People: Kingdom Services; Hugh Jones Solicitors; Manchester Hoteliers Assoc; Sum Vivas; Dudleys Consulting Engineers
Kingdom Services Group has appointed Jennifer Littlewood as the Chief Operating Officer of Kingdom Cleaning. The appointment of Jennifer marks a significant step forward for Kingdom Cleaning, encompassing Kingdom Hygiene, as it continues to drive growth and innovation in the sector.
Jennifer brings a wealth of experience from her previous role as Managing Director at Bidvest Noonan, where she was responsible for the end-to-end business management of the national Facilities Solutions Division.
At Bidvest Noonan, Jennifer demonstrated exceptional leadership by executing a rapid post-pandemic turnaround and driving scalable, sustainable growth. Her efforts led to a remarkable £25m growth in the first year.
Jennifer said: “I’m thrilled by the opportunity to shape and lead on Kingdom Cleaning’s medium and long term business plan. I’m passionate about building strong professional relationships with customers and suppliers, founded on trust and respect. My Kingdom welcome has been fantastic – this is a great team and an exciting business to be part of.”
The appointment of Jennifer also completes the team of four COOs at Newton-le-Willows-based Kingdom Services Group, each overseeing Kingdom’s core service pillars. Graham Allison will transition into a dedicated role as COO for Security, Systems, and Environmental, supported by his Regional Directors of Service.
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Ariella Jones
Boutique Court of Protection firm, Hugh Jones Solicitors, has grown its team and further strengthened its offering with the appointment of a new associate solicitor.
The Manchester-based firm has appointed Ariella Jones in the expert Court of Protection team following increased demand from local authorities and referrals from other firms.
Ariella joins having qualified in 2019. She is a specialist solicitor in Court of Protection finance and property matters and is highly experienced in working with adults and children with complex needs and high-value litigation awards, including Protected Parties with pre-settlement litigation claims.
Before specialising in Court of Protection work, Ariella gained valuable experience in actions against public and private bodies arising from child sexual abuse and acted for clients in applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and advocating on behalf of clients at tribunal hearings
Ariella said: “The Court of Protection team is growing fast, and I’m proud to be a part of the journey.”
Managing director, Liz Hughes, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Ariella to the firm – she’s an extremely talented Court of Protection specialist and a valuable addition to the team during a time of rapid growth.”
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Matt Townley
Manchester Hoteliers Association (MHA), a collection of 70 of the city’s key hotels, has announced the appointment of Matt Townley, Group Operations Director at Dakota Hotels, to take over as Chair from predecessor, Adrian Ellis.
Townley, who has been with the Dakota group for more than six years, has his sights set on breathing new life into the not-for-profit organisation, which boasts members such as The Lowry Hotel, Stock Exchange Hotel, and more.
A key figurehead in Manchester’s hospitality industry, Matt is also a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality and Chair of the North region which inspires hospitality professionals to perform at their best and earn the recognition they deserve.
He said: “Having been a part of the MHA for eight years, I can confidently say that there is no other organisation that is so passionate about the promotion and development of hospitality and tourism in our region. It’s an honour to have the baton passed on to me, and I will continue to advocate for our vibrant and growing hotel scene in Manchester.”
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Liv
Sum Vivas, a Liverpool-based innovator in AI technology and digital human solutions, has announced the integration of one of its AI-integrated digital humans to support the guest services team at Liverpool One.
This pioneering step marks a significant milestone in enhancing visitor experience at one of the UK’s premier retail and entertainment destinations.
Sum Vivas’s AI Digital Assistants are designed to be part of the wider team, providing seamless and efficient customer interactions.
‘Liv’ will be deployed at Liverpool One to support the newly-launched guest services team to assist visitors with a wide range of enquiries. From providing directions and store information to answering frequently asked questions, the AI Integrated Digital Assistant is poised to revolutionise the way customer service is delivered.
Rob Sims, CEO of Sum Vivas, said. “This collaboration underscores our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction. Our AI Digital Assistant is equipped with sophisticated AI capabilities, ensuring that visitors receive timely and accurate information, thereby improving their overall experience at Liverpool One.”
By integrating Sum Vivas’s AI Digital Assistants, Liverpool One aims to provide visitors with an innovative and interactive way to provide support.
Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director at Liverpool One, said: “We are excited that Liv will be supporting our newly launched guest services team. This innovative service aligns with our mission to continuously improve visitor experience through innovation and exceptional customer service. We look forward to seeing the positive impact Liv will have on our visitors.”
‘Liv’ is engineered with natural language processing and machine learning capabilities, enabling her to understand and respond to a wide range of queries in real time. This deployment at Liverpool One will also gather valuable insights and collect data into visitor preferences and needs, allowing for continuous improvement in service delivery.
Rob Sims added “As we embark on this exciting journey with Liverpool One, Sum Vivas reaffirms its dedication to transforming customer service through AI-driven solutions. We are confident that our AI Digital Assistants will set a new benchmark for customer interaction and satisfaction in retail and entertainment environments.”
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From left: Ben Wright, Chris Brady, Adil Yasin
Structural and Civil engineering consultancy, Dudleys has announced two new senior appointments at its North West office following a relocation to Manchester city centre.
The practice recently moved from Prestwich to new offices at 76 King Street in Manchester to facilitate expansion. The move has helped to attract highly respected and well known individuals within the industry in the form of Chris Brady as Technical Director and Adil Yasin as Structural Engineer.
Chris brings more than 30 years of development planning and civil engineering industry experience as a consultant for global operators including Atkins, WSP and, more locally, CampbellReith, He was also Technical Director at house building firms, Mulbury Homes and Anwyl Homes.
Chris will help to establish and grow the civil engineering team in Manchester, working across the North West region with a wide variety of new and existing clients and will soon be recruiting to add strength and depth to the Dudleys Team.
Adil Yasin is a highly experienced professional with 19 years of structural engineering experience. He has previously worked with well known operators, including Patrick Parsons, Innovare, SWF, and Roltons, providing structural engineering services on various residential and commercial developments, care homes, hospitals, schools and historic mill conversions.
Chris and Adil will work alongside Project Engineer Ben Wright under the leadership of Dudleys Board Director, Paul Brownlow who will drive Dudleys’ North West regional growth in both disciplines.
Dudleys, which counts Leeds United, Leeds/Bradford Airport and Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate as long standing clients, has enjoyed strong growth in recent years, doubling the size of its Leeds headquarters. The practice announced a 10% increase in turnover to £1.82m for 2022/23 and is projecting further year on year growth for the next three years to achieve £2.75m by the end of 2026.
Whilst Dudleys has delivered many projects in the North West with retained clients including Voyage Care and Industrial Space Solutions, ABGi, since setting up a more permanent regional office just over 12 months ago, the consultancy has expanded its portfolio with new clients including Peel Ports and Contract Services.
Managing Director, Andy Walker, welcomed Chris and Adil, saying: “Both are highly skilled professionals with very strong knowledge of the North West market that will undoubtedly assist with our regional growth plans. Relocating to a super prime location in Manchester city centre not only helps us to attract the best talent but also places us in the heart of the commercial property business community. We are very excited for what the future holds.”
