People: Enspec; Footayslum; Together; Serotonin; Project Edge; Claremont

North West-based Enspec has hired Angela Muresan as Senior Marketing Lead. 

Angela, who has a strong background in sustainability, marketing, electric vehicles, aviation and rail, has joined the team on a 12-month contract. 

It comes as the electrical and power engineering firm expects to grow headcount to between 40 and 50 by the end of 2024. 

She said: “I’m extremely excited to be working with Enspec as their Senior Marketing Lead.

“I’ll be working with their incredible team to create and drive impactful marketing strategies and exciting events in the energy sector. 

“Enspec has been around for 25 years and what I really like about them is how forward-thinking they are. I like to be creative and do things differently and I love that Enspec are open to that and putting themselves out there when trying new things.”

Enspec, which boasts a team of people across offices in St Helens, Manchester and Washington, has forecasted £6 million in revenues this year and £10m for 2025. 

Services provided by the company include power system studies, power quality analysis, renewable energy consultancy and site maintenance.  Enspec also designs, manufactures and commissions bespoke products, including Harmonic Filters, Reactive Compensation, Power Factor Correction and Point-on-Wave Switching.

Clients include large energy generators such as major wind farms, solar farms and hydro plants and major energy consumers including manufacturers and hospitals. 

CEO Mara Rastall and her husband CTO Tim Rastall acquired 75% of the power engineering firm in a management buyout (MBO) in February 2023. 

Mara said: “With a strong and varied background, particularly in sustainability, she brings not just experience but a fresh impetus and an array of exciting ideas. 

“We’re very pleased at this next appointment in Enspec’s marketing department growth and what this will mean for our growing global brand.”

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Will Van Rensburg

Retailer Footasylum has appointed Will Van Rensburg as Chief Commercial Officer and Glen Wilkinson as Senior Buying Director.

These appointments follow the arrival of David Pujolar as CEO in March 2024. Since joining, he has strengthened its Executive Leadership Team. Will and Glen bring extensive global experience that will support and enhance Footasylum’s existing team. Together, they will enable the company to execute its ambitious growth strategy both internationally and in the UK.

Will Van Rensburg has experience with Clarks Ltd, Under Armour, PVH, and Aldi. With extensive expertise in both international and UK omnichannel retailing, Will is well-versed in all retail channels, including stores, e-commerce, wholesale, and franchising. He has also successfully implemented loyalty programmes in previous roles. In his position as Chief Commercial Officer, he will oversee the commercial operations of the business and play a pivotal role in executing the company’s strategy to drive future growth and development.

Glen Wilkinson will join Footasylum as Senior Buying Director later this month. He brings over 25 years of industry knowledge, having held senior roles at companies including New Balance, Reebok, and most recently AW LAB. With extensive international expertise and a proven track record in the USA, UK, Netherlands, and Italy, Glen will play a crucial role in advancing Footasylum’s buying strategy in collaboration with the company’s Chief Product Officer.

David Pujolar, CEO of Footasylum, commented: “Their extensive experience across a range of companies and geographies will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our position in the market. Together, they will help drive our growth strategy and enhance our product offerings, ensuring that Footasylum remains at the forefront of the fashion streetwear and sportswear industry. With this enhanced team in place, I am even more confident in our ability to realise our ambitious plans for Footasylum, especially as we build on our record FY24 performance and approach our peak trading period, where I am certain Will and Glen will make significant contributions.” 

Glen Wilkinson

Will Van Rensburg, Footasylum’s Chief Commercial Officer, commented: “Footasylum is an incredible business with a unique proposition that is excelling in a thriving yet competitive market, and I am thrilled to join at such a pivotal time. The company has established trusted relationships with its brand partners, and I look forward to expanding and deepening these partnerships as we enhance our offerings across the UK and beyond, building on Footasylum’s impressive growth in recent years.”

Glen Wilkinson, Senior Buying Director, commented: “I am extremely excited to join Footasylum at this dynamic time. I look forward to leveraging my experience in the footwear and sportswear sectors to enhance our buying strategy and further strengthen our product portfolio. Footasylum has a strong reputation for delivering for our consumer community of urban style leaders, and I am confident that by collaborating with the team and driving innovation, we can continue our impressive growth trajectory both online and in stores.”

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John Barker

Specialist lender Together has promoted financial services expert John Barker to the role of Chief Executive Officer to lead its personal finance division.

John, who joined as the Group’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) last year will take up his new role as CEO for the group subsidiary, Together Personal Finance, following approval by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The specialist lender – which has a loan book of £7.4billion – provides products including first charge and Consumer Buy-to-Let (CBTL) mortgages, second charge loans and regulated bridging finance.

John Barker said: “Together is a fantastic company with a real entrepreneurial spirit as well as a strong appetite to provide the mortgages and secured loans our customers want to help them achieve their property ambitions.

“I’m really passionate about Together’s common sense lending approach and its dedication to providing flexible products, often to borrowers who may not fit the strict criteria of mainstream lenders.

“As Personal Finance CEO I will be driving forward the division, working with more mortgage brokers, financial intermediaries and customers to promote Together’s brand and products. I look forward to contributing to its future growth, working with a dedicated team as we realise our vision of becoming the UK’s most valued lender.”

John, has over 19 years’ experience of financial services, having started his career with Co-op Insurance. He later joined Capita, where he worked for more than a decade, becoming a Managing Director within the group in 2019.

A new position with the business transformation provider Target Group as Group Chief Operating Officer followed before his promotion to Chief Executive Officer, a position in which he was approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to hold a Senior Management Function (SMF1).

Since joining Together, Barker has been involved in the major focus on innovation and transforming the digital journey for brokers and personal finance customers to access Together’s finance.

Together Personal Finance Chairman, Richard Gregory OBE, said: “He brings extensive experience to this role and his internal move is a testament to his rapid impact and commitment to Together. I look forward to seeing our Personal Finance business thrive under John’s leadership.”

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Stu Hornby

Digital marketing agency Serotonin has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of a new Head of Client Services and Operations.

Stu Hornby joins the team with over 25 years of experience working in agencies on global campaigns for leading brands including Toyota, Reebok, Astra Zeneca, BSI and Crane Payment Innovation. 

In the newly created role, Stu will work closely with the senior management team to drive the agency’s growth initiatives, oversee client relationships, and support commercial operations.

Speaking of his appointment, Stu said: “Clair and Dom have built an awesome team who offer a truly unique blend of creative energy and strategic expertise. The passion and drive is infectious and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

“It’s a great opportunity to support the full agency, from aligning strategic initiatives with the agency’s overall vision, to mentoring and developing the team, delivering outstanding campaigns and client support, whilst focusing on achieving year on year agency growth.”

Clair Heaviside, co-founder and creative director at Serotonin, added: “We’re really excited to have Stu on board. We’ve got some pretty big plans for Serotonin and our clients in the next 12 months and Stu’s expertise, fresh perspective and drive will play a valuable role in bringing those to life.”

Serotonin, headquartered in Manchester with a second office in London, has seen significant growth in the past 12 months, driven by both new business wins and expanding work with clients including Bella Italia, ASSOS of Switzerland, Blacklock, SUDU and Alliance Property Group.

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Charlotte Williams

North West-based IT and managed services platform, Project Edge, has announced the appointment of new Chief Finance Officer, Charlotte Williams.

Charlotte Williams said: “Project Edge is at a pivotal stage of growth as it progresses with its buy-and-build strategy, so it’s certainly an exciting time to be joining the team. Alex, Chris and the team have already succeeded in growing the group at an accelerated rate, and having worked in other high-growth businesses, I’m looking forward to working with the team to further elevate the success of the business.”

Steve Smith

Interior design and fit-out business Claremont, headquartered in Warrington, has promoted two new board directors, as part of its commitment to supporting career development.

Pete McShane – associate director and commercial manager, has been promoted to Commercial Director, and Richard Merrick – associate director and head of marketing, has been promoted to Marketing Director – both take up places on Claremont’s board.

Matt Appleton – commercial lead, Sarah Syson – head of design, and Pippa Davie – design manager, have also been promoted to director level roles.

Several team members have also been promoted to associate director. Chris Davies, head of preconstruction and estimation, Kaz Kitchener, financial controller, and Keith Hill, visual arts manager, now hold this position.

Tim Frankland, managing director of Claremont, said: “Since we became an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) in 2020, we’ve been focused on nurturing and rewarding our talent, which is pivotal to our continued success, stability, and longevity.

“Pete and Richard are our first directorships since 2020, and their appointments are a testament to their stellar contributions to the business and their embodiment of Claremont’s values.

“Our team’s drive, skill and enthusiasm have built Claremont into what it is today, and we’re delighted to see so many of our people progressing their careers with us.”

The business has delivered large-scale multi-million-pound projects for Admiral in Cardiff and AQA in Manchester, as well as new client wins, including Grant Thornton and Heineken.