Appointments: David Grundy joins board of Omega Sky; Key Retirement & more

PRESTON-based Key Retirement Solutions, the over 55’s specialist adviser, has appointed Simon Thompson as group finance director.

Mr Thompsons joins from The Markets & International Banking division at RBS, where he was managing director, head of UK insurance coverage.

 Previously he worked in the Financial Institutions Group at UBS Investment Bank and at PwC. Simon has extensive strategic advisory, transaction and capital markets experience in the UK financial services sector.

Colin Taylor, chief executive of Key Retirement Solutions said: “The appointment of Simon is another important step in delivering our strategy of building Key into the trusted brand for the over-55s in the retirement segment of financial services.”

Mr Thompson added: “Key has exciting development ambitions, focused on offering financial products and services which are important elements in meeting customers’ retirement objectives. The business has strong plans for growth and I look forward to working with the team to help deliver them.”

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OMEGA Sky, the Lancashire company behind wallsauce.com – which sellis wall murals and wallpaper featuring iconic film and TV scenes – has appointed David Grundy as a non-executive director.

Mr Grundy, the former North West managing partner of accountants Grant Thornton, has already invested in the business .

He said: “I am delighted to be joining the board of Omega Sky.  Since my investment earlier this year there has been huge progress in bringing our licensed wall murals offering, including Star Trek, Batman and the Hobbit, to the Wallsauce website, which is attracting a lot of interest.  

“The next year will see a dramatic uptake in customer interaction, and I will hopefully be able to bring my experiences to bear as the business drives forward.”

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FINANCIAL group Smith & Williamson has appointed Sarah Tomlinson to its private client tax services team in Manchester.

Miss Tomlinson is a member of the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) and previously worked at KPMG and Deloitte. She is also currently studying to become a Chartered Tax Adviser.

Lee Blackshaw, head of the private client tax team said: “There is a rising demand for specialist personal tax services as local wealth creators bring economic growth to the region at a time of increasing tax complexity. This is an ideal time for us to welcome Sarah to our expanding Manchester-based team, in order to meet the needs of clients for expert advice.”

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STEPHEN Lawson, a litigation partner at Forshaw  Davies Ridgway, has been elected as president of Warrington Law Society President.

Mr Lawson, who is head of FDR’s litigation department, hopes to use his year in office to shine a spotlight on the expertise of all 55 members of the Warrington Law Society and to promote local firms.

He said: “We have some brilliant lawyers right here in Warrington. They are experts in their fields and their charges are a fraction of the cost of the big city law firms, particularly in London.”

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SOLICITORS Marc Appleton and Tom Dickinson have joined the commercial property team at Lancashire law firm Napthens.

Mr Appleton, who spend 12 years at Addleshaw Goddard in Manchester, advises on a wide range of matters including investment sales and purchases, new build commercial development work and development funding.

Mr Dickinson joins from Brabners and has experience in landlord and tenant matters, and has worked for a broad range of clients from major pension funds to national retailers and charities.

Martin Beardsworth, partner and head of commercial property, said: “Marc and Tom bring with them more than two decades of high level commercial property experience which will greatly benefit our team and the clients we act for.”