People: MDC; Leonard Curtis; NW Mutual; Harrison Drury; Baker & Baker; Salford City Council; Bridge Insurance Brokers

Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC), the national Life Sciences service dedicated to driving productivity and impact in drug R&D, has strengthened its executive team with the appointment of a Chief Commercial Officer and its first Managing Director.
Dr Francesca Sadler has joined MDC as Chief Commercial Officer, bringing more than 20 years’ experience in commercialising high quality scientific services to both UK and international communities.
Responsible for Alderley Edge-based MDC’s Communications, Commercial, and Business Development teams, Francesca will support the business in building on its external reputation and commercial activities, including its investment portfolio.
She said: “Innovation is at the heart of MDC’s ethos; supporting the nation’s most innovative entrepreneurs to make game-changing drug discovery breakthroughs. I am looking forward to working with MDC’s talented team to co-develop and deliver an ambitious FY25/26 and beyond, which builds on the strong momentum MDC has developed to date.”
In addition, MDC has appointed its first Managing Director, Dr Mike Strange, who will join the organisation in February.
Dr Mike Strange
Mike brings strong, complementary life sciences leadership skills to MDC. At GSK, he established several industry-leading collaborations, including the Tres Cantos Open Lab and the Africa Non-Communicable Diseases Open Lab. As Head of Global Health at LifeArc, he worked closely with MDC to design and launch the world-leading PACE collaborative R&D programme.
He said: “I have seen MDC’s ambition, values and skills first-hand, and join the team at an exciting time for the sector.”
Prof Chris Molloy, CEO of Medicines Discovery Catapult, said: “I warmly welcome Francesca and Mike to MDC, bolstering our executive team with their deep rooted expertise and an ambition for helping our sector. We look forward to working together at the frontier of drug R&D and to making every move count for our nation’s entrepreneurial scientists.”
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Paul Birks
Leonard Curtis has unveiled new roles for two key members of its leadership team as the firm starts an ambitious programme of growth for the next three years.
David Brown, who joined the business in July 2023 as Chief Operations and Financial Officer, becomes Chief Operating Officer (COO), while Paul Birks, who has been Group Financial Director since September 2022, will be promoted to Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
David takes the role of COO with previous experience in audit, M&A and industry. He holds an MBA from Manchester Business School and is a former professional cricketer, having played county cricket for Gloucestershire and Glamorgan.
Paul has held financial roles since 1998 across a range of businesses, including audit services at Baker Tilly and UHY, as well as 10 years as a FD in the health and social care sector.
David Brown
Both will work in close collaboration on several key areas of responsibility, operating alongside CEO Dan Booth.
Dan said: “David and Paul will co-ordinate our extensive office network and profit centres to maximise profitability, as well as identifying future cost savings across the group.
“They will be looking at improving the use of data to set better strategic and short term department performance and growth goals and providing ultimate oversight and management of the collaboration and operational leadership teams.”
David said: “The growth of the group over the recent past together with exciting opportunities ahead means we needed to evolve our structure. It’s a compelling proposition to take on the COO role.”
Paul said: “We have made great progress in the last two years, streamlining our reporting and financial policies and now we go again to strengthen that infrastructure to allow us to meet next level expectations. I am looking forward to it.”
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David Burke
The co-operative society behind pioneering plans for a mutual bank based in and serving retail and business customers in the North West has appointed a senior financial services figure as chief executive of the bank.
Bolton born and bred, Dave Burke, has joined NW Mutual, a co-operative society being launched in response to more than 50% of traditional bank branches in the region having closed and the lack of banks based in and dedicated purely to serving the people, business and organisations in the North West.
Once fully licenced the ‘bricks, clicks and flicks’ bank will provide about 60 hi-tech and staffed branches throughout the region complemented by mobile and online banking, providing retail and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) customers with a full range of financial products and services.
A highly experienced financial services executive with an extensive background in launching, building and managing regulated businesses, Dave has held senior roles at high street banks and retailers while also providing strategic consultancy services to major organisations seeking to enter financial services.
Following a decade in London, he returned to his native North West as chief commercial officer of financial services with The Very Group before co-founding financial services consultancy Callemott.
He said: “It’s an enormous privilege to be charged with sharing the prosperity and power that a bank creates with the people who create it.
“The North West is more than capable and large enough to create and sustain a prosperous bank. When we achieve our goals, our mutual bank will recycle more than £900m of money from the North West back into the region.”
David Milner, chair of NW Mutual, is an executive and non-executive director of regulated financial services companies, including being chairman of Dudley Building Society and Nottingham Imperial Building Society, where he negotiated a merger with Newcastle Building Society.
He said: “I believe that the region will benefit greatly from NW Mutual and I am very pleased to add my skills and experience to make NW Mutual a reality.
“Dave brings a wealth of experience and expertise to spearhead our drive to deliver a mutual bank owned by its customers, keeping the money of the North West safe and working for the region.”
Having registered NW Mutual with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), regulator of financial services firms and markets in the UK, David is preparing a banking licence application to submit to the Bank of England in late 2025.
If the licence is granted the first bricks and mortar branch is planned to open in the third quarter of 2026, with a full roll-out proposed for the first quarter of 2027.
David and Dave are supported by NW Mutual non-executive director, James Moore, bringing more than 25 years of boardroom experience with private and public businesses in sectors including financial services in the UK, China, Europe and Africa while also founding the Community Savings Bank Association.
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Ilona-Jade Morgan
North West law firm, Harrison Drury, has appointed experienced associate solicitor, Ilona-Jade Morgan, to join its private client team.
Ilona-Jade, who joins from Watson Ramsbottom, will support clients on a wide range of inheritance and estate planning matters, including working with clients with high value and complex estates.
She will be advising clients on all private client matters including the drafting of wills, inheritance tax planning and the administration of estates.
Clare Fleming, head of the private client team at Harrison Drury, said: “Ilona-Jade is a great addition to our growing private client team in the region. With her specialised knowledge, she’s able to provide expert advice around all estate planning, trusts, wills and inheritance tax matters.”
Ilona-Jade said: “I decided to join Harrison Drury because of its fantastic reputation for client service.”
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Matthew Acheson
Wirral-based bakery products manufacturer, Baker & Baker, has appointed Matthew Acheson as its Group CEO, succeeding John Lindsay in the role.
Matthew Acheson, who has served as CFO of Baker & Baker and the previous CSM Bakery Solutions business since 2017, was officially appointed as the new CEO from January 1.
John Lindsay, who has served as CEO of Baker & Baker and the previous CSM business since 2016, has stepped down and moved into a strategic advisory role until May 1, 2025, when he will formally retire, thereafter he will take up a Non-Executive Director position with the company.
John Lindsay has held numerous management roles within the business since joining in 1987, and, following senior UK and European positions, he was appointed VP of Modern Trade Europe of CSM Bakery Solutions in 2014 before assuming the CEO position.
Paul Jones has also succeeded Matthew Acheson as Baker & Baker’s Group CFO. Paul has served as UK Finance Director since 2021. Paul has also joined Baker & Baker’s senior leadership team, which comprises six individuals in total.
Marianne Kirkegaard, Executive Chairman, said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to congratulate Matthew on his appointment as CEO and express our confidence, trust and support in him to lead the company in its new endeavours.
“I would also like to pay tribute to John for his many years of impeccable service – and in particular his fantastic leadership of the business since 2016, including the transition, establishment and success of Baker & Baker as a new business entity.”
Matthew Acheson said: “I am extremely pleased to be entrusted with leading Baker & Baker as we look to expand our presence and distribution in markets throughout Europe and further afield.”
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Surjit Tour
Salford City Council has appointed a new City Solicitor. Surjit Tour, will take up the role, following Cathy Parkinson’s departure from the position on an interim basis.
The appointment follows a competitive recruitment process, led by the appointment panel established by the Workforce Panel and chaired by the City Mayor, and will see Surjit Tour start from Monday, February 3, 2025.
Surjit Tour is a highly respected solicitor with more than 25 years’ experience. He has worked at Monitoring Officer level for more than 15 years, building extensive local government experience, most recently at Sandwell and Wirral Councils, and as the Deputy at City of Wolverhampton Council.
As part of the council’s Corporate Management Team, Surjit will join new interim Chief Executive, Melissa Caslake, and Exec Directors in delivering the council’s Corporate Plan, focused on creating a fairer, greener, healthier and more inclusive city for all.
Paul Dennett, Salford City Mayor, said: “I’m pleased join colleagues and other elected members in welcoming Surjit Tour to Salford City Council as our new City Solicitor and Monitoring Officer.”
Surjit Tour said “I am excited to join Salford City Council and support the council deliver its ambitious and exciting Corporate Plan.”
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Wayne Knowles, left and Nathan Drew
Wayne Knowles has joined Manchester’s Bridge Insurance Brokers to head up its growing Private Clients division.
With 18 years’ experience in private client insurance, Wayne brings a wealth of experience to Bridge private clients and he intends to develop and expand the team following recent growth in this area. He will be supported by Nathan Drew, a former underwriter with 10 years’ experience.
CEO, Roger Potts, said: “We have seen an increase in client recommendations, as well as internal referrals, particularly with our corporate clients, where we aim to cater for their personal insurance requirements. Our plan is to build relationships with all Bridge clients by offering a bespoke and personal service.”
Wayne said: “Referrals are testament to the trust our clients have in us and now feels the right time to build on that.”