People: EET; Evelyn Partners; Harrison Drury; Aaron & Partners; MHA; Cowgills
Essar Energy Transition (EET) has appointed Ruth Herbert as Managing Director, Business Development and Strategic Initiatives, effective September 16, 2024.
Ruth will lead the development and execution of strategic initiatives to support EET’s long term growth objectives – identifying new business opportunities, forging strategic partnerships and ensuring that the company’s initiatives are in line with the evolving energy landscape.
Ruth brings with her more than 15 years of energy industry experience, most recently as Chief Executive of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, where she helped to shape government policy and fostered partnerships that significantly advanced the industry’s progress.
Ruth has extensive UK Government experience, previously holding several key positions at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, where she played a pivotal role in the UK’s energy policy, including leading negotiations on the EU Directive on CO2 Storage, international CCUS, and policy coordination, stakeholder engagement and programme management for the UK’s Electricity Market Reform.
Tony Fountain, Managing Director, EET, said: “We are very excited to have Ruth on board at EET. Through our hydrogen production and decarbonisation projects at Stanlow, we are fully focused on assisting the UK Government to deliver its net zero goals. Ruth’s strong track record of leadership in both decarbonisation policy and practical implementation regimes will be instrumental as we progress our strategic initiatives.”
Ruth Herbert said: “I look forward to joining at such a pivotal time for EET, and for the sector as a whole. EET’s plans present a huge opportunity for the UK’s North West to be a trailblazer in the net zero industries of the future and for EET to be at the forefront of the emerging low carbon products market.”
::
Gary Fenemore
Evelyn Partners, the wealth management and professional services group, has appointed Gary Fenemore as a tax director to support the growth of its tax offering across the North.
Fenemore joins from Alvarez and Marshall, having previously held positions at Mazars and Grant Thornton. In his new role as tax director, he will work closely with business owners and entrepreneurs, acting as a trusted adviser and enabling ambitious individuals to achieve their personal and professional goals.
Based in Evelyn Partners’ Manchester office, Gary will provide end-to-end tax advice across the business lifecycle. This includes international expansion, transaction support, employee incentives, efficient restructuring, and utilising his extensive network of intermediaries in the Northern business community.
His appointment follows Evelyn Partners’ expansion in the North region, with the firm acquiring three former Haines Watts offices in Manchester, Leeds, and Newcastle.
Gary said: “I am incredibly excited by the ambition of the team at Evelyn Partners. The firm’s client-centric culture was a huge driver for me and very much aligns with my own hands-on, personal approach to supporting clients through all aspects of their business journey.
“Manchester is a thriving place at the moment and Evelyn Partners has a tremendously strong proposition, helping entrepreneurs meet the demands of running a business with quality, commercially-driven advice.”
David Fort, Partner in Evelyn Partners’ Manchester office, said: “Gary adds extensive experience in supporting business owners. Gary’s expertise will add tangible value to our clients, helping them identify opportunities, mitigate risk, establish solutions to support further business growth, and to ultimately maximise value in their business.”
::
From left: Ethan Jayne, Koko Taylor, Sophie Holt-Rogers, James Robbins, Priya Anand, Olivia Moore, Shannon Martin, Jessica Woodman, Alexandra Brown
North West law firm Harrison Drury has created eight new trainee and apprentice positions as part of its 2024 training programme intake.
Olivia Moore and Sophie Holt-Rogers have both started trainee solicitor contracts having previously undertaken paralegal roles at the firm. The pair join Jess Woodman who started her training contract in March in the firm’s 2024 cohort of trainee solicitors.
Priya Anand, Ethan Jayne, and Koko Taylor have taken up apprentice solicitor positions, while Shannon Martin and Alexandra Brown have become legal apprentices.
James Robbins, training principal and insolvency partner at Harrison Drury, said: “Our training programme helps us to find, recruit and develop the people we need now and in the future. It’s important to us in many ways, but especially in creating new growth and succession opportunities and ensuring our clients get a first class service from the brightest legal talent.”
Olivia will start her training with a placement with the firm’s family law team in Kendal, while Sophie will work with the corporate law team in Manchester.
The solicitor apprentices will all be based primarily in Preston, with Ethan working with the employment law team, Koko with the commercial litigation team and Priya with the commercial property team.
Shannon’s legal apprentice role will see her providing support for the firm’s team of solicitors in Lytham, while Alexandra will work with the private client team in Preston.
Over the last 10 years Harrison Drury’s training programme has created 47 trainee solicitor and apprentice roles – 14 current solicitors started at the firm as a trainee or apprentice.
::
From left:Vlad Macdonald-Munteanu, Hannah Fynn, Paul Hennity
Chester law firm, Aaron & Partners, has announced a new round of internal promotions across key departments, including three new Partners and three new Senior Associates.
The firm, which operates from offices in Chester, Shrewsbury, Greater Manchester, and the Wirral, has confirmed a total of eight team members across the business are set to move into more senior positions.
Among them are Real Estate Solicitor Hannah Fynn, Contested Trusts & Probate Solicitor Vlad Macdonald-Munteanu, and Employment Solicitor Paul Hennity, who have all been made Partners in the firm.
Hannah acts for an array of clients on matters concerning commercial property and mines and minerals, while Vlad’s expertise lies in dealing with high value estate and trust disputes. Paul’s experience is in dealing with claims in employment tribunals and negotiating settlement agreements.
Sarah Henderson, from the Wills, Trusts & Tax team, and Stephanie King, from the Real Estate team, have been promoted from Associate to Senior Associate Solicitor, recognising their experience and contributions to the firm.
Charlotte McCubbin, Leah Edwards and Rebecca Christian have all been promoted to Associate level in light of their progress and increasing experience within the firm.
Nick Clarke, Senior Partner at Aaron & Partners, said: “We pride ourselves on having a genuine commitment to career development and personal advancement here, so it’s a pleasure to announce another round of well-earned promotions. Each is richly deserved and comes in recognition of the high levels of expertise and dedication they have demonstrated.”
::
Alex Kelly, left, Chris Greenhalgh
Accounting and advisory firm, MHA, has further enhanced its expertise with the appointment of a new partner to its national technical and compliance team to lead on regulatory, risk and policy matters.
Working from the firm’s Manchester and London offices, Chris Greenhalgh has taken on the roles of Practice Assurance Compliance Principal and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO).
Chris joins MHA after more than 10 years with the ICAEW’s Quality Assurance Department, working in regulatory monitoring in the areas of audit, practice assurance and designated professional body.
Alex Kelly, partner at MHA and a member of the firm’s Audit Quality Board, said: “Chris brings an enormous amount of experience to MHA following senior audit roles within accounting firms and his wide-ranging quality assurance role with the ICAEW.”
Chris, whose roles in private practice included eight years with a large regional based practice, said: “Given my own background in regulatory quality monitoring, there was very clear alignment of my personal objectives with those of the firm. It’s great to be part of our national technical team that’s entrusted with ensuring we uphold those standards.”
::
Academy 2024 intake
North West accountancy and business advisory firm Cowgills has taken on 14 new graduates and school leavers as part of the company’s annual ‘Cowgills Academy scheme’.
The recruits will be split across the firm’s Bolton, Manchester and Liverpool offices. Working across audit, tax, deal advisory and business recovery, they will gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of a career in accountancy and business advisory.
Managing Partner, Paul Stringer, said: “Every year we develop a greater appreciation of the importance of our Academy programme. Being able to nurture the development of these young adults and ensure they learn the skills they need for a long and successful career is incredibly rewarding for us as a company.”
Lisa Kershaw, Head of People, said: “This year we’ve more than doubled our intake of trainees onto the Academy. Since its launch in 2022, we’ve seen some incredible success rates. We currently have 22 trainees with us who have joined Cowgills over the last two years, with every one of them on track to pass their exams within their training contract. We received hundreds of applications this year, and our latest cohort are the best of the best.”
