People: Alcedo Care Group; Stärka; Oxford Innovation; Aaron & Partners; Vision One; The Lowry; Forever Manchester
Alcedo Care Group has appointed Jenna Blackshaw as group head of HR.
Reporting to managing director Andy Boardman, she is responsible for developing the human resources and people strategy within the fast-growing North West family home care group, working closely with the management team to provide coaching and advice on all employee-related issues.
Jenna said: “People are at the heart of everything that Alcedo Care does and that’s what makes the company so very special. As we continue to grow, we are committed to developing our own talent and promoting from within which will enable us to maintain our enviable culture, ethos and high care standards.”
Having worked at a senior level in HR for the past 11 years, Jenna brings a wealth of experience to her new role. Prior to joining Alcedo, she worked within Ofsted registered children’s residential homes, at an NHS Trust for mental health and learning disabilities at Calderstones Hospital in the Ribble Valley and Ashworth High Secure Hospital in Maghull, Liverpool.
She also holds a CIPD Level 3 Certificate in HR Practice and CIPD Level 5 Diploma in Human Resource Management and is due to commence her CIPD Level 7 in Strategic People Management later this year.
Managing director, Andy Boardman, welcomed Jenna, saying: “We’re excited to see what she brings to this new role. I have been very impressed by her passion for people management and feel she will be a perfect fit within our team.”
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Lauren Gavaghan, David Bell and Sammy Jones
Stärka, the leisure real estate advisory business founded by Sammy Jones and David Bell, has appointed Lauren Gavaghan as Acquisitions and Development Consultant. She joins Stärka from Bruntwood and will grow clients and support recent agency wins, including Gravity, Bean Coffee Roasters and Parthian Climbing.
She previously worked at JLL in the retail and leisure agency team moving to be Development Manager at Bruntwood, Cityheart and Genr8, working on the delivery of some of the largest regeneration projects in the UK.
Lauren Gavaghan said: ”Stärka is one of the most forward-thinking and committed teams in the industry, and it has been inspiring to watch its growth over the last 18 months. I am excited to have the opportunity to join the dynamic team, and I am in the right place to add the most value to the industry I am so passionate about.”
Her appointment follows a series client wins for Stärka this year, including sole agency instructions to lead the expansion of Gravity, which will launch its flagship Gravity Max at Liverpool ONE later this year, Parthian Climbing, which has just opened its first site in London at Southside in Wandsworth, and Bean Coffee Roasters, the North West-based independent coffee operator that is expanding across the region.
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Naomi Timperley
Naomi Timperley has started a new part-time position as Innovation Director at Oxford Innovation’s new Merseyway Innovation Centre in Stockport.
An experienced growth and innovation consultant she has extensive experience working with start-ups and growth businesses particularly in the tech, digital / creative sectors. She has been a mentor for 10 years and has mentored hundreds of businesses.
Naomi is an Honorary Industry Fellow at the University of Salford Business School and on the board of the Industry Advisory Board and also sits on the board of the charity Digital Inc, VocalEyes CIC and Social Enterprise PIE.
Merseyway Innovation Centre has received funding for its development from the European Regional Development Fund, Stockport Council and the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Arts Council England’s Cultural Development Fund.
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Victoria Syvret
Chester-based law firm Aaron & Partners has announced two key promotions in its family law team, as it continues to see a growing demand from private clients.
The Legal 500-ranked firm has named Simon Magner Mawdsley as the head of its family law team, while Victoria Syvret has been promoted from senior associate to partner.
The announcements come as part of Aaron & Partners’ ambitious plans, with the firm looking to further enhance its offering in both its home city of Chester, but also its Wirral base, too.
Simon joined Aaron eight years ago. As an experienced family law solicitor, he’s worked on numerous high net-worth, complex cases and has extensive knowledge in the field.
Simon Magner Mawdsley
With more than 17 years’ experience in family law, Victoria joined the firm four years ago, and specialises in all aspects of relationship breakdowns, in addition to being a qualified mediator.
Simon Magner Mawdsley said: “It’s a great feeling that during my eight years with the firm, the team has seen demand more than double. We have lots of exciting plans for that to continue to be the case, too, as we are always looking to expand our offering.”
Victoria said: “Being named as a partner at Aaron’s is such a privilege. I am excited to work alongside Simon and the rest of our exceptional team as we continue to expand our services and deliver outstanding outcomes for our clients.”
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Alex Brown
Liverpool-based market research and insight consultancy, Vision One, has appointed Alex Brown to the newly-created role of director of insights.
With full responsibility for Vision One’s recently expanded insights team, Alex will play a key role in achieving the company’s ambitions and innovation plans.
With more than 10 years of professional research and insight experience gained with Vision One, Alex brings with him a strong skill set in operations, research and change delivery and creating high performance teams.
Founder and CEO, Tony Lewis, welcomed Alex’s appointment, saying: “His previous accomplishments and change management expertise will be vital to us, ensuring we continue to evolve and deliver exceptional projects for our clients.”
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New appointees
The Lowry, Salford, has announced the appointment of nine new Trustees to its board.
The appointments follow a significant recruitment process undertaken by the arts organisation. A skills audit was delivered to help shape the recruitment with the objective of identifying the skills and attributes needed for the future success of the organisation, and to increase diversity and representation.
The Lowry has embraced the opportunity to add a wider range of voices and experience to its board and welcomed the new members last week.
The new Trustees are Nazir Afzal, Jatin Aythora, Roli Barker, Jaiden Corfield, Phil East, Fiona Gibson, Katharine Hammond, Daniel Kasmir and Andrew Wylie.
They join the chair Sir Rod Aldridge, lifelong president Felicity Goodey, and current board members Mike Blackburn, Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter, Ian Currie, Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett, Jane Frost, Jeremy Glover, Cllr Bill Hinds, Baroness Beverley Hughes, and Tom Stannard.
Sir Rod Aldridge, chair, said of the new appointments: “They all add great abilities to our already excellent board. We look forward to harnessing both their skills and their passion for culture in helping to shape The Lowry’s future development.”
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From left: William Lees-Jones, Nick Massey, Jim Wilkinson
Jim Wilkinson, CEO of Manchester-based car finance marketplace Zuto, has been announced as the incoming president of Greater Manchester community charity, Forever Manchester.
As president, Jim will champion the work of the organisation, helping to raise its profile and promote its achievements across the region. Jim replaces William Lees-Jones of J.W. Lees Brewery, following his three-year tenure.
Established in 1989, Forever Manchester raises money to fund and support community activities across Greater Manchester, delivering more than £59m of funding into local communities and supporting in excess of 1,300 community projects each year.
Zuto has been involved with Forever Manchester for a number of years. In September 2021 it launched the Zuto Make a Difference Fund in partnership with the charity, to support a wide range of regional grassroots community groups. Since then, the fund has raised more than £60,000 and supported 24 local community groups, benefiting more than 22,000 people.
Nick Massey, chief executive of Forever Manchester, said: “Zuto, led by Jim, has already demonstrated great support for Forever Manchester. His passion, curiosity and interest in our community projects means he will be a great advocate and president.”
Jim said: “The passion and energy of Forever Manchester aligns closely with Zuto and everything we are trying to achieve, building something we can be proud of and leaving a lasting legacy. I’m excited to work with Nick and his team to make a difference across Greater Manchester.”
