People: Jackson Lees; Vista Insurance Brokers; DSW Ventures; Anwyl Homes; Exchange Chambers; RSM UK
Merseyside-based law firm Jackson Lees has expanded its Wills, Trust and Probate team with the addition of a new solicitor and head of department.
The team has welcomed Candice Jones, who will be offering legal services to clients in Liverpool and on the Wirral. Candice has worked in the legal sector since 2004 and qualified as a solicitor in 2008. She also has experience in Personal injury, Civil Litigation and Conveyancing and previously held the role of COFA.
Candice said: “Our team has a wealth of experience and knowledge, and part of my role is making sure you get to speak to the right person to help you.”
She added: “My role means I get to balance working behind the scenes to ensure we continue to offer an excellence service to getting out and about in the community attending clients at home or in the office and putting this into practice.”
Haley Farrell, deputy managing director and head of Family Law, said: “With her experience, passion for helping others and making a positive difference, we have no doubt that Candice will fit right into Jackson Lees Group.”
::
Mark Thomas
Vista Insurance Brokers has boosted its executive team with the appointment of Mark Thomas as director of sales.
This appointment comes as part of Vista’s strategy to drive sales growth across the business, namely Corporate, Private Equity, Tech & Life Science, Construction and International & Schemes/Specialisms.
Mark previously worked at Towergate Insurance brokers as development director for Yorkshire for five years, and prior to that was sales director for Lorica (now PIB) Leeds for six years. He brings a breadth of sales knowledge with him as well as experience within a variety of insurance specialisms.
Mark will be based at Vista’s head office in Manchester and will be joining the executive team alongside Gavin Ruben (CEO), Peter Warburton (director), Vaughan Rudd (director), June Hibbins-Ball (chief operating officer), Peter Rusby (chief financial officer), Ross Hayden (director of corporate) and Richard Whitham (director of schemes and affinity partnerships).
Gavin Ruben said: “We are really pleased to have Mark on board. As an ambitious brokerage we are always looking to see how we can grow, and we are confident with Mark’s expertise in sales we can grow our business exponentially.”
Mark said: “It seems like a really exciting time to join Vista. I can see the company has already come on leaps and bounds since its start-up in 2014. It’s also a great opportunity for me to join a company that was, by its own definition ‘created to shake up the insurance industry’. I look forward to being a part of that.”
::
Doug Quinn and Emma Cassidy
DSW Ventures, the venture capital arm of the Daresbury-based Dow Schofield Watts group, has significantly strengthened its team with a new key appointment and the promotion of an existing team member.
Doug Quinn, who joins as partner, brings a wealth of experience in the life sciences sector, having successfully led finance and operations teams across both publicly traded and venture capital-backed businesses. He served as the chief financial officer at SkinBioTherapeutics, where his financial leadership was instrumental in guiding the company through its successful IPO as well as its transition from a pre-revenue to revenue-generating business. He will also continue as CFO at Videregen, a VC-backed regenerative medicine company.
Keith Benson, co-founder of DSW Ventures, said: “We are increasingly becoming a force in investing in, and successfully growing, regional start-ups. Doug’s extensive experience in life sciences will be critical as we further grow our portfolio and broaden our sector expertise.”
Meanwhile, Emma Cassidy, who joined the firm in 2021, has been promoted to investment manager. Emma, who has a degree in Chemistry and has experience working within technology businesses, has already made a significant impact. Her contributions include successful investments in B2B software with Hike SEO, and in life sciences in Aston Particle Technologies. She has also played an important role in leading DSW Ventures’ marketing and outreach activities.
David Smith, co-founder at DSW Ventures, welcomed the appointments, saying: “They are both significant assets to the firm, our portfolio companies, and to the wider investment sector.”
::
From left: Jacob Edwards, Oliver Johnston, Jack Wynne, Mitch Andrews
Housebuilder, Anwyl Homes, has appointed Oliver Johnston to head up its new-look commercial department.
Oliver has joined as new head of commercial for Cheshire and North Wales, based at the company’s headquarters in Ewloe, near Chester.
He is one of four new appointments and joins Anwyl alongside senior quantity surveyors Mitch Andrews and Aled Roberts and quantity surveyor Jacob Edwards.
Within the same department, Anwyl has also promoted Jack Wynne from buyer to assistant quantity surveyor and Shane Macdonald from trainee to buyer.
After leaving school, Oliver pursued a career in the Army, serving in the Royal Military Police. When he left the army in 2014, he chose a career in construction and joined housebuilder Taylor Wimpey as a trainee quantity surveyor.
He said: “During my nine years at Taylor Wimpey, I progressed from a trainee to commercial manager, before I decided to join Anwyl Homes.”
Managing director, Phil Dolan, said: “With almost a decade of experience in the commercial department of another major housebuilder, and extensive professional skills gained in the military, Oliver is an asset to our team.”
::
Natasha Khalique, Clare Porter-Phillips, Joshua Brindle
Exchange Chambers has announced the arrival of three specialist family law barristers as part of its expansion of the family team in Manchester.
With more than 22 years of experience as a specialist family practitioner, Clare Porter-Phillips is widely recognised and respected as one of the most established and reputable practitioners on Circuit. She has developed and services an exceptional and high-end private children practice and is regularly instructed to act in complex public law proceedings. Clare joins Chambers with a focus on driving the development and expansion of the family team in Manchester.
Natasha Khalique is a specialist family law practitioner. She has a focus on financial remedy, TLATA and Scheule 1 work. She also accepts instructions in private children work. Natasha has been recognised for her excellence having being awarded the Merseyside Junior Lawyer Division ‘Legal Excellence Award’ in August 2023. She is also shortlisted as a finalist for ‘Legal Professional of the Year’ at the Manchester Young Talent Awards due to take place this week.
Joshua Brindle is a specialist family practitioner who accepts instructions across the full breadth of children work. His practice is complex beyond his year of call, particularly in relation to private children work, as a result of which he has already developed a loyal following of solicitors.
Clare Porter-Phillips said: “We are aligned in our aim to drive the development and expansion of the family team in Manchester and continuing to deliver exceptional standards of service.”
Natasa Khalique said: “I couldn’t be more excited to start the next chapter of my career at the Northern Powerhouse and to play my part in expanding the family law team in Manchester.”
Joshua Brindle said: “I am very much looking forward to playing my part in helping to drive the development and expansion of the family team in Manchester, with a continuing personal focus on private and public children work.”
Welcoming the team, Chambers’ chief executive, Jonathan I’Anson, said: “Developing and expanding the family team in Manchester is an essential part of Chambers’ wider plans. They will be instrumental in the success of those plans, and will continue to bring Chambers’ exceptional standards to Manchester.”
::
From left: Laura Inglesby, Kingsley Burn, Kevin Duffy, Jo Torrens, Max Everest
Audit, tax and consulting firm, RSM UK, has made 25 new promotions to director level, including four in the North West.
They include Laura Inglesby in Liverpool (audit), Jo Torrens in Manchester (VAT), Kingsley Burn in Crewe (consulting), and Max Everest in Preston (national technology).
Kevin Duffy, RSM UK’s regional managing partner for the North West, said: “Our latest round of director promotions recognises the hard work, dedication and talent of our team in the North West. They will each play an important role in supporting our regional growth plans by working with new and existing clients in the middle market.
“They will also demonstrate to our new trainees the opportunities available to them at RSM, while also acting as role models and supporting them as they start their careers with us.”
Rob Donaldson, CEO, said: “At a time of economic uncertainty and pressure, this makes it even more rewarding to be able to promote these individuals, who have achieved this through their hard work and dedication.
“On top of our latest cohort of directors, hundreds more have progressed their careers at RSM in recent weeks and we’ve been able to maintain a strong promotion rate. We have also supported 1,475 people studying for professional qualifications this year, a 29% uplift on the previous year – an area we continue to strongly invest in.”
