People: We Do Business Services; EY; Saturn Visual Solutions; Think Legal Recruitment; Altius Group; OFR

WeDo Business Services group has unveiled the latest stage of its expansion strategy with a new venture providing established SMEs and start-ups with asset-based finance to fuel their growth plans, which involves the appointment of three key members of staff.

The new division, WeDo Asset Finance, is based out of the group’s headquarters in Oldham and is operating nationwide, with a goal of lending to more than 200 clients over the next 12 months.

The new trio has more than 85 years’ sector experience between them. Rebekah Middleton has joined as managing director. She was previously head of corporate at Bibby Leasing, where she focused on structured lending and larger asset refinance facilities. She has worked in finance for nearly 30 years, including roles at Davenham Asset Finance, Time Finance, Close Brothers and GE Capital.

Stuart Berry, who worked in the asset finance industry for more than 25 years, has joined as operations director. Emma Smith, who has 30 years’ experience in asset and trade finance, has joined as head of sales support.

Rebekah said: “We have identified a gap in the market for creative funding solutions provided by a knowledgeable, approachable and accessible team. With an industry-recognised software platform and an experienced team, we are delivering from the get-go, with our first deals completed and a number of others in the pipeline.”

The WeDo business was founded by Mark Lindsay and Chris Robinson in 2019 with just four staff and has grown rapidly through organic expansion and acquisition. It has more than 75 staff across offices in Oldham, MediaCityUK in Salford, Sheffield, Bromsgrove, Swindon and Feering in Essex.

CEO, Mark, said: “Rebekah and the team have decades of experience, and they are dedicated to helping established companies, as well as new ventures.

“It’s an exciting addition to our portfolio and we are confident that the team will enjoy great success at a time when other funding routes are proving difficult for SMEs and start-ups to access.”

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Mark Clephan

Mark Clephan, an M&A Partner based in Manchester who leads EY’s North Corporate Finance team, has been named the new EY UK & Ireland Corporate Finance Leader.

Mark joined EY in 2001. He brings 25 years’ experience, having worked with a wide variety of Private Equity houses, listed and private companies as well as many entrepreneurs. He takes on the role from Fraser Greenshields who led the Corporate Finance team for seven years.

Fraser will be returning full time to his client-facing role as a Partner focusing on the real estate, hospitality, and construction sectors.

Silvia Rindone, UK&I Managing Partner for Strategy and Transactions at EY, said: “Mark brings a combination of sector and regional experience to the role of Corporate Finance Leader having worked across the private market with PE mid-market clients and entrepreneurial businesses. I look forward to working with him to help shape the future direction of the UK&I Corporate Finance team and wider Strategy and Transactions business.”

Mark Clephan said: “I’m excited to lead the Corporate Finance team through the next stage of evolution, building on the strong platform set by Fraser’s leadership.”

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Andrew O’Sullivan

Digital signage consultancy, Saturn Visual Solutions, has added to its growing team of specialists with the appointment of Andrew O’Sullivan as a senior technical support engineer.

Andrew is the latest in a series of hires for Manchester-based Saturn, which has its headquarters in MediaCityUK. His appointment is part of a strategic recruitment drive designed to meet increased client demand. In recent months, the company has brought in a range of experts to boost its client offering, with appointments across software development, installation project delivery, graphic design, business development and sales and marketing.

Prior to joining Saturn, Andrew worked as a support engineer for boohoo Group where he planned and executed digital projects.

CEO, Chris Welsh, said: “We pride ourselves on being able to offer our clients the very best technical expertise in the market and Andrew’s wealth of experience will help us to deliver on this.”

Andrew said: “Saturn has a reputation for operational excellence and I am thrilled to be building upon this in my new role.”

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Louisa Phillips

Think Legal Recruitment, a Manchester-based specialist legal recruiter, has welcomed experienced legal recruiter, Louisa Phillips, as an associate director.

Louisa is a former solicitor and has more than 16 years’ experience within legal recruitment, particularly focused on the North West legal market.

Louisa joins after a period of time working in house for a national law firm and joins to focus on the corporate and commercial market in Manchester city centre.

Director, Paul Warburton, said: “Louisa and I worked together not just as lawyers but in legal recruitment and both her style and work ethic match the culture of what we are trying to instill here. She is an incredible recruiter and approaches everything she does with genuine care and tenacity.

“We have tried to cultivate an approach of genuine collaboration amongst ourselves, our clients and candidates and Louisa is simply a great fit.”

Louisa said “It’s refreshing to be part of a group of individuals who have such strong relationships in their local markets, yet who work in a truly collaborative way. It’s a pleasure to be part of the North West, I really do see that with our combined connections and joint approach we have an exciting future ahead.”

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From left: Paul Miller, Andrew K Steen, Paul Sweeney

Lancashire-based Altius Group, a collection of boutique business brokers, has announced a change in board structure as it plans for its next phase of growth.

The group, which comprises specialist brands Redwoods Dowling Kerr, Kings Business, Kings Corporate, Bruce & Co. and Altius Corporate Finance, has announced the new board structure, with Paul Miller as Chairman, Andrew K Steen as Managing Director and newly-appointed Paul Sweeney as Group Operations Director.

Paul Miller, a highly experienced senior executive, with a background in corporate roles including with Plc’s, Venture Capitalists, and large corporates, set up Altius Group in 2008 alongside Andrew K Steen. He moves to the Chairman role from his current position of CEO.

Meanwhile, Andrew, the current Sales & Marketing Director, takes up the role of Managing Director.

Paul Sweeney joins the Altius Board to head up group operations. An experienced C-Suite professional, Paul’s previous roles include Director of Operations for N Brown Group and CEO of N Brown subsidiary, Oxendales.

Paul Miller said: “I am extremely proud of the business we have grown over the past 15 years. This is a pivotal time for Altius Group as we put in place the strategy for our next growth phase. I believe this new board structure will be key to our future success.”

Andrew said: “Having worked alongside Paul Miller since we set up Altius, I’m delighted to take on the role of Managing Director and excited about the next stage of our business journey. We’re delighted to have Paul Sweeney on board. His wealth of experience will be a great asset to our operations and I’m looking forward to working alongside him and Paul Miller as we shape the future direction of the business.”

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Satyajit Gohil and Chris Wyn Jones

Fire engineering consultancy, OFR, has appointed four new colleagues across its London and Manchester offices.

The new appointments come on the back of a period of rapid growth for the company which now boasts a nationwide headcount of 129.

The appointments in the London contingent include Lee Pashouros and Alex Nichols.

The Manchester team is bolstered by the arrival of senior fire engineer Chris Wyn Jones who arrives with a wealth of experience having worked on high rise residential buildings, schools, hospitals and hotels, and is well equipped to add to his expertise and expand his skill set at OFR.

Also joining him in Manchester is graduate fire engineer Satyajit Gohil who will complete his Degree in Mechanical Engineering while beginning his career at OFR. Originally from India, Gohil has spent the past two years working with Efectis in Belfast, as a Fire Testing Engineer.

Since its inception in Manchester in 2016, it has extended its reach across the country, with the Scottish team recently moving into larger premises in Edinburgh’s Scott House on South St Andrew’s Street.

Stewart Dabin, Director at OFR Consultants, said: “We strive to continually invest in new and existing talent, constantly broadening and strengthening our teams across the country. I look forward to welcoming our newest colleagues as we continue to offer an unparalleled service to our clients.”