People: Versa Studios; Kinaxia; Beyond; Keepmoat; Fuelhub; POWWR; Langtons
Versa Studios, based in Manchester and one of the UK’s leading networks of premium TV and film production facilities, has appointed Sarah McGettigan as head of sales, strengthening the company’s growth strategy and its commitment to the TV industry.
McGettigan brings more than 23 years of experience, having played a pivotal role at Pinewood Television since its launch in 2001.
As head of TV she worked on major productions such as My Family and Weakest Link, managing key clients including the BBC, Avalon, Endemol, and many more. Her deep industry relationships and expertise in both creative and operational management have established her as a key player in supporting the creation of high quality television content watched by millions worldwide.
Sarah will lead the TV sales strategy, focusing on strengthening ties with broadcasters, production companies, and commissioners.
She said: “I’m passionate about television and committed to delivering excellence in client service, facilitating creativity and new ideas, and creating happy, productive, and efficient working environments for clients, colleagues, and crew. I look forward to contributing to Versa’s ongoing success and continuing to work with the brilliant people across this industry.”
Charlie Ingall, executive director, Versa Studios, said: “Sarah is a fantastic addition to the Versa Studios team. She is a well known figure in the industry and her deep industry expertise, strategic vision, and commitment to client relationships align perfectly with Versa’s mission to be the first choice for productions who want world class TV studios and services.
“Sarah’s experience and knowledge will play a leading role in our growth over the next few years and beyond.”
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Michael Conroy
Kinaxia Logistics has appointed a new chief executive to succeed Michael Conroy, whose 15 months in office have seen him lead the business through a successful financial restructure, secure investment to drive growth and make a series of key changes and appointments.
Graham Cox, who has a wealth of experience in running complex multi-site operations across the UK, Europe and the US, including for DS Smith Packaging and Navigator Tissue UK, will take over as CEO on April 7.
Michael took the helm in January 2024, and said it was ‘mission accomplished’ after steering the business through to its next stage of development.
Among the key appointments during his tenure have been the arrival of Gareth Jenkins as executive chairman and Allan Blakeley as chief operating officer.
Michael Conroy said: “I’m pleased to have successfully led Kinaxia through a critical period, balancing day-to-day business trading with implementing important changes and leading the negotiations to ensure the business benefited from investment in key areas.
“My appointment was to ensure Kinaxia navigated this period, and I’m pleased to say it’s definitely mission accomplished. Thanks to financial support from one of the world’s largest private investors, Kinaxia has a robust foundation and the stability it needs to deliver its business and growth strategy.”
Graham Cox
Gareth Jenkins said: “Over the last 15 months Michael has done a great job to ensure Kinaxia benefited from new investments in 2025, setting the stage for long term sustainable growth. I would like to extend my gratitude for his dedication and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
“We are pleased to announce that Graham Cox will be taking over as our new CEO. He brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in running complex multi-site operations.
“He has been involved in leading many good businesses that, under his stewardship, have become great ones. I am confident that Kinaxia will continue to grow and reach the levels of performance of which we will all be proud.”
Graham Cox said: “Kinaxia is a business with huge potential and I’m looking forward to bringing some fresh thinking, clarity of purpose and strong leadership to help take it forward into its next phase of growth.”
Kinaxia, which has its headquarters in Macclesfield, has 1,600 staff nationwide and operates a fleet of 1,000 vehicles transporting goods for the retail, leisure, food and drink and manufacturing sectors.
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Beyond Law Group has appointed Mark Dawson as its new Group Managing Director. Dawson, pictured, centre, will sit on the board alongside Chief Executive Matt Fleetwood, Managing Partners Amanda McAlister and James Corlett and Non-Executive Director Steve Smith, pictured left to right.
Beyond Law is preparing for significant growth, both organically and through acquisitions, with the recent private equity investment from Waterland.
He has been a director of property developer Vita Group and prior to this was an equity partner at Halliwells and Shoosmiths, where he was instrumental in expanding the Manchester business for the latter.
Commenting on his appointment, Mark Dawson said: “I’m excited to be joining Beyond at such a pivotal moment in its journey. The senior leadership team has done an outstanding job scaling the business in such a short time, and with the added support of Waterland, I believe we are well-positioned to elevate the Group brand to become the UK’s leading law firm with a unique, specialist practice approach. Our goal is to deliver exceptional service to clients while creating a dynamic environment where our people can thrive and grow in an entrepreneurial yet sustainable fashion.”
Matt Fleetwood, Founder and Chief Executive of Beyond Law Group, commented: “Mark’s extensive experience will be vital for us as we enter this exciting new chapter. His leadership will be instrumental in executing our commercial and financial strategies to achieve both organic growth and our targeted acquisitions. The growth we anticipate, especially through our hub-and-spoke expansion, will allow us to better serve our clients across the UK. We are hugely excited to have Mark on board as we continue to expand and evolve the Group’s brands.”
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Rob Holbrook
Housebuilder, Keepmoat, has appointed Robert Holbrook as divisional finance director across the North West and Yorkshire West in a strategic move that further strengthens the regional board.
Bringing more than 20 years’ industry expertise, Robert has significant experience working across finance and managing roles within the housebuilding sector. He previously held the position of divisional managing director at Barratt, Eastern Counties and David Wilson Homes North West, and most recently managing director at Jones Homes North West.
Robert will support Andy Mason, divisional chair for the same regional base.
Andy said: “It’s great to welcome Robert on board. He brings a wealth of experience from the housebuilding sector across multiple roles. He is the perfect person to work alongside me and the other members of the regional board as we steer Keepmoat through its next stage of development.”
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Steve King
FuelHub, the Warrington-based online premium meal prep delivery service, has appointed Steve King as its new head of growth.
Formerly the group head of marketing at Stockjport re-commerce giant musicMagpie, Steve brings a wealth of experience in performance marketing, brand growth strategy, and customer engagement and retention.
He has a proven track record of utilising data-driven approaches to drive significant brand awareness and differentiation.
During his time at musicMagpie, Steve was responsible for delivering musicMagpie’s SMARTDrop Kiosk which launched nationwide across more than 300 Asda retail stores generating £15m in its first 18months.
As head of growth, Steve will lead on technology upgrades, especially through the introduction of a mobile app to enhance the customer experience. He will also lead on securing major partnerships with fitness brands, sports franchises, as well as increasing collaboration with influencers to deepen FuelHub’s credibility and reach.
Steve King said: “FuelHub is a brand with incredible potential, led by a team that has built a fantastic foundation and I’m looking forward to helping to take it to the next level. This is an exciting time for the business, and I can’t wait to make an impact.”
Michelle Laithwaite, co-founder and CEO at FuelHub, said: “Steve is a fantastic addition to our team, bringing an abundance of experience to help take us into the next stages of our journey.
“He will play a key role in our ambitious plans to expand our customer base and establish more partnerships with leading brands and organisations, while ensuring we maintain the same level of commitment to our existing customers who have helped us get to where we are today.”
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Scott Barber
POWWR, the energy software provider with a Manchester UK base, has launched a specific Industry & Commercial (I&C) Division to be headed up by Scott Barber.
As head of I&C, Barber will be responsible for strategic leadership and the overall management of the new team. He will play a pivotal role in expanding business opportunities for POWWR within the UK and beyond, particularly in the burgeoning renewable energy space.
A respected industry veteran, Barber has been with POWWR for over five years. Prior to joining the company, Barber held senior roles at the UK’s largest energy supplier, British Gas, and a well known energy broker aggregator. In his role, he will oversee a team that has a combined 46 years’ experience within the energy industry, working for energy suppliers, broker aggregators and energy brokers such as British Gas, Opus Energy and Yu Energy.
CEO, Matt Tormollen, said: “Whilst we help businesses of all sizes, POWWR has achieved significant traction within the I&C sector during the past 12 months. Given market dynamics, brokers and supplier to I&C customers have never needed streamlined processes and advanced tools more than they do now.
“The ability to efficiently manage tenders leveraging specialised software to optimise request processing, provide dynamic pricing, and produce tailored quotations with faster cycle time cannot be understated.”
Scott Barber said: “Meter connections can be tricky for I&C businesses. They can have multiple meters under the same business name across different billable sites with different usages in each. This can be a real headache for suppliers and brokers. Luckily, we are well placed to help.”
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L-R:Will McDermott, Lisa Lewis, Hannah Medcalf, Devi Suresh and Liam Lo Cicero
Team expansion, a new service, and significant client deals are setting up chartered accountants and business advisers, Langtons, for a promising 2025/26.
The Liverpool firm has bolstered its audit team with the addition of Hannah Medcalf, Devi Suresh, Liam Lo Cicero and Will McDermott.
Lisa Lewis joins the firm as personal tax manager having previously been with BWN Chartered Accountants.
Partner, Eifion Roberts, welcomed the new team, saying: “We continue to see increased demand for our services in Liverpool and beyond and every one of them will play a vital role in supporting our clients to achieve their financial ambitions.”
