Appointments: New partner at KPMG; Kuits & more

KPMG in Manchester has promoted Mick Davies to partner in its audit team.

The 41-year-old is a specialist in consumer markets, media and technologies. Clients include Odeon Cinemas, Jet2, the Co-operative Group and Manchester City Council.

Jonathan Hurst, chairman of KPMG in the North, said: “His promotion is testament to the considerable contribution he has made to KPMG’s success in the North West, and strengthens our consumer markets team at a time when their skills and expertise are increasingly in demand from some of the region’s biggest and fastest-growing companies.”

Mick Davies said: “Against a tough economic backdrop, the North West has some truly exceptional stories to tell in this space. So as the need for sure-footed advice in this arena continues to increase, I am looking forward to my new role, taking on the challenges and opportunities involved in delivering insights that really make a difference to our clients’ business.”

Born in Bury, Mr Davies joined KPMG in 1997, working in London before returning to Manchester in 2005. He became a director in 2008.

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KUITS Solicitors has announced three new hires in its corporate, tax and residential property teams.

The Manchester firm has appointed Christine Williams to its corporate and commercial team and taken on former trainees Edward Allen and Sara Barnes in the tax and estate planning and residential property teams respectively.

Executive partner Robert Levy said: “We welcome Christine to the firm and congratulate Ed and Sara in successfully completing their training contracts.  It is our strategy to strengthen the service we provide to our clients and these appointments demonstrate our commitment to this.” The firm has also recently taken on four new trainees.   

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LAW firm Brabners Chaffe Street has Iain Johnston as a partner covering the Liverpool and Manchester offices. 

A specialist planning lawyer with 18 years’ experience, he has joined from SGH Martineau in Birmingham where he headed the planning and environment department.

He is also a compulsory purchase expert and launched and established the firm’s high speed rail HS2 advisory team. Previously he practiced at HBJ Gateley Wareing and spent time working as a police officer in Greater Manchester.

At Brabners Chaffe Street Mr Johnston will provide strategic planning advice to a variety of clients including developers, landowners, local authorities, education organisations and the renewable energy sector.

He said: “I am excited at the opportunity of working on a number of major regeneration schemes for Brabners Chaffe Street and look forward to building on its established reputation for property, planning and compulsory purchase advice.”

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CHEADLE marketing and communications agency The fresh Group has boosted its account management, digital, design, exhibitions and finance teams.

Its latest hires are Polly Galatin has joined as account manager from ICE, alongside account executives Robyn Price and Isabel Waxman. Meanwhile Sharon Tipping has been hired in the finance team as finance executive.
 
Managing director, Patrick Howells said: “We are thrilled to welcome new team members to every division within fresh. With an ever-expanding client portfolio which features some of the biggest brands in the world, our new talent will support the delivery of a number of high-profile projects in the coming months and enable us to consistently meet the high standards on which we pride ourselves on.”

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NORTH West accountants Bennett Verby has appointed Karen Hamlett as marketing and business development manager. She has previously worked for retailers JD Sports and Topshop.

Founder and chief executive Bernard Verby said: “Karen’s experience will be an asset to us and I look forward to working with her moving forward”

Karen Hamlett added: “The business has a great reputation in the industry for quality service and a market leading innovative approach. I very much look forward to being part of the future of success.”