People: PwC; ECI; Kelmore; WestBridge; River Capital; Vision Linens

Emma Suchland

Emma Suchland has been appointed as PwC’s new Regional Market Lead for the North, succeeding Armoghan Mohammed, who is retiring.

Before stepping into this new role, Emma led PwC’s national UK Private Business practice, where she was responsible for the firm’s 650+ strong private business team. Emma joined PwC as a tax partner in 2016 from BDO.

Emma said: “I’m truly excited to lead our Northern business and continue building on the outstanding work that Armoghan has accomplished.

“My focus will be on leveraging the exceptional talent and diverse expertise within our Northern team to support our clients’ growth and navigate the evolving market landscape.”

Carl Sizer, PwC’s Chief Markets Officer, said: “We are thrilled to have Emma step into the role of Regional Market Leader for the North. Emma’s brings extensive experience and a proven track record in driving strategic growth and fostering strong client relationships.

“Everyone at PwC extends their gratitude to Armoghan Mohammed for his exceptional leadership and contributions during his tenure as Regional Market Leader. We’re looking forward to building on the strong foundation he has established.”

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Rory Nath, ECI

ECI Partners has made five promotions following a record year for capital deployment, with over £500m deployed. 

The new roles at the mid-market private equity firm include Rory Nath is promoted to Partner in ECI’s Investment Team in Manchester. Having joined ECI in 2015 as a Commercial Team Associate, Rory moved to the Investment Team in 2018 where he is now a Partner. He has worked on several successful investments in 2024 including TAG and Croud, and sits on the Board of both businesses.  Rory has also been involved in previous exits at KB Associates, CPOMS and Investis Digital, averaging a 3.8x return.

Also promoted are Isabella Fox and Sarthak Sawlani as Investment Directors within the Investment Team; Mia Smith Investment Manager within the Commercial Team; and Louis Jans Investment Manager within the Investment Team.  

Tom Wrenn, ECI Managing Partner commented: “We’ve successfully completed a period of intense activity, closing five new deals, completing seven bolt-on deals and deploying significant sums of capital. One of the benefits of such an active period is that team has benefitted from valuable experience and many opportunities to develop their skills and really show what they can do, resulting in several well-deserved promotions across the business. I’d like to thank the entire ECI team for their exceptional level of commitment across the business and look forward to another productive year in 2025.”

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Tom Cheevers (L), Steve Kean (R)

Lancashire-based tiling and flooring business Kelmore has appointed Tom Cheevers, previously National Account Manager at Topps Tiles, as an Area Sales Manager for its ceramic division. This appointment reinforces Kelmore’s commitment to delivering exceptional service and quality products while expanding its presence in the marketplace.

He said: “I am thrilled to be joining Kelmore at such an exciting stage in the company’s development. The chance to work with a dynamic, forward-thinking team and customers who value quality and innovation is a fantastic opportunity. I look forward to contributing to
Kelmore’s continued success and helping to drive growth in the ceramics division.”

Steve Kean, Head of Sales, commented: “Tom’s arrival marks an important step forward for our team. His expertise and passion are exactly what we need as we continue to strengthen our position in the ceramics market. With a team of four Area Sales Managers now in place across the business, we are well-equipped to provide outstanding service and support to our growing customer base.”

Mark Kelly, Managing Director of Kelmore, added: “Bringing Tom on board reflects our commitment to investing in talent and resources that support long-term growth. Our sales team will play a critical role in this, and I’m confident Tom will be a key asset in achieving our goals.”

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Thomas Dutton, WestBridge

Private equity investor WestBridge has promoted Thomas Dutton to investment director, following a significant year of activity for the firm in the North of England.

Dutton joined WestBridge from Dow Schofield Watts in January 2024 as senior investment manager and has played a pivotal role in the firm’s growing presence in the region, where he works closely with partner Peter Barkley.

As well as leading on deal origination, Dutton works closely with several portfolio companies, including APEM and Alpine Fire Engineers, which are both headquartered in the region.

Earlier this year, he was instrumental in securing a £70m refinance package for Alpine and led its recent acquisition of DAS Fire, its first transaction as it pursues an ambitious growth strategy.

Of his promotion, Dutton said: “I have loved my time with WestBridge to-date and am thrilled to have had my contribution recognised with this promotion. WestBridge is a well-respected and established national player. Over 40% of our second Fund is invested in companies based in the North and I’m looking forward to continuing this strong deployment focus in the region.

“The region is teeming with companies that are poised for further growth, either organically or by strategic acquisition.  With the ongoing success of raising Fund III, we have significant capital to deploy and I’m really looking forward to 2025 and further cementing the WestBridge profile and presence in the region.”

Peter Barkley, partner, who heads the firm’s Manchester office, said: “It’s been a joy to work with Tom this past year.  His considered and pragmatic approach continues to impress everyone he works with, whichever side of the table they sit. He provides excellent strategic and operational support to our portfolio companies, where his deployment of our value creation model is consistently reaping results for all stakeholders.”

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Chris Carter

Chris Carter has joined River Capital as an Investment Manager on the North West Business Growth Loans Fund. He will be responsible for deploying the fund from the Manchester office across the North West.

“This is a hugely exciting opportunity for me to take at this point of my career, taking the experience gained from my years in Banking and Corporate Advisory to support SMEs with their funding requirements. I am incredibly happy to be back in the region to re-engage and to work alongside the SMEs and professionals of the North West once again.”

Mark Bozanto, chief executive of River, said: “Chris will be predominantly based in our Manchester office, working alongside John Gray and Jim Moore on River Capital’s North West Business Growth Loan offering, providing SME loans of £100-500k.”

He joins from NatWest where he was associate director on a portfolio of PLC, FTSE listed, and complex grouped companies.

 

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Rachael Shah

Rachael Shah has started a new position as Head of Sustainability (Strategy & Comms) at Vision Linens.

Her previous role was as Head of Digital and Sustainability Strategy at Swiscot Group which was acquired by Vision Linens this summer.

She has over 12 years’ experience in commercial, nonprofit and charitable sectors, working with organisations including: The British Red Cross, Co-op Group and The Scout Association.

 

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