groves and Lindsay Gray

Rosie Groves was recently appointed as Natterjack’s senior digital marketing executive. She said: “As the business has grown in clients, its culture, aims and goals have also grown. We are a company that thinks outside the box and pushes their clients to achieve excellent results.”

The marketing firm is based out of Eagle Labs at The Bus Station in Whitehaven, and works with clients to build their brand and visibility across verticals such as digital advertising, email marketing and content creation.

Rosie added: “One of our main aims is to work with the younger generation to help them find the career that they want. We are going to be the thought leader when it comes to influencing the younger generation into the marketing industry.”

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Greater Manchester-based Apex Computing Services has appointed Stephen Hobson as a senior customer relationship manager.

Joining at the start of January 2023, Stephen joins after almost six years at Datacentreplus in which he played an integral part in transitioning the client base and brand. Noting Stephen’s expertise in the IT industry and his connections across the IT, digital and business community, Apex believe he will be well placed to assist with its customer requirements and needs.

From left: Daniel Shone, Stephen Hobson, Chris Gorman

Over the past year, Apex has employed several specialist team members across the business, as part of continued efforts to optimise the client experience in a rapidly growing and diverse sector. Stephen said: “The changes in the IT landscape over the last few years following the pandemic and energy crisis have changed the way so many companies approach business, cyber security, and digital adoption.

“Staff remote working, for example, means that having the correct support and advice is critical for a business to operate. Apex are so uniquely positioned in the IT sector, that it was a really easy decision to become part of their team.”

Apex CEO, Chris Gorman, said: “We had a fantastic 2022 in terms of business performance and the growth and development of the team, and we’re keen to start 2023 by bolstering the team with even more highly qualified IT and customer liaison specialists. As a Microsoft Gold Partner, customer service and support are at the heart of everything we do at Apex, and we firmly believe that Stephen will be a great addition to the team.”

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