People: Simpson Millar; BECBC; Connect Childcare; Net Zero North West; Houlihan Lokey; Clear Start Accounts
Consumer law firm Simpson Millar has appointed Helen Melling to the role of injury practice area director.
A senior practice director with more than 15 years’ experience in the legal sector and a background of leading large scale legal operations, Helen joins the business from Slater and Gordon.
Based out of the North West but operating nationally, she will now lead the firm’s expansive Injury division, including its clinical negligence, personal injury, catastrophic injury, industrial disease, travel and military teams.
Helen takes over from Chris Johnson who will leave Simpson Millar this summer to pursue opportunities elsewhere, having made an incredible contribution to the business over the past five years.
Helen Melling said: “Simpson Millar has a formidable reputation across the industry as a forward thinking firm which puts the needs of its own people and its clients at the heart of all that it does. It’s not afraid to make the changes needed to ensure that happens.”
The firm has also announced that partner Nicola Darlington will join the leadership team in the newly created role of performance director.
Nicola is joined on the leadership team by Pete Atherton who has been appointed to the role of data and business intelligence director.
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John Clarke
Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC) welcomes John Clarke as its new patron. John takes over from Marcia Reid Fotheringham who has served in her role since 2020.
BECBC CEO, Dianne Richardson, said: “I would like to extend our gratitude to Marcia for her wonderful support of the cluster and the energy and insights she has brought to our team and the wider membership during her time with us. As we look to the future, we are excited to have John join us.”
John has held several positions in the nuclear industry over the past 40 years, including those of deputy MD of Sellafield, CEO of the NDA and president of the Nuclear Institute. At present, John is a non-executive director and consultant for organisations in a variety of sectors, including rail, precision manufacturing, infrastructure and engineering. He also serves as an advisor in the defence and civil nuclear sectors, in the UK and Europe.
He said: “I’m honoured to be asked to follow Marcia and John Fyfe as patron of BECBC. I care passionately about West Cumbria and hope I can help local businesses continue to grow and thrive, providing quality work opportunities in the area.”
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Paul Kennedy
Nursery management software provider, Connect Childcare, has appointed Paul Kennedy as chairman.
The appointment coincides with the Lancashire-based firm securing additional funds from Seascape Capital Holdings.
Paul Kennedy has held a number of executive and non-executive positions over the past 25 years. His career has seen him work with FTSE 100, privately owned and private equity-backed organisations.
Now, focusing on developing a portfolio as a non-executive chairman for solutions-driven businesses, Paul’s approach is guided by his passion for innovation, delivery, and establishing genuine partnering relationships that provide longevity and profit.
He said: “Connect Childcare has a well-established, market-leading position and I look forward to working with Chris on accelerating the company’s growth plans.”
Chris Reid, CEO of Connect Childcare, said: “It was clear that Paul’s passion for our vision, coupled with his wealth of experience in helping to scale businesses in our phase of growth, offered the right opportunity to revitalise our board structure.”
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Myles Kitcher
Net Zero North West, a UK initiative for industry-led industrial decarbonisation and clean growth based in Greater Manchester, has appointed Myles Kitcher, managing director of Peel NRE as its new chair.
He brings extensive expertise and a deep commitment to sustainable investment in the region, and said: “I am honoured to take on the role of chair and lead Net Zero North West as we embark on this exciting new chapter. Our region has a unique advantage when it comes to sustainable investment, and I am confident that, together, we will achieve our ambitious targets.”
Net Zero North West serves as a public and private sector investment accelerator, driving efforts to achieve the North West’s ambitious decarbonisation net zero goal by 2040. With projected spending of £206.9bn, the cluster aims to reduce carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) emissions by 38.5 million tonnes.
Ged Barlow, CEO of Net Zero North West, said: “We are poised to unlock immense opportunities for sustainable investment, job creation, and economic resilience in the North West. Together, we will build a cleaner, more prosperous future for our region.”
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From left: Durgesh Panchani, James Grundy, Ben Wood
Three members of Houlihan Lokey’s Manchester-based corporate finance team have been promoted to vice president – James Grundy, Durgesh Panchani, and Ben Wood.
James Grundy joined from Barclays in 2016 and is a member of the global technology team where his focus lies in the human capital management sector.
Durgesh Panchani is also a member of the global technology team and joined the firm as an M&A analyst in 2010. With a focus primarily on the gaming market, he was recently involved in the sale of Play Magnus Group to Chess.com.
Ben Wood is a member of Houlihan Lokey’s industrials group and joined the firm last year from Deloitte. He recently was a member of the team advising on the sale of Bulgin, a manufacturer of environmentally-sealed connectors and components, to Infinite Electronics.
Adrian Reed, head of Houlihan Lokey’s Manchester office, said: “This round of promotions is a sign that our team is cementing our status as leaders in the technology and industrial subsectors. James, Durgesh, and Ben possess an advanced level of expertise in their respective sectors, and have developed the specialist skills to navigate complex transactions and help us achieve outstanding outcomes for our clients.”
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Top from left: Fezan Bhatti, Suad Sidi, Fawad Ahmad. Bottom from left: Muhammad Taha, Aimee Collier, Paige Staniforth, Anthony Dale
Clear Start Accountants, a North West-based practice, has announced a major team expansion with the addition of seven new recruits.
The firm’s customer service department has been bolstered considerably, with six customer service agents appointed – Fezan Bhatti, Suad Sidi, Fawad Ahmad, Paige Staniforth, Anthony Dale and Muhammad Taha.
Clear Start Accountants has also welcomed Aimee Collier to the team, who takes up the position of administration assistant.
Fiaz Ashraf, founder and CEO of Clear Start Accountants, said: “As the business continues to grow, we’re thrilled to be able to offer significant job opportunities within the North West, as well as considerably enlarging our customer facing team, allowing us to maintain the exceptional level of service to our clients that we pride ourselves on.”
With an employee base of more than 50 people, and operating from offices in Manchester, Stockport and Canada, Clear Start Accountants offers general accountancy services for sole traders and smaller firms.
