People on the move: PwC; Buttress Architects; Blackpool Tower; myclever Agency; CBRE; MERJE; SLH Group
KEY appointments have been made in PwC’s corporate finance team across the North West, bringing in new faces from all over the globe.
Included in the appointments is the promotion of Dan Gallagher, who has been admitted to the partnership and leads the team having been with the business for more than 10 years.
Rebecca Rennison, has joined the team as a director specifically focusing on mergers and acquisitions. She is a seasoned professional with more than 20 years’ experience, most recently as managing director at Raymond James Financial in Vancouver, Canada.
Yong Han Park has recently arrived from Seoul as a manager in the PwC North West advisory team.
Han has more than six years’ experience across deals including transaction services, valuations and corporate finance. Han will be responsible for advising companies across all aspects of M&A including: acquisitions, disposals and private equity investments.
Meanwhile, Richard Baty, has come in from Smith & Williamson’s corporate finance team in London where he was focused on advising both public and private transaction and was an AIM nominated adviser.
He has more than over 15 years’ corporate finance experience across both public and private transactions.
Stephen McGuinness recently joined the corporate finance team and will focus on deal origination. He has worked for PwC for the past five years, formerly in the clients and market development team as business development manager for assurance, tax and deals.
Iwan Griffiths, PwC’s North West chairman, said: “These appointments signify the ongoing commitment not only to grow our Corporate Finance capability across the region but also to bring in global expertise to enhance our existing knowledge of the market. Over the last 18 months we have doubled the size of the team to ensure that we have the specialist knowledge to deliver the right advice for our clients.”
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BUTTRESS Architects has expanded its board of directors with the addition of Neal Charlton.
Charlton, who joined the Ancoats-based practice in 1999, has considerable experience in the arts and culture sector and leads one of the firm’s conservation teams.
An AABC-accredited architect, he is currently involved in the redevelopment of Grade I-listed Headstone Manor and the restoration of 16th-century manor house, Wythenshawe Hall, which was badly damaged in a fire in March.
He is also leading the new £21m Blackpool Museum project, which will be housed in the town’s Grade II-listed Winter Gardens.
Gavin Sorby, managing director of Buttress, said: “Neal is an experienced design team leader with wealth of experience in the museum and conservation sectors.
“He has made a significant contribution during his time at the practice, providing strategic direction on a number of key projects, and his move to director will allow us build our expertise in arts and culture at board level.”
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BLACKPOOL Tower has appointed Kenny Mew as its new general manager from his previous position as head of operations.
Mew, 37, moved to Blackpool from Dumfries in Scotland, when his parents opened a bed and breakfast in 1986 at the beach resort.
He first worked in The Blackpool Tower as a team member in 1995. He then went on to take time out of college and work full time, working his way up through a series of roles – from the catering department, to various junior management positions, general manager of Tower Lounge and head of operations – before landing his latest position as general manager.
Mew has been involved with lots of fun events taking place at The Blackpool Tower over the years, including meeting Gary Barlow and being involved in every series of Strictly Come Dancing filmed at the Tower. His favourite memory to date is meeting world snooker champion, Stephen Henry, at Shoot Out Snooker.
He said of his new role: “Working in a historic landmark that plays a huge part in the overall Blackpool Story got me hooked and I have never looked back.”
Head of Blackpool Cluster Kate Shane said: “I am so proud of Kenny and all that he has achieved during his time here at The Blackpool Tower.”
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SOCIAL media agency myclever Agency – which has offices in Manchester and Vancouver – has appointed a new commercial director.
Mike Kirwan will be responsible for all client services, sales and marketing for the business, including business strategy, budgeting and resource planning.
He will be tasked with retaining and growing existing client relationships, as well as bringing on board new and exciting brands and partnerships.
Prior to joining myclever, Mike was the commercial director at Latitude digital marketing for 11 years, where he worked with a number of blue chip clients at the forefront of digital marketing. Before that, he gained 10 years’ experience in traditional advertising agencies including Yellow M, BJL and Cicero (now Gyro).
Mike Kirwan said: “myclever really impressed me with its award-winning and innovative approach. I am really looking forward to working with the team to help deliver clever marketing campaigns that really make an impact.”
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THE Manchester office of CBRE has expanded its land and development team with the appointment of Bernadette McQuillan as director and Jessica Haigh and Rebecca Harper as senior surveyors, doubling the team in size.
McQuillan has moved from CBRE’s Manchester planning team, which she joined in 2008, and is utilising her extensive planning expertise to advise on site strategies and solutions, pulling together and managing CBRE project teams to deliver bespoke residential focused consultancy advice.
In her new role she is undertaking site finding and development consultancy in addition to providing commercially focused development advice to inform the marketing process.
Haigh has joined CBRE following positions within the commercial sector at King Sturge and WHR, specialising in office agency on acquisitions and disposals of commercial property within Manchester.
She predominantly works with CBRE’s development and residential investment teams sourcing forward funding and forward commitment within the student and private rented sector.
Harper also joins the CBRE National land and development team as senior surveyor in a move from Savills.
Harper’s work involves providing development strategies and disposing of and acquiring property for a variety of uses for both the public and private sector.
The role involves undertaking options analysis, development viability, risk analysis and disposal strategies.
The trio join CBRE land and development senior director Steven Verity, director Alistair Chapman and director John Dunlop in a move that has doubled the team in size.
Verity said: “We are experiencing continued growth within our business line and as a result have expanded the team with three highly talented individuals with complimentary skills to enhance our client offering.”
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SPECIALIST recruitment consultancy MERJE has strengthened its team with the appointment of Sven Hanger as a principal consultant in the company’s Manchester office.
The appointment is one of five new hires across the business’s London and Manchester offices.
Hanger joins MERJE from Stark Brooks Associates, where he was an associate director. He is a specialist in the accounting and finance sector and during his career has been instrumental in developing preferred supplier arrangements with a number of leading FTSE-listed, high growth and private equity backed businesses.
Jonathan Abelson, director of MERJE, said: “With more thyan 12-years’ experience in recruitment, Sven will be an extremely valuable addition to our team and will help MERJE continue to grow and develop.”
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THE South Liverpool Homes Group has appointed Rupert Lowe as head of business development and commercial services.
The company plans to grow their business through its subsidiary company SLH Regeneration by promoting their unique commercial offer, which will see them capitalise on the successes of existing businesses.
Lowe, who comes from a commercial agency background with over 20 years’ experience in the property sector, is looking forward to developing the commercial business stream.
He said: “The opportunity is very exciting for a number of reasons.
One of our key selling points is the provision of a high-level professional service to clients coupled with the added bonus of supporting clients with their corporate social responsibility targets.”
