People: Broadway Insurance; Northern Gritstone; Brabners; Gunner Cooke; JMW; UBS; Xenia
Broadway Insurance Partners appointed Stuart Lowe as the firm’s Director of Risk Protection, while Nicola Blunt has joined as Managing Partner of its new Lancashire site.
Nicola Blunt arrives at Broadway from Lytham-based Guy Penn Insurance, where she had been Commercial Director – her most recent post in a near-30 year career in insurance, while Stuart Lowe joined after a spell as Deputy Head of the life insurance division of another big North West name in insurance, Reich.
Chief Executive Daniel Lloyd-John said: “It is no exaggeration to say that Nicola and Stuart are very important additions to our team, bringing lots of experience and enhancing our capabilities.
“In the last year or so, an increasing number of the businesses we deal with have asked about how best to protect staff and their key personnel or shareholders – those people who drive growth.
“Stuart is one of the country’s undoubted experts in this area, so to have him join us is nothing short of a coup.
“Likewise, Nicola is very highly regarded for her work with some of Lancashire’s leading entrepreneurs and is the perfect choice to head up our new office in the area.”
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Gordon McAlpine
Investment business Northern Gritstone has appointed Gordon McAlpine to the newly created role of Growth Director, NG Innovation Services (NGIS).
He brings over 30 years of entrepreneurial and leadership experience to the role, including 25 years of scaling tech businesses and multiple successful exits. He co-founded BigHand, a legal tech company and is the author of a book, Scale Up Millionaire.
Launched in February 2024, NGIS is the “+++” that works alongside the intelligent capital invested by Northern Gritstone to ensure that early-stage companies have the best chance of success. He will lead the NG Growth function, one of the five functions within NGIS, where he will work closely with founders and leadership teams to help them build scalable business models, drive sustainable revenue growth, and prepare for further investment.
Active since May 2022, Northern Gritstone has already invested in 32 early-stage science and deeptech companies, from university spinouts through to Pragmatic Semiconductor a world leader in semiconductor innovation. Its mission is ‘profit with purpose’ combining strong returns for investors with wider positive, societal and economic impact, including regional growth.
Duncan Johnson, Chief Executive of Northern Gritstone, said: “Gordon’s appointment marks a significant step in strengthening our capability to support the growth of science and technology early-stage businesses in the North. His experience in scaling companies for growth and his passion for mentoring align with our mission to support ambitious founders on the path to success.”
Gordon McAlpine, Growth Director, NG Innovation Services, said: “Joining Northern Gritstone and NG Innovation Services is a fantastic opportunity to apply my experience in scaling early-stage businesses. On first meeting Duncan, I could see a shared philosophy on how to fast-track businesses to become customer-led and focused on rapid and sustained sales growth. I’m really looking forward to supporting these companies so that the amazing science and technology coming out of the North of England results in world-class global companies.”
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Nik White and Euri Yoon at Brabners Liverpool office
Multi-disciplinary tax specialist Euri Yoon has joined Brabners as a partner from Spencer West LLP.
A solicitor, chartered tax adviser, accountant and MBA graduate, she has worked both in private practice and in-house for international organisations including British Airways and Samsung.
She will focus on enhancing Brabners’ corporate tax advisory services, both by supporting the corporate team on transactions and drawing from her varied legal and accounting experience to aid the development of standalone tax-focused services.
Her work will see her engage with colleagues across Brabners’ offices in Manchester, Lancashire and Leeds, as well as its recently upgraded home in Liverpool.
Euri Yoon, partner in the corporate team at Brabners, said: “Brabners’ reputation as a purpose-led firm with a strong culture and B Corp certification stood out to me. Together with the team’s standing as a top 20 M&A adviser nationally, its ongoing commitment to delivering outstanding service to its clients was a particular draw. Through both its client work and its social impact initiatives, Brabners is making real strides in delivering real and lasting change in the communities in which it operates.
“I’ve already had the chance to meet some incredibly welcoming colleagues, and I’m excited to start building a broader and more diverse tax practice here, with the potential to further develop the specialism for the firm in the future.”
Nik White, managing partner at Brabners, said: “Euri’s appointment brings a new dimension to our corporate team and aligns perfectly with our ambition to grow our transactional and specialist tax capabilities. Her extensive experience in both UK and cross-border matters will be invaluable as our national and international client base continues to grow.
“Continuing to invest in top talent remains a key priority for us, and Euri’s appointment – alongside our recognition as the UK’s Best Law Firm to Work For and, more recently, the Legal 500’s Northern Powerhouse Firm of the Year – is testament to this drive.”
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Ashley Cooke (L), Darryl Cooke and Hayden Cooke (R)
Law firm Gunner Cooke has added Ashley Cooke and Hayden Cooke, sons of Founder Darryl Cooke, to its Leadership Team.
The brothers join as Chiefs of Staff, supporting with the business’s fast growth and charitable foundation. Their initial role will be to immerse themselves in the business and culture, driving forward the firm’s key projects to spearhead growth and innovation.
Ashley Cooke began his career as a management consultant at PwC working with large multinationals. He most recently worked at Nous Group, a boutique consultancy focused on delivering positive influence. Hayden Cooke is a lawyer by background, starting life in the corporate team at Slaughter and May, before spending the last five years as General Counsel in venture-backed, fast growth, tech-for-good businesses.
Commented Darryl Cooke: “With a consistent rate of growth of 15-20% year on year, Gunner Cooke is growing at a pace that will soon cement it as a top 25 legal and professional services firm. 15 years in, it’s clear we have established ourselves as a Top 75 law firm. Looking now to the next 15 years, I have huge ambitions for Gunner Cooke, both in legal services, wider professional services, and in philanthropy.”
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Thomas Pearson and Mark Iveson of JMW
Mark Iveson has joined the Commercial Real Estate team at JMW as a planning and highway partner.
He comes to the firm from the Manchester office of law firm Gateley, where he held the position of legal director. He brings extensive expertise in planning and highways, his practice including related local government, compulsory purchase and environmental issues.
He has worked with many developers, house builders and consultants and is also well known for his work in North Wales. Working on a national basis as required, his caseload includes planning appeals, complex statutory agreements, strategic advice, applications, BNG, CIL, BTR, social housing, heritage, viability, enforcement, scheme specific advice and court litigation (judicial review and statutory challenge).
“The legislative and policy landscape of planning is constantly changing and the success of many projects depends on quickly understanding, and interpreting, and adapting to the challenges such changes bring,” he said.
“JMW is known as an entrepreneurial firm with a strong reputation for excellence and a genuine commitment to its clients. The team maintains excellent relationships with developers, and I am looking forward to assisting clients to not only work successfully within the current system, but also to seize the many opportunities inherent in the changes.”
“It’s also a particular pleasure to reunite at JMW with colleagues I have known through previous roles. It’s a highly successful team and I’m delighted to be a part of it,” he added.
Thomas Pearson, head of JMW’s Commercial Real Estate team, said: “We are one of the largest specialist Commercial Real Estate teams in the North West and I look forward to working alongside Mark as we continue to support long-standing clients across the UK, while also welcoming many new ones.
“We have an extremely busy period ahead of us and Mark will play a significant role in delivering the very best advice to clients.”
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UBS team in Manchester
UBS Global Wealth Management has appointed Bradley Russell as Head of Manchester and the North West.
A North West native, he spent 15 years at RBC Brewin Dolphin, where he was a Senior Investment Manager and Divisional Director in their Manchester office.
He will support UBS advisors in Manchester and the broader North West, working with high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as business owner and entrepreneur clients in achieving their long-term financial goals through tailored advice.
“On behalf of UBS, I’m excited to welcome Bradley to the firm,” said James Meyrick, Head of Ultra High Net Worth and Regions at UBS Global Wealth Management. “He is an outstanding professional whose expertise and insight will be instrumental to our continued success in the North West. His appointment both enhances our regional capabilities and strengthens the foundation for future growth within our Manchester office.”
He is involved at board level with several local and national charities, including The King’s Trust, the Rycroft Children’s Fund and the Greater
Manchester Mayor’s Charity.
“UBS is a truly global, industry leading wealth manager, and I’m joining the team at a time when the North West is continuing to experience dynamic and sustained growth,” said Bradley. “There’s a real opportunity to match the firm’s global reputation with a market-leading presence in the region and I believe that I’m stepping into a world-class team with big ambitions, at exactly the right time. I look forward to working with our advisors to ensure we’re the first choice for business owners and entrepreneurs navigating a transition and positioning themselves for long-term growth. With our global capabilities, specialist expertise, and a truly differentiated product offering, we’re well positioned to lead the North West market.”
Pictured: Anum Zia, Client Account Manager; Amber Ali, Process & Quality Specialist; Andy Carroll, Client Advisor; Jane Booth, Client Advisor; James Bradshaw, Junior Client Advisor; Bradley Russell, Head of Manchester and the North West; Sara Hussain, Client Account Manager.
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Paul Fletcher
Xenia Estates and Xenia Lettings have hired Paul Fletcher as the new Head of Compliance and Risk for Xenia Estates, while Leighton McMylor will serve as the Head of Property Management for Xenia Lettings.
Paul Fletcher brings 20 years of robust experience in compliance to Xenia Estates, having worked at Onward Homes, Muller, and Your Housing Group. With a strong focus on performance monitoring and contractor and customer relationship management, he will be heavily involved in Building Safety, dealing with the BSR, Regional Fire Services and Local Authorities, along with the usual day job of maintaining Xenia’s statutory obligations to ensure the safety of Xenia’s residents.
Leighton McMylor will oversee lettings and maintenance management, ensuring that Xenia Lettings continues to deliver exceptional service to its clients.
Leighton has nearly 20 years of experience in the property sector, having previously worked at Reeds Rains, X1, and O’Connor Bowden.
Leighton McMylor
Gemma Latham, Director at Xenia Estates, commented: “Welcoming Paul and Leighton to our team marks a significant step forward for Xenia Estates and Lettings. Their extensive experience and proven excellence in their respective fields will not only enhance our operational capabilities but also reaffirm our commitment to delivering exceptional service to our clients. We are excited to have them on board.”
