People: Sedulo; Beswicks Legal; Clough & Willis; Beever and Struthers; Aaron & Partners; Watling Real Estate
Sedulo Group has announced the appointment of Katelyn Dutton from KPMG as audit director in Liverpool.
The appointment cements Sedulo within the business advisory mid-tier division, following a recruitment drive which continues to add expertise in response to an ever-expanding nationwide client base.
Business advisory firm, Sedulo Group, is currently on course to record a consecutive year of 25% growth.
Dutton adds more than 10 years’ experience working in audit and assurance to the Liverpool site for Sedulo, with the past six of those years spent at KPMG managing a diverse client portfolio, including FTSE and AIM-listed clients, developing a wealth of knowledge in audit, accountancy and tax-related issues.
This director-level appointment to the nationwide Sedulo Group audit team brings further support to Diccon Thornely, who joined as national head of audit from Grant Thornton at the start of the year.
Katelyn Dutton said: “The industry knowledge and client relationship experience I’ve built in my career so far pairs perfectly with Sedulo’s growing reputation as a real market alternative for businesses looking just outside of the top 10 for their audit.”
Paul Cheetham-Karcz, CEO of Sedulo Group, said: “Since opening our London office in 2018, we understood our growing client base needed both the local relationships they can only get from having advisors in their home city, and a pool of national expertise those advisors could draw from to add even more value to the service they receive.
“The arrivals of Katelyn and Diccon this year is our ‘national expertise, local relationships’ strategy in action, so it’s really exciting to see the operational impact that providing Liverpool businesses with more value from their auditor will have.”
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Toby Sanders
Beswicks Legal has welcomed another addition to its team – paralegal Toby Sanders.
Toby is a Keele University law graduate who has been appointed to work with Beswicks’ corporate and employment law teams.
Toby supports an array of clients, assisting with matters ranging from preparations for employment tribunals to company restructures.
He said: “Beswicks legal is an exciting and ever-expanding firm, they proudly represent a diverse community of clients. I look forward to progressing my legal career surrounded by talented and dedicated colleagues here at Beswicks.”
Beswicks Legal Group operations director, Ryan Yates, said: “We are passionate about giving people the opportunity to grow and develop their careers and have a strong track record of supporting graduates, many of whom have progressed to senior positions within the firm. It’s great to welcome Toby to the team.”
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Andy Herricks
Bury and Bolton-based law firm Clough & Willis has made a key addition to its corporate and commercial team following the appointment of Andy Herricks as head of corporate.
Andy has more than 20 years’ experience working as a corporate and commercial lawyer advising entrepreneurs and owner-managed clients across the North West. His specialisms include share sales, acquisitions and MBOs through to advising on complex shareholders’ agreements, re-organisations, share buy-backs and de-mergers.
On the commercial side, he also advises on complex contractual arrangements and has particular expertise in advising digital and creative clients on brand protection and other intellectual property issues.
Over the years, Andy has worked his way through the ranks in private practice both in the city centre and other niche practices and has also spent time working in industry. In 2008 he was one of the founding partners of a niche commercial firm in Blackburn and helped deliver year on year growth in a very difficult economic climate.
Lee Marston, managing partner at Clough & Willis, said: “Over the past year we have seen a definite upturn from corporate and commercial clients needing our support, so Andy’s arrival comes at just the right time. He has a reputation for giving straightforward advice on complex legal matters that I know will add real value to our clients.”
Andy added: “As a Bury lad I am thrilled to return to my home town and to take up this opportunity with Clough & Willis.”
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Joe Diston
Joe Diston has been appointed as audit director by Manchester-based accountants and business advisor, Beever and Struthers, to work with the private sector team looking after a variety of clients across a number of different industries.
Joe joined Beever and Struthers having spent 15 years working in the Big Four audit environment, servicing private equity, financial services, and various other clients across the UK, US, Europe and the Cayman Islands.
In addition to his role with Beever and Struthers, Joe is a non-executive director for Wickersley Partnership Trust (WPT), utilising his financial experience to support the WPT management team in its operation of 13 schools that comprise the Trust.
Joe said: “I’m joining the well-respected team at Beever and Struthers at an exciting time of expansion and development. The firm has a strong reputation for high level client service and investment in its people and I’m delighted to be able to play a part in their future growth.”
Caroline Monk, executive partner at Beever and Struthers, said: “Joe is an invaluable addition to our ever growing team, enhancing our delivery of client services and enhancing our international offering in partnership with HLB International. His experience will help our clients to achieve their full potential whilst ensuring that as a firm we achieve ours.”
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Jan Chillery
A well-known lawyer and loyal servant to the Chester business community has been named as chair of the city’s prestigious business club.
Jan Chillery, a dispute resolution partner at Legal 500-ranked Aaron & Partners was formally elected to the position at Chester Business Club’s black-tie AGM, stepping up from her previous role as vice chair.
Jan, who began her legal career at the firm as a trainee solicitor more than 20 years ago, said she was “proud and honoured” to take on the role at the organisation, which promotes and celebrates the city’s business community.
She said: “We are an inclusive club of business decision-makers who are keen to make a positive difference in Chester and I want to use my influence and experience to build on the good work that has come before me.”
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Ian Whittaker and Chris Walker
The Manchester office of Watling Real Estate continues to grow with the appointment of Ian Whittaker as a director, whose primary focus will be to enhance and expand Watling’s investment and agency capabilities.
He joins following five years with commercial agency Ryden where he worked in investment in their Manchester office, providing specialist advice to property companies, funds, private investors, landlords and developers.
He was previously with GVA, now Avison Young, where he spent 10 years in property restructuring providing strategic advice to banks, insolvency practitioners and LPA receivers.
Whittaker’s appointment follows the recent arrival of Callum Clark from LSH who has joined as an assistant surveyor to assist with both agency and restructuring advisory work.
Manchester director, Chris Walker, said: “Ian’s expertise in investment agency and asset management alongside his corporate restructuring background makes him an invaluable recruit to our team. We will continue to recruit as we build our North West team as we continue to be engaged across a number of significant restructuring and agency assignments in the region.”
Watling Real Estate, whose North West office at 125 Deansgate, was created on June 1, 2023, by a management buyout of the real estate restructuring division of Avison Young to establish a national footprint which includes offices in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol.
In the first three months of the new business, Watling Real Estate transacted more than £130m of real estate spanning both the traditional core and alternative sectors.
Ian Whittaker said: “I am looking forward to helping grow the Manchester office further alongside Chris and drive forward Watling’s investment and agency offering. It will be good to catch up with some old faces but also continue to work closely with existing clients. The opportunity to create something different in the market here is huge.”
