People: NorthEdge Capital; Zen Internet; Perpetual Partnerships & more

NORTHEDGE Capital, the private equity house that invests in businesses in the North of England, has hired David Walters as its digital and data director to help maximise online, data and technology opportunities for portfolio companies.

Walters has more than 25 years’ experience leading technology, digital, product and analytics teams across a range of sectors including media, automotive, marketing and insurance.

Most recently, he held the position of Interim Group CTO at Watchstone Group, helping the organisation to launch the useage based insurance business Hubio in the UK and USA.

In this role, he played a central part in developing outsourcing relationships and joint ventures, as well as progressing the Watchstone Group’s telematics and big data strategy across its other businesses, including Himex, QETS and QSI.
 
With 10 years’ private equity experience, Walters was part of the LBM executive team that returned the business to profit, creating and leading the firm’s digital division. The success of this arm was cited as a key element of the successful transaction to US-based BPO Stream Global Systems in 2013.

This appointment follows the successful close of NorthEdge’s Fund II, which at the beginning of March hit its hard cap of £300m in just four months. With total funds under management at the firm now in excess of half a billion pounds, David will be responsible for sourcing new digital technology opportunities in both its current portfolio and new investments.
 
Ray Stenton, partner and head of new business at NorthEdge Capital, said: “Digital and data strategy is becoming an increasingly important driver of value, with all of our existing investments assessing opportunities to accelerate shareholder value growth in this important area. With David’s expertise, we can offer additional support to the teams we back in order to help focus and accelerate growth to add real value to the companies we invest in.”

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ROCHDALE-based internet service provider Zen Internet has made Andrew Fryatt the managing director of the company’s Small Business & Residential division.
 
Fryatt joins 18 months after the reorganisation of Zen Internet into three separate divisions – Small Business & Residential, Corporate & Mid-Market and Partnerships. Up until recently the division was managed by Zen chief executive and founder Richard Tang who will now concentrate on a number of special projects and Zen Internet’s long-term strategy.

Fryatt said: “Zen is a business that genuinely stands out in this market.  Whilst others seem set on being the cheapest, Zen has always focused on offering the very best service to its customers, a fact recognised by its many award wins and loyalty of its customers.”

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GAVIN Spencer is the new development director for specialist technical recruiter Perpetual Partnerships.

He joins the Northwich, Cheshire-based firm from oil and gas recruiter Air Energi, where he was associate director for Europe.

In his new position, Spencer will lead the roll-out of a series of strategies to expand the firm’s consultancy business, grow existing accounts, and open new market sectors and territories.

“Gavin joins us at a pivotal time in our evolution, with a dynamic track-record of service enhancement and growth generation and the vision and expertise to help us unlock the real potential of our business” said Garry Rogerson, managing director of Perpetual Partnerships,
Spencer said: “This is a great opportunity for me to be part of a specialist firm with tremendous prospects in growing markets.
 
“Perpetual is sitting on a network of clear and untapped avenues for growth. This, along with its strong product and talent-focused approach to recruitment, makes it an extremely exciting place to be.”

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PROFESSIONAL services and engineering firm WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff in Manchester has recruited two senior directors from the company’s Middle Eastern business.

The duo added to the wealth of international expertise to the more than 560 strong team across its Oxford Road and Salford Quays offices.
 
Bosses say business development director Richard Jones and building services technical director David Moulder have been appointed to the Manchester office as part of an ongoing recruitment drive to ensure the business is best placed to support the Northern Powerhouse growth agenda for its public and private sector clients.
 
Also joining the business development team is Sandra Robinson, who will develop key client relationships in conjunction with strategic business growth across all business disciplines.
 
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LAW firm TLT has welcomed a new trainee solicitor.

Chris O’Toole has joined the firm’s training scheme and be based in TLT’s Manchester office and will start his two-year training contract working in the firm’s Real Estate Group.
 
In total six new trainee solicitors join TLT in March 2016 across the firm’s Bristol, London and Manchester offices. Each of the new trainees will spend six months in four different ‘seats’ or specialist teams, getting first-hand experience of law in action and advising clients under expert supervision.

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SENECA Investment Managers, the multi-asset value investment house based in Liverpool, has appointed Cathy Growney as Marketing manager to support the growth of the firm.
 
In her new role, Growney will be managing all aspects of the marketing function of Seneca IM, to develop and deliver messaging around its investment process and products.

She joins Seneca Investment Managers from JLT Employee Benefits, where she spent 13 years and most recently served as a Consultant with responsibility for all marketing aspects of the investment consulting team. She previously held managerial consultancy positions at BWD Rensburg and Dresdner RCM Global Investors.

David Thomas, chief executive, Seneca Investment Managers, said: “Catherine has exceptional experience across all operational and marketing aspects of the investment business. It’s great to have Catherine on board, driving the marketing strategy for the ongoing growth of our range of multi asset funds and multi asset investment trust.”

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CBRE has expanded its North West engineering services team with the appointment of Anas Duale and Sam Brown to the firm’s Manchester office.

Anas joins as an associate director from his previous role at Beverley Clifton Morris. He has extensive experience of design, installation supervision, cost control and commissioning of mechanical and electrical engineering services for a wide range of projects across the residential, healthcare, commercial, education and domestic sectors.
 
He has gained strategic knowledge in the design of energy efficient buildings including the design of BREEAM Excellent buildings and has also undertaken commissioning management roles to ensure that the designed performance is achieved in practice.

Sam joins CBRE as a Graduate Engineer from the University of Manchester. With a background in mechanical engineering, Sam has a strong theoretical Building Services knowledge.

He is proficient on the design of sustainable and energy efficient systems with a keen interest in how the market aims to meet the demands of a growing society. Sam reports on the latest government legislation and environmental factors.

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MACCLESFIELD-based ingredients supplier Direct Food Ingredients has announced new key appointment.
 
Food industry professional Dr Mark Wareing has been recruited to head up a brand new department that will advise blue chip manufacturing and retail clients on product formulations.

As the new product development manager, Wareing will be tasked with setting up the new department and supporting the business to provide clients with in depth consultancy in relation to product development, adding value across the firm’s client base.
 
He has 30 years experience in food formulation, starting his career at Johnson & Johnson, and will bring a wealth of knowledge to the New Product Development department.

Wareing joins from Adams Food Ingredients where he worked as a senior innovations technologist for three years.