People: Gateley Legal; EY; CG; Not Really Here Group; BEP Surface Technologies; Weightmans; Reward Funding

Gateley Legal has strengthened its Manchester corporate team with the appointment of Katie Porter as legal director.

Katie joins following a successful six-year tenure at Pinsent Masons, where she progressed from solicitor to senior associate, honing her skills across the entire breadth of corporate legal advisory, with a specific focus on private equity transactions.

Before her time at Pinsent Masons, she spent five years at Gateley, where she trained and qualified into the Manchester corporate team she is rejoining.

Katie Porter said: “Gateley Legal’s Manchester Corporate team is dedicated to supporting the local dealmaking community. It has strong credentials, being a significant player currently, with a huge opportunity for further growth. I am excited to return to the business as a senior member of the team and use my skills to support our clients and the future success of this forward-thinking team.”

Paul Jefferson, Manchester partner and national head of private equity, said: “Katie is not only incredibly technically capable, but she also brings a strong set of skills around client relationship management and strategic business growth, making her an outstanding addition to the team. She is well known to our longstanding clients for her reliability and expertise. This, coupled with her ability to drive in new business, positions her well as a key member of the Manchester team moving forwards.”

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Will Rix

EY has appointed Will Rix, a corporate finance professional with more than 10 years of experience in the Northern market, as a partner and the firm’s new Head of Capital and Debt Advisory for the North of England.

The role will focus on independently advising businesses, including both corporate and Private Equity (PE) owned clients, on optimising capital structures and their cost of capital, as well as providing execution services.

As part of the new role, Will is also set to work closely with EY’s diligence, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and restructuring teams, providing a comprehensive breadth of services to clients in the North of England.

Will joins EY from HSBC, where he worked for almost 11 years, most recently as a Senior Director in its Corporate Banking Origination team.

Will Rix said: “I am looking forward with both excitement and optimism to working with my new colleagues and delivering exceptional results for clients across the region. Having grown up in Lancashire, I am hugely passionate about the business community in the North of England, so to be able to take on a senior leadership role for EY in the region means a great deal to me.”

Mark Clephan, Corporate Finance Leader at EY, said: “Adding Will to our strong and talented corporate finance team in the North of England is a fantastic step forward. I have every confidence that the team will continue to grow from strength to strength as Will brings his experience and expertise to the table.”

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Natalie Schofield

North West law firm, CG, has appointed Natalie Schofield as a Senior Associate.

Natalie, who will be based out of CG’s Manchester office, brings more than 10 years of experience advising clients on a wide range of commercial contracts. 

Most recently at EY Riverview, she has built a reputation for acting as an extension of her clients’ in-house teams, providing tailored support that aligns with their business goals.

Natalie has worked with FTSE 100 clients across diverse sectors, including financial services, pharmaceuticals, agriscience, and international consumer goods.

Natalie said: “Joining CG is an exciting opportunity to work with a forward thinking team dedicated to delivering exceptional client service.”

Thomas Prince, Partner and Head of Commercial, said: “With the growth of CG and our team, we are always looking for talented people who will supplement and support our existing lawyers and embody what we think makes CG such a unique and special place to work.

“Natalie brings a wealth of really valuable experience, which will be key in the next stage of our journey and supporting our fabulous clients.”

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Garrett Harte

Ashton-under-Lyne-based media group Not Really Here Group has appointed Matthew Margetts as Senior Non-Executive Director.

Not Really Here Group owns the Tameside Reporter and Glossop Chronicle newspapers and Tameside Radio.

Matthew brings extensive expertise in media with a proven track record in managing operations and implementing data-driven strategies.

Having led numerous high profile corporate projects, Matthew’s deep knowledge of business development will help drive forward the group’s continued investment in hyper-local media innovation.

Emma Marsh, CEO, welcomed Matthew, saying: “His wealth of experience and expertise will strengthen our hyper-local media strategy, bringing visionary insight and a dedication that aligns perfectly with our mission to provide impactful and community-focused media services.”

Matthew Margetts

Additionally, Garrett Harte, a renowned media strategist and former Editor in Chief at Ireland’s largest commercial radio group, joins Not Really Here Group as a board advisor.

As Founder of Harte Media, a strategic communications agency and with a distinguished career in impactful journalism, editorial leadership, and talent development, Garrett’s appointment reinforces the group’s commitment to editorial excellence and innovation. 

Emma Marsh added: “Together, Matthew and Garrett bring an unparalleled depth of knowledge and leadership that signals Not Really Here Group’s commitment to transforming hyper-local media across Tameside, Glossop, Oldham, and beyond.”

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Dinesh Durgappa

BEP Surface Technologies, a Radcliffe-based electroplating and surface finishing specialist, is accelerating its R&D into nanodiamond technology with a key appointment.    

It has hired highly skilled chemical engineer, Dinesh Durgappa, to spearhead advancements in blending microscopic diamond particles with electroless nickel plating.

Mixing nanodiamonds with metal coatings can offer game changing improvements in components used in many existing and emerging industries because they radically enhance thermal conductivity and improve wear resistance. 

Durgappa said: “By fusing modern nanotechnology with traditional plating methods, we are pushing boundaries that could revolutionise the industry.”

Andrew McClusky, Managing Director at BEP, said: “We are exploring partnerships with chemical suppliers and external companies to facilitate the integration of this technology into the industry. Its particular focus is on overcoming current operations’ spatial and logistical challenges.”

Before joining BEP, Durgappa gained valuable experience at Rapture Engineering, where he worked on developing copper and brass alloys. He successfully led the development of 35 new products in a year, taking them from prototyping to pilot production.

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From left: David Hayes, Sarah Walton, Paul Raftery

Liverpool-based national law firm, Weightmans, has welcomed a new partner into its corporate team in its Manchester office.

David Hayes is an experienced corporate lawyer, who specialises in high value, domestic and cross-border transactions, as well as complex mergers and acquisitions.

Acting across a range of sectors, David is a trusted advisor to high net worth individuals and owner managed businesses, with 15 years’ experience.

He said: “Weightmans demonstrated as an extremely attractive prospect for me as it seeks to grow and expand from an already highly regarded and successful position in the legal and professional services market.”

Paul Raftery, corporate partner, said: “David is a great fit for the team here in Manchester and joins during an exciting period of growth and expansion.

“He brings with him years of experience and a positive and entrepreneurial spirit, which I know will have a big impact on both his colleagues and our clients, existing and new.”

David’s appointment follows the announcement that Weightmans’ Manchester-based client relationships director, Sarah Walton, will assume the role of managing partner from April 2025, after current MP, John Schorah, hangs up his hat after 12 years in the role.

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From left: Gemma Carson, Steve Noble, Sarah Gaskin, Gareth Boardman

A period of rapid business growth in the North West has prompted Reward Funding to make three key managerial appointments across client relationships and business development.

The alternative finance provider welcomes Gemma Carson and Gareth Boardman as relationship managers, along with Sarah Gaskin as business development manager, to its Manchester city centre office.

Gemma Carson brings a wealth of commercial finance experience, having worked in client relationship and underwriting roles at Assetz Capital and SDKA.

Gareth Boardman joins from Lloyds Banking Group, bringing 20 years of experience in commercial and private banking, including the past nine years as a commercial banking relationship manager.

In her role in business development, Sarah Gaskin will help to bolster Reward’s sales presence in the region. She will play a key role in strengthening the lender’s network of commercial finance brokers and other intermediaries across the North West, while assisting businesses in funding their expansion plans, pursuing innovation and seizing new market opportunities.

Reward, which provides asset-secured funding to help ambitious entrepreneurs and businesses thrive, has recently strengthened its North West team by promoting Harriet Gibbs as the company’s first ever sales director.

Harriet drives business growth and delivers high performance funding alongside an ambitious and energetic team.

Steve Noble, regional managing director for Reward Funding in the West of the UK, said: “We’ve experienced rapid growth in the region over the last 12 months and this is reflected in both these latest hires and the level of talent and expertise we can attract to the business.

“We’re really keen to keep this momentum going, with our expansion to date largely being fueled by our pace and flexibility of lending and our capacity to fill the increasing funding void left by banks and other traditional lenders.

“Gemma, Gareth and Sarah each bring great commercial finance experience and vertical sector knowledge to the team. This benefits new or existing clients that are repeatedly turning to alternative funding to unlock further business growth opportunities.”