Appointments: Key move at Trafford Council, new chairman for MSIF & more
TRAFFORD Council has appointed Peter Molyneux as its new corporate director for the environment, transport and operations.
He joins from from Bolton Council, where he currently holds the post of assistant director for the environment and will replace retiring corporate director Gary Pickering.
Molyneux has more than 30 years’ worth of local government experience – the past ten of which have been spent in senior managerial roles including head of construction procurement at Knowsley MBC and in a highways safety role at Liverpool City Council. He will now report directly to Trafford MBC’s chief executive, Janet Callendar.
“I am extremely pleased to be selected for this position and am looking forward to joining Trafford which has an excellent reputation in relation to the environment and sustainability,” he said.
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ANDY Rigby has been appointed chairnan of Merseyside Special Investment Fund in succession to Professor Michael Hulme.
Mr Rigby, who was previously a non executive director of Alliance Fund Managers, MSIF’s in-house fund management company, was a founder member of the Manchester office transaction team of NatWest Ventures.
Professor Hulme had originally planned to step down in 2008 following the successful investment of all MSIF’s funds but stayed on to assist with the formation of the MSIF Legacy Funds.
The foundations for this Fund, which currently stands at around £5m, are now in place and it is hoped it will be in a position to begin investing towards the end of this year.
Mr Rigby said: “I’ve been involved with MSIF for many years now and I’m delighted to be appointed as chairman. The main objective for me now is to ensure that once the Legacy Fund is launched that it is invested wisely to ensure money keeps coming back into the pot.
“MSIF began at a time when it was difficult to start or grow a business. We have now come full circle and once more it is a tough time for SMEs. It is a testament to the good work of the team at MSIF and AFM that MSIF has made such good returns on investment through its original funds that it is now in a position to again assist the region’s SMEs and boost the local economy.”
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PRESTON-based venture capital firm EV has announced that Dr Mark Wyatt has rejoined its EV Tech Investment team.
Wyatt will take up the role of investment director focussing on early-stage technology deals. He re-joins following a two-year spell at London-based Imperial Innovations where he handled bioscience investments. Prior to that, he spent five years at EV and six years at Merlin Biosciences.
EV’s chief executive Jonathan Diggines said: “I am delighted to be able to announce Mark’s appointment – he joins the company again at a very important time for EV.
“We now manage in excess of £50m of funds specifically focused on investment in the UK early-stage technology space and have also recently been awarded a number of fund management contracts aimed at regional seed and start-up technology opportunities.”
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MUSE Developments has appointed Claire Hextall to the new post of 
communications manager. Ms Hextall joins the Salford Quays-based developer from Elan Homes, where she helped to create the firm’s brand following a management buyout of the business and assets of David McLean Homes.
Muse Developments’ joint managing director Matt Crompton said: “We are delighted to welcome Claire to the Muse team. In these challenging times we are continuing to make key appointments and are delivering some of the country’s most exciting regeneration schemes”.
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CUSHMAN & Wakefield has appointed Nicola Harrington as a senior surveyor in its Manchester office. The firm said that Harrington will join its North & Midlands retail agency team, which has picked up 11 new mandates in the last 12 months.
Martin Acton, head of Cushman & Wakefield’s Midlands and North retail agency said, “Nicola’s appointment will help us to strengthen our position in the north of England where, despite the recession, we have continued to grow our market share.”
