People: Apprentify Group; Rosebud; United Utilities; ABC+ Warranty; Miller Homes; Mansell Building Solutions; DSW Ventures
Further education and apprenticeships organisation, Apprentify Group, has appointed Melissa Hull as the new Head of Academies.
Melissa has more than two decades of experience in professional learning and skills development. She began as a Trainee Graduate at sales development provider Pareto and went on to lead the UK franchise teams and establish the company’s Apprenticeships department.
Jonathan Fitchew, CEO at Wilmslow-based Apprentify Group, said: “This is the time to invest in the team.
“Melissa joining us with her extensive experience in training and talent development will provide the team with the support needed in-house. We expect her appointment will make an impact across the three businesses and will put the group in good footing for the next stage of growth.”
Melissa said: “I am excited to be part of such a sector-disruptor organisation and look forward to contributing to the development of both new and existing talent.
“I am committed to elevating the existing successes of the company and building an environment where our team can thrive and achieve their full potential.”
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Martin Emmott
Lancashire’s long-standing business loans provider, Rosebud, has appointed Martin Emmott, who has more than 25 years’ experience in the banking and finance sector across the North West, as Fund Manager.
Most recently having worked for the challenger bank Aldermore, Martin is tasked with re-focusing Rosebud’s activities to specifically help more early-stage and growing Lancashire businesses who require debt finance to enable them to prosper.
He said: “Anyone who has worked in the North West’s financial services industry is familiar with the Rosebud name. I’m therefore relishing the chance to use Rosebud’s depth of experience, expertise, and local knowledge, to help more early stage and growing Lancashire companies across all sectors fulfil their potential.”
Rosebud, which was established in 1986, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lancashire County Council.
Rosebud recently revealed that in the past five years its loans to Lancashire businesses have helped to create 1,164 jobs across the county. In addition, in the past four years, more than 60% of Rosebud loans have been made to returning Rosebud clients.
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Matt Hemmings
United Utilities, the region’s water service provider, has appointed Matt Hemmings as its new Chief Operating Officer.
Matt, who won the Young Leader award at TheBusinessDesk.com’s the Northern Leadership Awards in 2019, joins from Openreach, part of the BT Group, where he was Managing Director of Fibre & Network Delivery. He led a team of 12,000 staff and 8,000 contractors who built, ran and maintained the UK’s fibre network.
Matt joined Openreach on a fast-track leadership development programme in 2012 and has worked in a variety of senior roles, with a strong track record of delivering major infrastructure programmes. Before Openreach, Matt spent time running large operations in retail and finance.
He said: “I am incredibly excited to join United Utilities as it embarks on its most ambitious investment programme yet.”
Matt will be responsible for all operational performance across water, wastewater and bioresources.
Outside of United Utilities, Matt is a Non-Executive Director on the board of Great Places Housing Group. He has previously served as Non-Executive Director at Trafford Housing Trust and as Chairman of its house building business.
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Iain Corcoran
Altrincham-based structural warranty provider, ABC+ Warranty, has recruited a business development manager to strengthen client relationships and oversee its new business growth department.
The specialist insurance provider, which serves the property and construction industry, has welcomed Iain Corcoran to the team to help spearhead its ambitious plans.
The appointment will see Corcoran support the company’s plans for expansion, which include increasing its suite of specialist insurance services and products while drilling down the needs of its clients.
He will also be instrumental in raising a new business development team at the firm and will look to add further recruits to its 22-strong team over the next couple of years.
Boasting more than 13 years of business development experience, Corcoran joins the team following successful stints at CITB and, most recently, at Global Home Warranties.
Managing director, Adele Reid, said: “Iain works closely with developers, and he understands what the customer wants. We are a forward-thinking company and Iain’s customer service and attention to detail aligns with our continuity and focus for the business.”
Iain said: “It’s a huge compliment to be responsible for building on the incredible foundations that Adele and her team have set. ABC’s standards and customer care are second to none.”
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Billy Jepson
Miller Homes has appointed two promising young professionals, Billy Jepson and Mia Ullmer, who have joined the company’s North West regional team.
Billy, 19, and Mia, 18, bring fresh enthusiasm and ambition to Miller Homes’ Commercial and Technical departments, respectively.
Billy, from Wythenshawe, has a family history in construction that sparked his interest in the field. Having chosen to begin his career in the commercial side of the business, Billy has already started gaining valuable insights into the industry, working with technical drawings, and learning essential software skills.
Mia Ullmer
Mia Ullmer, from Middlewich, said her love for CAD and fascination with how local land transforms into thriving communities inspired her to pursue a career in the Technical department.
Stuart Craig, Managing Director of Miller Homes North West, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Billy and Mia to the Miller Homes family. Both have shown a genuine passion for their respective fields, and we are excited to support them as they grow within the company. Their energy and potential are invaluable assets as we continue to deliver quality homes across the North West.”
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Rebecca Sutherland
Mansell Building Solutions has recruited Rebecca Sutherland to the newly created position of social value coordinator to solidify its commitment to supporting the communities within which it operates.
Rebecca (Becks) has assumed responsibility for collating, administering and encouraging a wide range of initiatives across the business, including volunteering, charitable activities and cross-industry knowledge sharing.
Becks was previously employed by Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, where she managed The Princes Trust Team programme. She said: “Moving into the world of construction is a big change for me, but I’m very ambitious and ready for a new challenge.
“My background in managing charitable activity, apprenticeships and corporate donations alongside trying to tackle housing and homelessness issues will stand me in good stead for this role and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.”
The Bolton-based specialist contractor, established in 1991, provides off-site construction and on-site finishing services. Operating across the UK, Mansell has worked on a range of residential and commercial schemes within its heartland of Greater Manchester, including Aviva Studios, Stockport’s King Street West and five affordable Passivhaus schemes in Salford.
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Jessica Buckthorpe and James Reston
Manchester-based DSW Ventures, the venture capital (VC) investment arm of DSW Capital, has made two key team hires as the firm continues to deepen its specialist technology expertise and invest in young talent based in the North, which includes the launch of a new VC specialist graduate trainee scheme.
James Reston is the first successful graduate trainee on the scheme and joins as an Investment Associate. He was previously at AstraZeneca based in Sweden, where he worked as a research scientist exploring novel drug discovery techniques and led research collaborations within the world-famous AstraZeneca iLab. James is multi-award-winning in science communication and has a first-class master’s degree in chemistry from Durham University.
Jessica Buckthorpe also joins DSW Ventures during her university placement year as its 2024-25 Investment Intern, a role that was created last year to offer undergraduates a rare opportunity to gain VC experience. Jessica is currently studying economics and politics at the University of Manchester.
Both James and Jessica will work across investment sourcing and evaluation, as well as conducting due diligence and assisting the Partners in supporting the firm’s portfolio companies.
Keith Benson, founding Partner of DSW Ventures, said: “James and Jess are incredibly talented, hard working and, most importantly, as down-to-earth northerners they implicitly understand the potential of talented regional founders who are disrupting global markets from outside of London and the Golden Triangle.”
