People: Homes for the North; Fuuse; Leonard Curtis; Tempt; Harrison Drury; Cushman & Wakefield
Bronwen Rapley has been appointed the Chair of Manchester-based Homes for the North, a campaigning alliance of 17 of the largest housing associations across the North, which is calling on the next government to take a more strategic approach to delivering the homes that the North of England needs.
Bronwen brings extensive experience in delivering affordable housing and advocating for better homes in the North of England. Alongside her role with Homes for the North, Bronwen is also Chief Executive at Onward Homes, where she oversees management of 35,000 homes across Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire.
Before joining Onward, she led regulatory enforcement at the Regulator of Social Housing. She is also Deputy Chair of the National Housing Federation, the membership body representing housing associations at the national level.
Bronwen said: “I am thrilled to take on the role of Chair of Homes for the North. Our group of leading housing associations understands the urgent need for more affordable housing to boost the social and economic wellbeing of our communities. We have a wealth of experience to offer in how we can address the housing crisis.
“As Chair, I will push for the delivery of more and better homes in the North and work with the next government to put in place the framework we need to make this happen.”
Outgoing Chair, Steve Coffey, said: “Serving as Chair of Homes for the North has been a great privilege. During my tenure, we advanced an ambitious plan to deliver More and Better Homes in the North, gaining cross-party support.
“I am confident that under Bronwen Rapley’s leadership, we will continue to make significant strides towards this goal.”
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Paul Brennan
Electric Vehicle software business Fuuse, has appointed Paul Brennan as its new board Chair. With over 20 years experience as Chairman and Non-Executive Director of multiple venture and private equity-backed businesses in Europe and the US, Paul brings a wealth of expertise and a proven track record
of success to Fuuse.
Brennan’s career began with a successful tenure at IBM, where he held roles in sales and engineering. As the CEO of Metamerge, he led the company through a successful trade sale to IBM. Over the past two decades, he has chaired numerous companies, completing twenty-five funding rounds, seven acquisitions, and nine exits.
Notable recent transactions under Brennan’s chairmanship include the sale of JHC to FNZ, OnApp to Virtuozzo, and the successful exit of Amdaris to Insight Enterprises Inc in August 2023. He currently serves as Chairman of UK businesses Talmix and Cyacomb.
Michael Gibson, CEO of Fuuse said “His extensive experience and impressive track record in supporting companies through significant growth and successful transactions will be invaluable as we continue to expand our footprint across the EV charging industry.”
His appointment marks a significant milestone for Fuuse. Last week the company announced it had raised £8.7m in new funding to accelerate its growth, and Brennan’s experience will play an important role in Fuuse’s mission to revolutionise the EV charging
experience through innovative software and service solutions.
Brennan said: “I am excited to join Fuuse at such a pivotal time in the company’s growth. Fuuse has demonstrated remarkable innovation and leadership in the EV charging sector, and I look forward to working with the talented team to further advance our mission and capitalise on the tremendous opportunities ahead.”
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Peter Vinden
Peter Vinden has joined Leonard Curtis to bring his 30 years of construction dispute resolution expertise to the firm’s restructuring and turnaround division. Vinden has formalised a long-standing working relationship with Leonard Curtis to address problems in construction and property businesses.
A qualified Chartered Quantity Surveyor, Arbitrator, Adjudicator and Mediator, he set up The Vinden Partnership (TVP) in 1994 to advise clients involved in the holding and development of land and property asset and dispute resolution.
He will join the specialist property and construction team at Leonard Curtis, led by Directors and Insolvency Practitioners Andrew Knowles, Phil Deyes, Nick Myers and Alex Cadwallader.
Peter said: “Lack of resolution of commercial disputes piles further pressure on vulnerable businesses in the contractor supply chain and has often pushed them into financial distress. The plan at Leonard Curtis is to provide effective early interventions for these businesses with dispute resolution, restructuring and funding advice at just the right time. I am delighted to be joining a great business that I have worked with for more 25 years.”
CEO Dan Booth commented: “Peter is already bringing live construction cases to us based on his enviable reputation in this sector and is committed to collaborative working for best results. His no-nonsense, straight-talking approach aligns perfectly with our own.
“We share the same concern for spotting the warning signs early while options for dispute resolution and recovery still exist in a sector plagued with setbacks in recent times. His insight will prove invaluable in what we’re trying to achieve for our clients and position us as the go-to experts in this market.”
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Nathan Baxter
Social media and PR agency Tempt has announced the appointment of a new Associate Creative Director, Nathan Baxter.
He has over 15 years of experience in content marketing on marketing projects for Arighi Bianchi, Neighbourhood, Victors Restaurants, Tesco Mobile, Asha’s, Forty-Seven Hotel and Yours.
The new appointment follows new client wins for Tempt, with D & D London and Settio Property Experience adding to the client portfolio.
Nathan will sit alongside Tempt Founder Beccy Gibson.
Commenting on the move, he said, “It’s a really exciting time as we accelerate the growth of the agency and exceed our vision to work with hugely inspirational brands.”
Established in 2018, Tempt is a marketing agency based in the Northern Quarter, Manchester. The agency delivers powerful, creative, and memorable campaigns for clients in hospitality, leisure, and travel through social media, public relations, brand creation, digital content, and events.
Tempt has developed campaigns for brands including Mercure, Malibu, Individual Restaurants, Marriott Tribute Portfolio, Bar Hütte, Society and Victoria Warehouse.
Tempt Founder Beccy adds, ‘Nathan and I have worked on various projects together over the past few years — he has an exceptional talent and creative eye for content, plus a fantastic track record of results and so I’m thrilled Nathan joins us and very excited about what we can achieve together.’
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From left: Mark Traynor, Hayley Goodwin, Rick Life
North West law firm, Harrison Drury, has expanded its corporate team in Manchester with the appointment of partner Hayley Goodwin.
Hayley joins after spending five years as corporate partner at Knights and will advise clients on a range of corporate matters and transactional work with a focus on SMEs and owner managed businesses.
As well as advising on business sales and purchases, she will also provide advice to clients in the charity sector, including drafting and advising on constitutional documentation and charity mergers.
Mark Traynor, partner and head of the corporate team at Harrison Drury, said: “Since opening our Manchester office at the start of 2024, we’ve seen our corporate team go from strength to strength.
“Hayley’s experience and expertise will be invaluable to our clients. Her appointment further cements Harrison Drury’s reputation as a serious player in the region for transactional work.”
Hayley, who has worked in corporate law for past 18 years, said: “It’s a truly exciting time to be joining Harrison Drury and helping the firm with its growth journey in Manchester and across the North West. I’m looking forward to working with Mark, Rick and the rest of the team to support our client’s aspirations.”
Harrison Drury recently announced a series of senior appointments in Manchester allowing it to double its office space at the Tootal Buildings on Oxford Road, following the launch of the office in January.
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Kristian Brennan, left, and Dan Davis
Cushman & Wakefield, Manchester leisure scheme, Printworks’ managing agent, has appointed Dan Davis as centre manager and Kristian Brennan as the new marketing manager. Both have had extensive careers in the North West within leisure, retail and hospitality.
Printworks recently completed its £21m refurbishment which saw the unveiling of the largest digital ceiling in Europe, in March.
Dan most recently had a successful tenure managing the Corn Exchange, another iconic Manchester leisure destination, and brings with him more than 18 years of retail and centre management experience. He will lead the on-site team to deliver the future vision for the scheme working alongside the scheme’s tenants and wider stakeholders.
Kristian joins from one of the most awarded consumer PR agencies outside of London, Brazen, where he was an account director across a wide range of national retail and hospitality brands.
The team will support owners DTZ Investors’ vision for Printworks to be at the forefront of UK leisure. Responding to evolving leisure trends with the creation of unique technology-led experiences, DTZ Investors has delivered a world of entertainment with a fully immersive and interactive environment, on a scale not found elsewhere in the UK.
Dan said: “The scheme is a leading brand within our city and our relaunch has shown what we can achieve and we have huge ambitions for the future. I am looking forward to working with Kristian, the wider team and all of our tenants as we head into a new era for the Printworks, further cementing our place as Manchester’s leading leisure destination.”
The refurbishment project has provided 50 additional jobs locally and has contributed a positive wider economic contribution in the North West of circa £18m.
