People: Lund Bennett Law; UVS; Azets; Mills & Reeve; University of Manchester; OBI; Real Estate Marketing Media; Freshfield; Hurst

Lund Bennett Law, a family law firm with offices in Cheshire and Manchester city centre, has promoted two members of its legal team, Charlotte Percy to Partner, and Hollie Aspinall as Associate Solicitor.
Charlotte joined Lund Bennett Law in 2020, and has consistently demonstrated exceptional legal acumen, dedication, and leadership, it said. She specialises in matrimonial financial settlements and pre-nuptial agreements, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the partnership. Her expertise has been instrumental in the firm’s recent appointment as Family Law Solicitors for Cheshire Police Federation members.
Managing Partner, Kirsten Bennett, said: “Charlotte’s promotion is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and outstanding contributions to our firm and clients. We are confident that she will continue to excel and play a crucial role in the future success of Lund Bennett Law.”
Hollie Aspinall joined the firm in 2022 and was praised for showing remarkable dedication and skill in handling complex family law matters. She will continue to focus on divorce and child arrangements. This promotion is a recognition of her hard work and the high level of service she provides to clients, said the firm.
Hollie said: “I am honoured to take on this new role and grateful for the opportunity to continue growing with Lund Bennett Law.”
::
Matt Seedall
Burnley-based video wall experts Ultimate Visual Solutions (UVS) has added experienced engineer Matt Seedall to its installation and service team in response to an increasing workload.
Matt, who joins as an IT/AV technician, lives in Burnley and has previously worked for Promethean, carrying out maintenance and support in educational facilities throughout the UK.
His appointment to the installation and service team comes as the company expands to cater for demand from across the world.
Managing Director, Steve Murphy, said: “Matt is a fantastic addition to our team. He has previously completed an apprenticeship in networking and IT and his appointment gives us added capacity at a time when we need it.”
Matt said: “I am really happy to be joining a company like UVS and I’m ready to use the grounding I have in this field, as well as expanding my AV knowledge.”
UVS, based in the Burnley First – Burnley Business Centre, is led by four senior colleagues who, between them, have more than 85 years’ combined Audio Visual, Control Room and Visual Solutions experience.
::
Owen Myott
Azets, the international advisory, outsourcing and compliance group, has announced 213 promotions across its UK business, including 19 in the North West region.
Owen Myott (ABAS, Stockport) has been promoted to Director, while the region welcomes four new Senior Managers, one Senior and four Managers. At a wider senior leadership level within the Azets Group, Damien Russell has been appointed as UK Chief People Officer, replacing Helen Hall who has taken a new strategic role as Head of DE&I and ESG in a planned move, and Mark Barrie (Hertford) has been promoted to UK Head of Debt Advisory.
Susanna Cassey, Regional Managing Director at Azets (North West), said: “I want to extend my gratitude to my team for their continued commitment and excellence, as we continue to go from strength to strength.
“We’re continually investing in people and advisory-rich services, and these appointments strengthen our breadth and depth of experience and expertise to help our clients achieve their ambitions. These promotions recognise an immense amount of hard work by my colleagues.”
::
Hannah Cheminais
National law firm Mills & Reeve has expanded its real estate team after Hannah Cheminais was promoted to partner.
Hannah, who joined the firm in 2020, is a real estate lawyer acting for developers, investors, landowners and occupiers.
In her new role as partner, she will continue to develop the Mills & Reeve real estate offering in the North West for public and private regeneration, development and complex projects work. Hannah’s promotion brings the team up to six partners and 19 lawyers.
Mike Edge, who heads the Manchester real estate practice at Mills & Reeve, said: “Hannah has been an invaluable addition to the Manchester team and her promotion is well deserved. She has played a pivotal role in our development.”
Hannah said: “The quality of the work is excellent and there is a strong culture of providing a first rate service to clients which makes Mills & Reeve a great place to build your career.”
::
Eleanor Morrissey
The University of Manchester has appointed Eleanor Morrissey as its new Executive Director of People and Organisational Development, starting September 1.
With almost three decades of leadership experience behind her, Eleanor is a leading human resources professional. Throughout her career she has kept a laser-focus on data and technology, utilising it to build efficient working patterns for staff and smoother processes for people across organisations.
Her previous roles include Global HR Director at Genus, a FTSE 250 biotech company, the Cooperative and the Aspire Group, a commercial business providing housing, training, neighbourhood and business services.
Eleanor said: “I am really excited to be joining The University of Manchester, it’s an institution that places a great deal of emphasis on its people and the difference they make around the world, and that fits extremely well with my own beliefs.”
Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, Patrick Hackett, said: “Eleanor is a highly experienced leader who has an outstanding track record in complex and diverse organisations. She is committed to our university’s values and has a strong emphasis on improving systems and services for everyone.”
Prof Duncan Ivison, who will take up the position of President and Vice-Chancellor from August 1, said: “Our people are integral to the university’s future, and I am looking forward to welcoming Eleanor to the university’s senior leadership team.”
::
James Cowan
Manchester-based multi-disciplinary property firm, OBI, has announced the addition of James Cowan to its building consultancy team.
James, who joins the firm as a building surveyor, graduated from the University of Reading in 2021 with a first class honours in Building Surveying before going on to join Anderton Gables as a surveyor – a role he held for two-and-a-half years before joining OBI.
In his new role, James will join OBI’s 40-strong team and be responsible for undertaking commercial surveying instructions, acting on behalf of both landlords and occupiers across various sectors to deliver all aspects of surveying from commercial building surveys to dilapidation schedules and negotiations and strategic advice.
Dominic Horridge, co-founder at OBI Property, welcomed James, saying: “It was clear from the first time we met him that he is a true talent with an amazing eye for detail, infectious passion for property and an above and beyond attitude to being the best he can. James has already settled in incredibly well to our building consultancy team, immediately using his expertise to add value and strengthen relations with our roster of clients.”
James said: “I feel like my career to date has prepared me perfectly for this role and I am thrilled to be cementing my learning and experience working for one of Manchester’s most forward-thinking commercial real estate firms.”
::
Lily Cassell
Specialist property marketing agency, Real Estate Marketing Media (REMM), has promoted Phill Etchells to Associate Director.
The Altrincham-based firm has also recruited a new team member, welcoming Lily Cassell in the role of Account Manager.
The new team structure will see Etchells take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the agency, supporting its clients on a variety of marketing and communications briefs.
Etchells has been with the agency since its inception in 2020. He boasts more than a decade of experience in the real estate industry, with roles ranging from head of sales to business development manager.
In his new role, Etchells will lead the seven-strong team which comprises marketing, PR, SEO and branding specialists. He will also be responsible for business development and ensuring the highest standards of service for the agency’s current and prospective clients.
Phill Etchells
Cassell joined the team in July, following successful stints at Manchester agencies Zeal Creative and Social Chain.
In her new role, she will be responsible for the day-to-day management of REMM’s client portfolio, as well as managing junior team members and supporting their development.
Phill Etchells said: “It’s great to have started my new role after what has been a really exciting four years for the agency. We’ve gone from strength to strength since our inception in 2020, and I’m excited to build on this success even further.
“Welcoming Lily to the team is also a huge win for us. She brings with her a fantastic skill set in marketing account management that will add huge benefits to our clients and drive our ambitious growth plans. I look forward to working with her more closely in the coming months.”
::
Niamh Heron
North West PR and communications consultancy, Freshfield, has boosted its specialist PR and communications team with the appointment of Niamh Heron.
Niamh joins as PR and content marketing executive, having previously been digital PR executive at Leeds-based multi-service marketing agency, Journey Further.
During her time at Journey Further, she worked with clients across sectors including commercial property and retail, and her client experience included Workspace, Sports Direct and Prep Kitchen.
Simon Turner, Freshfield CEO, said: “Niamh’s appointment is part of our renewed focus on specialism. We’ve been gradually transitioning away from being a full-service agency to focusing on what we’re best at, which is PR and communications, while concentrating on specific B2B sectors.
“Niamh is a huge talent and her varied skill set in content creation, copywriting, social media and public relations aligns perfectly with our specialism, and she also brings a fresh dimension and new ideas. Niamh will provide valuable campaign support to our clients, acting as that trusted extension of their in-house team.”
Niamh, who lives in Preston, said: “I am so excited to join Freshfield at such a transformational stage in its journey and to be part of a purpose-driven company. Having watched the company from afar, I am impressed by Freshfield’s commitment to delivering exceptional results for its clients, and I look forward to contributing to the continued growth of Freshfield.”
::
Jack Pritchard, left, and Tom Hooper
Independent accounting and business advisory firm Hurst has promoted two members of its team who joined the practice as graduate trainees.
Tom Hooper and Jack Pritchard have become associate managers in the business services team, which provides advisory, audit and assurance services to companies across the North West and beyond. It is the largest team at Hurst with more than 70 staff.
After graduating from the University of Nottingham with a degree in History and American studies, Tom joined Hurst in September 2018. He works with clients across numerous sectors, including manufacturing, construction, hotel management, training and digital marketing.
Tom said: “It’s great to be promoted and for my hard work to be recognised. I’m looking forward to being further involved as we grow and continue to modernise as a business, and working to set an example for our audit teams, just as I was motivated by the great people ahead of me.”
Jack graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in Accountancy and Finance, and joined Hurst in September 2019.
He is involved in audits, statutory accounts preparation work and corporation tax compliance on behalf of clients in sectors including insurance, construction and sport. He said: “The culture of the firm and the welcoming nature of everyone involved really stood out to me and made coming to Hurst an easy decision.”
Mike Jackson, head of Hurst’s business services team, said: “Bringing hugely talented people through the firm is one of the best things about what we do, and to see Jack and Tom step up to the partner and manager team is a great moment. Growing and developing our team is a constant process, and when people reach milestones like this it’s a great time to reflect on what they have achieved since they joined the firm.”
The firm recently moved its head office to a new flagship development in Stockport to accommodate its growing team, taking 11,000 sq ft at 3 Stockport Exchange.