People: Alpine; Metro Rod; H and H Land and Estate; Napthens; Champion Accountants; Hill Dickinson; CG
Bury-based Alpine, an ESG fire engineering company, has appointed Claire Owens as Group Managing Director.
Claire joins as Group Managing Director for Alpine Fire and DAS Fire, with a wealth of leadership experience across various industries, including automotive, wholesale logistics, telecoms, and travel. Her remit will be to drive growth via strong, collaborative teams as the business continues to expand its expertise.
Claire said: “I am honoured to step into the role of group managing director at Alpine. I look forward to working alongside our talented team to drive growth and innovation and ensure that we meet the evolving needs of our clients while maintaining the highest safety standards.”
In her most recent role, Claire led a team of more than 2,000 colleagues.
Alpine CEO, Steven Nanda, said: “This is a significant appointment, supported by our partners WestBridge, which demonstrates our ongoing commitment to growth and our aim to be the ‘go to’ specialist for complex fire suppression solutions.”
Peter Barkley, Partner at WestBridge, said: “Having partnered with Alpine in December 2022, we have supported their continued investment in cultural excellence and the recruitment and development of high quality talent, creating a robust platform to deliver the next phase of Alpine’s strategic growth plan.
“Alpine is still enjoying strong organic growth and following the recent acquisition of DAS Fire, it is a really exciting time to have Claire join the award winning team at Alpine.”
::
Stephen Chambers
Macclesfield resident, Stephen Chambers, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of the £70m-turnover Metro Rod & Metro Plumb business based at Tytherington following an 11-year career with the company.
Having studied in the local areas at Beech Hall and Macclesfield College, Stephen (32) started work at the contact centre and has risen steadily through the ranks to his new position.
Stephen said: “It’s been quite an 11 years and I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me during the progression of my career.
“We now have a team of over 100 people and a fantastic franchise network but there is still huge scope for development and growth given our proven track record.”
As part of a reorganisation, Stephen was named Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Peter Molloy, Group CEO of Franchise Brands, the parent company of Metro Rod and Metro Plumb.
Peter said: “One of the ambitions of the Franchise Brands business is to train and develop our staff which enables us to promote from within. Stephen is one of many people in the organisation who have benefited from this approach.”
::
Hannah Maynard
H and H Land and Estates has promoted two members of its professional team to Associates to support the ongoing expansion and development of its growing land agency business.
Both experienced Chartered Surveyors, Hannah Maynard and Janet Flintoft will take on additional responsibilities to support the leadership team.
H and H Land and Estates has a strong presence across northern England and southern Scotland, Hannah will continue to contribute her expertise from the Northallerton and Durham offices, while Janet will further strengthen the team from the Carlisle office.
With more than 10 years’ experience as a Chartered Surveyor, Janet Flintoft covers all aspects of land agency and within the company she plays a specialist role in valuation, estate management, property sales and landlord and tenant matters.
Janet Flintoft
She said: “Being part of the H and H Land and Estates team has given me many opportunities to forward my career and I am very grateful to the Directors for trusting me with the extra responsibilities of an Associate. This promotion will give me a chance to make an even more significant contribution to the clients we serve and to the business.”
Managing director, Tim Sedgewick, welcomed the appointments, saying: “This is a testament to their loyalty and ability, and a recognition of their increasing contribution to our business development. They fully deserve the opportunity to take the next step up in their careers with us, and I am looking forward very much to seeing them fulfil their potential professionally and personally in a management and leadership role.”
::
Stephen Faulkner
North West law firm, Napthens, has appointed Stephen Faulkner as managing director to lead it into a new chapter of growth and innovation.
Previously head of finance at the firm, Stephen has a strong record of leadership and technical expertise in the legal and business finance sectors, demonstrating strategic vision, a commitment to client success and driving excellence across teams.
Once appointed to his new role from April 1, 2025, he will be charged with expanding the service offerings of Napthens, fostering strategic partnerships, enhancing operational efficiency and strengthening the firm’s market position.
Stephen said: “I’m genuinely honoured to be offered the chance to become managing director of Napthens and look forward to providing the leadership and vision to reinforce our hard earned reputation for delivering exceptional service for our valued and growing number of clients.”
Jonathan Fox, non-executive chairman of Napthens, said: “Stephen brings with him almost 20 years of experience in professional services and regulated entities and having served as our head of finance, knows the firm intimately. He is, therefore, ideally positioned to lead Napthens into an exciting new chapter of growth and innovation.”
Napthens has 25 partners and employs almost 300 people at offices in Preston, Liverpool, Blackburn, Kendal, Lytham, and Southport.
::
Heather Stockton
North West accountancy and advisory group, Champion Accountants, has bolstered its expertise with three key appointments across its tax planning, audit, and accountancy departments.
The new additions include Dale Swift as senior tax planning manager in Manchester, Heather Stockton as senior manager in Chester, and Liam Thompson as audit and accounts senior in Preston.
Together, they bring a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to Champion’s operations.
Joining Champion’s Manchester HQ, Dale brings extensive tax planning expertise. He said: “My motivation for joining Champion was the chance to work closely with larger clients on tax advisory roles and tackle complex challenges to help them achieve their goals.
Returning to Champion’s Chester office after a previous six-year tenure, Heather brings significant experience in cloud accounting and automation, honed during her time as group financial controller in the facilities management sector.
She said: “I’m thrilled to rejoin Champion, working alongside a team that puts clients at the heart of everything.”
In Preston, Liam’s focus will be on delivering audit, accounts, and tax services while advancing his skills through Champion’s career progression framework. He said: “I am thrilled to have joined the exceptional team at the Preston office. I look forward to leveraging my expertise in audit, accounts, and tax to provide outstanding service to our clients.”
Ged Cosgrove, group managing partner, said: “Heather’s return speaks volumes about the culture and opportunities we’ve cultivated, and Dale and Liam bring fresh energy and expertise that will strengthen our offering.”
::
Amanda Butler, Craig Scott, Charys Green
Liverpool-based international law firm, Hill Dickinson, has made two new appointments to its senior leadership team, welcoming new hire Amanda Butler as Director of Risk and Compliance and promoting Charys Green to Finance Director.
Butler joins the firm from Dentons UKIME, where she was Head of Regulatory Risk. Bringing extensive experience in risk and compliance to the firm, she is also a member of the Professional Conduct Panel for CILEx Regulation. In her new role Butler will be responsible for the strategic and operational legal, regulatory, and compliance function that supports the firm.
Green joined Hill Dickinson in 2018, having started her finance career at KPMG. She subsequently worked in senior finance roles across various sectors, including manufacturing and transport, before taking up a role as a Senior Finance Business Partner with Hill Dickinson. She is also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Both appointments further strengthen Hill Dickinson’s senior leadership team as it continues to focus on strategic expansion across key business sectors. It also demonstrates the firm’s commitment to developing strong internal talent at all levels of the business.
Craig Scott, Chief Executive at Hill Dickinson, said: “I am very happy to welcome Amanda and Charys into our senior leadership team. Amanda joins us as Director of Risk and Compliance in a newly created role that reflects the importance we place on the firm’s Risk and Compliance function and our continued investment in the security of our systems and data. Her experience in risk and compliance brings valuable added knowledge and leadership to an area that is and will remain vital to our continued smooth and secure operation.
“The promotion of Charys to Finance Director represents the other, very important, side of our people strategy at Hill Dickinson, nurturing our talent and promoting from within. Developing the best talent at all levels of the business to achieve their career goals here at Hill Dickinson is a vital part of our growth story and Charys’s extensive knowledge of the firm will bring a wealth of experience to our executive leadership team.”
Amanda Butler said: “Joining Hill Dickinson and being able to contribute to the firm’s strategic vision for growth is an exciting opportunity. This is an important time for the legal industry, as firms are operating in a more complex regulatory environment with stricter compliance demands.”
Charys Green said: “It’s an honour to be stepping into the role of Finance Director at Hill Dickinson at such a pivotal time for our business. After working at the firm over the past six years as a Senior Finance Business Partner, I am excited to take on the Finance Director role and become part of the senior leadership team, helping to support our growth and drive forward our strategic ambitions.”
These appointments follow the recent retirement of Mark Carter as Chief Financial Officer at the firm and the expansion of his role into two individual director level positions.
::
Adam Simpson and Peter Williams
CG, a North West law firm, has appointed Adam Simpson as Managing Associate in its real estate team. Adam brings with him a wealth of experience, having spent 12 years at DAC Beachcroft, where he held the role of Legal Director.
Adam’s expertise in real estate lies in investment management and property finance, and he will play a key role in driving forward CG’s ambitions in these areas as the firm continues to expand.
He said: “I’m pleased to be joining CG at such an exciting time in the firm’s growth. The opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial firm was a major draw for me.”
Peter Williams, Partner and Head of Real Estate at CG, welcomed Adam, saying: “His depth of expertise in investment management and property finance perfectly complements our strategic goals as we expand our real estate offering. Adam’s work ethic and dedication to building strong client relationships align with CG’s ethos, and we are pleased to welcome him to the team.”
