Appointments: Eric Wright; Stark Brooks; Irwin Mitchell; Pavis Financial; Chilli; Harrison Drury

DIANE Bourne has been appointed managing director at Eric Wright Civil Engineering ahead of the retirement of current managing director John Saddington in September.

Bourne, 44, from Wigan, sits on the board of Eric Wright Construction and has worked for the Preston-based firm since July 1995, holding positions including quality and planning manager, contracts manager and director.

With a BEng (Hons) in civil and structural engineering from the University of Bradford, Bourne will continue to be part of the Eric Wright Group senior management team and have overall responsibility for safety, health, environmental and quality at the group.

She said: “During my time at the company we have worked on some landmark schemes, most notably securing a place on a 10-year framework with United Utilities and completing our first project in the rail industry, which have enabled us to successfully build our reputation.

“I am pleased to be leading a great team which has some fantastic expertise and technical skills and am looking forward to growing the business.”

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THE Manchester office of law firm Irwin Mitchell has appointed partner John Vickery from DLA Piper.

Vickery specialises in corporate restructuring and recovery. He acts for insolvency practitioners, lenders, and creditors and has particular expertise in LPA and fixed charge receiverships in commercial leasehold issues in insolvency and asset recovery.

Roy Beckett, partner and head of business legal services at Irwin Mitchell in Manchester, said: “John is a superb operator and someone who is very well known in the market. He will be a big asset for Irwin Mitchell and will complement not only our existing restructuring team, but also our wider business offering.”

Vickery is the latest appointment to Irwin Mitchell’s business legal services division and the seventh partner to have joined the firm’s commercial team in Manchester.

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RECRUITMENT firm Stark Brooks has bolstered its Manchester team with the arrival of Natasha Hopkins.

Hopkins, who lives in Middleton, Greater Manchester, previously worked at Prime Time Recruitment.

In her new role, she is focusing on the recruitment of finance staff into industry.

Stark Brooks chief executive Gron Ffoulkes-Davies said: “Natasha has a wealth of experience in the north west market and we have every confidence that she will to add value to, and service, our established client base in their recruitment needs.

“We are still looking for additional staff due to improved levels of activity we are seeing from new and existing clients. In particular, we are currently looking to recruit consultants with experience of filling qualified and senior finance roles and human resources positions.”

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LIVERPOOL-based Pavis Financial Management has appointed Quentin McCormick as a director.

McCormick is a chartered and certified financial planner with more than 17 years’ experience advising individual and commercial clients on a comprehensive range of financial planning matters.

The 44-year-old becomes the firm’s third director alongside technical director Julie Calvert and managing director Bob Newton, who founded the firm 21 years ago.

McCormick, who joins from Greystone in Altrincham, said: “Pavis has forged an enviable reputation for listening to clients and providing them with the highest possible level of service and advice, an ethos that strongly mirrors my own. It is also a progressive business that is always looking for ways to do things more efficiently and effectively.

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MANCHESTER’S Chilli Marketing, which distributes brands including Rekorderlig, Cusquena, Abro and Saint, has appointed Linsey Adams as UK customer marketing manager.

Asams has a decade of on and off-trade experience, and joins the company from her previous position as senior customer marketing manager at Pernod Ricard, where she looked after Absolut Vodka.

She said: “Chilli Marketing has a fantastic portfolio of brands and I am looking forward to delivering a framework of trade marketing activity which is both creative and commercial and which will drive long term growth.”

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LAW firm Harrison Drury has appointed lawyer Brett Cooper as it targets further growth and geographic expansion.

He joins from TH Commercial in Cumbria, previously part of Temple Heelis Solicitors, where he was a partner.

Cooper has experience of mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, and commercial agreements. He also has expertise in property and construction law, including site acquisition and development.

He will focus on business development opportunities in the Lancaster and South Lakes areas, supporting the growth of the firm’s recently opened Kendal office. The firm also has offices in Preston and Garstang.