People: Begbies Traynor; Curtins; PMD; CTI Digital; Forbers Solicitors; Great Schools Trust; Armstrong Watson; WilsonCooke
Independent business rescue and recovery specialist, Begbies Traynor Group, has expanded its senior team with the appointment of Carl Lever as a director, working across the firm’s Manchester and Leeds offices.
Carl joins the firm from Leonard Curtis where he gained 13 years’ experience and has built a specialism in advising Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulated businesses.
In his new role he will continue to focus on advising, helping and providing options to firms in the financial services sector, particularly those facing financial or regulatory challenges.
Julian Pitts, regional managing partner for Begbies Traynor Group, said: “We are really pleased to welcome Carl to the Begbies Traynor team. He brings with him huge depth of experience in dealing with FCA-regulated businesses, an area where we are seeing growing demand and in which we plan to drive growth.”
Carl said: “This is an exciting time to be joining Begbies Traynor Group, which has an outstanding reputation for advising businesses that find themselves facing financial difficulties. I am looking forward to working with talented colleagues, and using my expertise and contacts to help support FCA-regulated firms across the north of England.”
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Neil Parkinson
Neil Parkinson is to replace Rob Melling as chief executive of Liverpool-based engineering consultancy Curtins, following Rob’s retirement.
Rob’s career at Curtins has spanned four decades. He took the helm of the business in 2004.
He has overseen an office expansion to 14 locations, appointment on project masterplans in excess of £1bn, and, most recently, the transition to an Employee-Owned Trust. In 2023 the firm, founded by Bill Curtin in 1960, achieved a turnover of £36m.
He was appointed by Bill Curtin in 1981 as an apprentice, and joined the board of directors in 1999.
Board Director, Paul Menzies has worked alongside Rob for more than 20 years and said: “Where we were once just a civil and structural engineering firm, now we’re also a business with heart.”
Rob said: “Curtins has been my whole career, and a hugely significant part of my life, but I feel very comfortable that now is the right time for me to step down. The business is in better shape than it has ever been with strong leadership, a resilient operational structure and an extremely healthy market share.”
Rob Melling
The planning of the transition and appointing Rob’s successor has been underway for a number of months and Neil Parkinson will formally step into the role on January 1, 2025.
Neil has been with the business for more than 30 years and during that time has worked closely with Curtins’ 14 offices, building strong relationships and a solid base of both commercial and technical expertise.
Rob said: “I can think of no-one better than Neil to take on this role. He knows the business inside out, and his passion and experience are the perfect fit to continue to build on Curtins’ legacy and lead the business into what I’m sure will be a bright and exciting future.”
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Callum Bull
Chadderton-based business finance broker, PMD, has appointed Callum Bull as Director, a move that comes in recognition of his contributions to the company since joining in 2020.
Callum has successfully established and grown PMD’s structured finance division, and his new role will see him continue to drive the division’s expansion while playing a strategic role across the wider business.
PMD said this appointment reflects a period of significant growth for the business, which has recently moved into larger offices in Oldham, reflecting its expansion. Since its inception in 2010, PMD has grown to a team of more than 60 dedicated professionals and has recently undergone a complete company rebrand.
Managing Director, Tom Brown, said: “Callum has played a key strategic role in the business since he joined back in 2020, and we’re delighted to welcome him to the board at PMD.”
Callum Bull said: “We have some ambitious plans, to which I am looking forward to supporting the executive team to deliver alongside our continued organic growth.”
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Nick Giles
CTI Digital, a technology, experience and digital marketing agency, has appointed Nick Giles as Head of Performance Marketing.
Bringing more than a decade of experience in digital strategy and paid media, Nick joins Manchester-based CTI Digital to spearhead the agency’s performance marketing strategy and drive exceptional results for clients.
Nick previously founded Halftime Agency, a performance-driven digital agency that collaborated with global brands. His expertise in strategic marketing, paid media, and revenue growth is instrumental in enhancing CTI Digital’s capabilities.
Samantha Bell, Growth Director at CTI Digital, said Nick’s deep knowledge of the paid media landscape and his passion for driving results align perfectly with CTI’s vision: “We are confident that Nick will be an excellent leader, building our team of experts and delivering exceptional campaigns for our clients.”
Nick said: “I am excited to join CTI Digital and contribute to the agency’s continued growth. The agency’s commitment to delivering exceptional work and strong culture align perfectly with my values. I look forward to working with the team to drive innovative and effective paid media campaigns.”
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Nick Holgate
Full-service law firm Forbes has appointed Nick Holgate as a partner in its growing insurance practice.
Nick qualified as a solicitor at Forbes, having started with the firm as a trainee in 2008, and returns following three years with Kennedys Law in Leeds.
Led out of Forbes’ Manchester office, the Insurance Team works closely with local authorities across the North of England, and nationally, as well as major insurers and businesses throughout the retail, manufacturing, construction, and care sectors.
Chris Booth, a Partner and Head of Insurance at Forbes Solicitors, said: “Clients, of course, expect to work with legal experts. However, they are also looking for insurance sector experience and a commitment to client service and delivery. Our clients tell us that it’s this combination which sets us apart. We’re delighted to welcome Nick back to the firm as he epitomises all of these qualities.”
Nick Holgate said: “Forbes has an outstanding track record and has so many long standing clients and team members that, in many ways, it feels like I’ve never been away.
“However, in the past three years, the firm has continued to invest in the team, office and brand cementing its position as the number one regional law firm. I’m looking forward to building on the team’s success and bringing wider industry experience to enhance the exceptional client service and delivery we are known for.”
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Lee Rogers
Great Schools Trust, the multi-academy trust with five King’s Leadership Academies in the North West, has appointed Lee Rogers as director of people.
Lee joins from Talk Talk, where he worked for 18 years and held various HR and training roles, which included creating leadership and performance development programmes.
In his new role, Lee will work on personal and professional development with staff and leadership teams within the Great Schools Trust and its King’s Leadership Academies.
Lee said: “There is a great deal of talent with the Trust, and as well as supporting professional development, staff must have the opportunity for personal growth to help them have a fulfilling career in an increasingly challenging sector.”
The Great Schools Trust chief executive, Shane Ireson, said: “I am looking forward to working with Lee and seeing how we can use his experience of the best practice in the corporate environment to create new and lasting personal and professional development opportunities for our staff and school leaders within the Trust’s academies.”
Great Schools Trust, based in Warrington, is a values-led Multi Academy Trust with schools in Warrington, Bolton and Liverpool.
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Richard Andrew, with students
A Cumbrian accountancy firm recognised as one of the UK’s top apprenticeship employers for a third year in a row is set to welcome more than 28 new trainees.
Armstrong Watson takes on a number of apprentices every year to work towards their Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and Association of Tax Technicians (ATT) qualifications, with 21 embarking on the AAT and four starting the ATT in 2024. This is up from 17 across the two courses in 2023. The firm is also recruiting for two payroll apprentices.
The new students, who start in September at regional offices across the North of England and Scotland, including 12 based in Cumbria, will work in the Accounting and Tax Compliance teams and will receive hands-on experience alongside classroom study as they work towards their qualifications. They then have the opportunity to progress on to the ACA Graduate Scheme to become a Chartered Accountant. This year a total of 37 graduates joined the firm or progress onto the ACA programme.
Paul Dickson, CEO and Managing Partner, said: “We’re pleased to welcome our 2024 apprentices who have been carefully selected from hundreds of applicants.”
Richard Andrew, Head of Accounting and Business Services, said: “I’m so proud of the training, support and development our students receive from our dedicated training manager, Karen Blaylock, and really believe our programme, and the experience our trainees receive, is unrivalled in the sector.”
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Some of the new team members
Manchester-based business growth and acquisitions group, WilsonCooke, has promoted four staff to senior positions. It has also taken on a new staff member and two Manchester Metropolitan University apprentices.
WGC, which includes brand-performance agency WilsonCooke/Brand Performance, business development agency GAIN LINE and recently acquired branding company Purple Frog, said it demonstrated its faith in its dedicated teams with the following promotions:
Jonathan MacGregor. PHP Developer to Senior PHP Developer. Jonathan is now a key contact for WGC’s development team, taking a senior role in ownership of implementation, deliverables and moving the group forward with new technologies.
Adam Faux. Front End Developer to Senior Front-End Developer. He takes the lead on visual output from GAIN LINE, ownership of front end development and delivery and prototyping process/output.
Rowan Walker. Former Digital Marketing Apprentice (Manchester Metropolitan University) becomes Business Development Executive. A successful graduate of the WGC apprenticeship scheme, which is run in conjunction with Manchester Metropolitan University and complements study with on-the-job experience. Rowan will use his knowledge of the group’s services to curate expert solutions for clients.
Souban Quadri also joins GAIN LINE as a PHP Developer. Previously a Back End Engineer at Birmingham-based digital product studio 383, he has more than 10 years of experience in development, including at software-platform firm Blue Wren.
The group has taken on two apprentices.
Ewan Lennie joins as Digital Marketing Executive (part of the Degree Apprentice scheme, run with Manchester Metropolitan University). He is already a graduate in business management and has worked in sales for more than three years.
Frankie Jackson is another new Digital Marketing Executive (Degree Apprentice, Manchester Metropolitan University). His background includes a year’s experience in social media management.
Mark Law, Group Managing Director, welcomed Souban, Ewan and Frankie to the staff, which he said shows “commitment to investing in and developing new, exciting talent.
“The promotion of Rowan, Adam and Jonathan show how talented and inventive our staff is.”
Alex Barker, Apprenticeship Development Manager at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “Joining the team at Wilson Cooke as a Degree Apprentice is an exceptional opportunity to gain practical experience in the digital marketing industry. It effectively bridges the gap between academic learning and real world application, providing apprentices with the skills, confidence, and industry insight needed to succeed in their careers.”
