People on the move: Stark Brooks; Shepherds Friendly; HRC Law; dock10; RoC Consulting

RECRUITMENT firm Stark Brooks has expanded its range of specialist services with a new division focusing on senior positions in the fields of supply chain, procurement and logistics.

Stark Brooks has appointed Richard York as a business manager to head the division.

He has more than 20 years’ recruitment experience and has moved from Liverpool-based Direct Search UK, which is part of Bibby Line Group’s employment services arm.

Meanwhile, Stark Brooks has strengthened its accountancy and finance division with the arrival of Charlotte Amers as an associate recruitment consultant.

She has joined after graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University with a first-class degree in business management

The duo are based in Manchester and their arrival follows on the heels of Andy Chamberlain, Steph Hamilton and Luke Spilsbury as Stark Brooks continues to increase staff numbers to meet growing demand.

Chief executive Gron Ffoulkes-Davies said: “The new division is part of our strategy to provide a wider range of recruitment services to our commerce and industry clients.

“Richard has a superb track record in recruiting for senior supply chain, procurement and logistics posts and I am confident he will be a huge success in his role at Stark Brooks.

“Charlotte’s arrival underlines our commitment to continue to invest in the business and emerging talent in our industry.”

Meanwhile Bethany Willan and Sam Judd have begun one-year undergraduate placements at Stark Brooks, in the Manchester and Leeds offices respectively.

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CHEADLE, Greater Manchester-based mutual insurer Shepherds Friendly has the announced the appointment of two new non executive directors to its board – Simon Pashby and Roger Turner.

Pashby is a chartered accountant with 30 years experience working in the financial services industry, with particular experience of risk, regulations and controls. Previously, he was a partner at KPMG responsible for the audits of investment, banking and insurance companies.

He said: “I am looking forward to working with Shepherds Friendly, it is an organisation which has modernised itself to deal with the needs of its members, increasingly online, but one which keeps the personal touch that people like, drawing on a history of trust and integrity to ensure it puts its members’ interests first.”

Turner also has significant financial services expertise, having been head of group capital and treasury at Schroder’s, and a partner in the financial services regulatory practice of PwC.

He said: “The innovative approach to markets adopted at Shepherds Friendly presents many opportunities for the future, and I very much look forward to contributing to its continued growth.”

Chief executive Ann-Marie O’Dea, said: “Both Simon and Roger have held a wide range of positions within all areas of financial services and their knowledge and experience gained will be of great value to the board. I am certain they will make an important contribution in the years to come.”

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MANCHESTER-based HRC Law has appointed the former head of legal at Bench to strengthen its corporate team.

Richard Life has joined HRC as a corporate and commercial partner, bringing the international clothing brand with him as a client. He is the fifth partner to join HRC.
 
Having trained and spent eight years at Addleshaw Goddard, Life has blended in-house and large law firm experience to enhance his commercial expertise.

He will also work closely with partner Helen Marsh, whose clients include specialist retailers, Sock Shop and Fragrance Shop, amongst others. Together, they will develop the firm’s retail and consumer goods sector specialism, as well as targeting challenger brands in the sector.

Life, who has considerable private equity experience, which he will also develop at HRC alongside corporate partner Mark Traynor, said: “Having spent a large part of my early career in private practice, I was keen to go back to my roots when the right opportunity arose. HRC is the perfect firm to re-enter the fold and I am excited to be part of an ambitious and successful firm.

“The rapidly expanding team at HRC has a wealth of business acumen, which means the firm is already punching above its weight across multiple sectors and specialisms.”

Simon Whitehead, managing partner at HRC, added: “Our commitment to being an approachable business partner means we will always remain partner-led as the firm grows.”

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DOCK10, the media services business based at MediaCityUK, has unveiled the appointment of Fabien Robineau as head of platform managed services.

Robineau joins from Arqiva where he held a variety of commercial positions in his 14 years at the company, with his most recent role being European director of sales for the satellite and media division.

This newly created role at dock10 shows the importance of the managed services offering at the Manchester based company, which has launched a number of innovative managed services including media asset management and remote edit including a pilot for BBC Sport at the UEFA Euro Championships.

Robineau brings his experience of media management, playout and distribution and his UK and European wide customer relationship network to the role, and he will serve on the senior management team.

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MANCHESTER-based RoC Consulting – a civil and structural engineering consultancy – has expanded its senior team with the appointment of a new principal structural engineer.

Chris Knowles has joined from AECOM, bringing over 20 years of engineering experience across the energy, leisure, commercial, residential and education sectors among others.
 
Knowles has been brought on board to add further depth to RoC Consulting’s proposition across the North West and nationally.

He has worked on a number of high-profile projects, including the Dubai Sports City Stadium, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow, the City of Salford Community Stadium and Central Village in Liverpool.

Knowles, who will work alongside Mike Newman, principal engineer, and Jon Smith, design director, said: “Having worked on a wide variety of projects over the last two decades, ranging from high-level project concept engineering through to more detailed design work, I’m looking forward to applying the knowledge I’ve gained to some of the exciting projects RoC Consulting is currently working on and has in the pipeline.”

The appointment comes at an exciting time for RoC Consulting, which has recently secured a number of prestigious contracts, including No 1 Spinningfields and XYZ Building in Manchester, Clippers Quay in Salford and The Hard Interchange in Portsmouth.

Rory O’Connor, managing director of RoC Consulting, said: “With our distinct emphasis on delivering unrivalled quality and expertise with the service expected of a local, boutique business, it’s crucially important for us to have the right people on board.

“Chris demonstrates a clear understanding of complex engineering problems as well as an ability to develop innovative and practical resolutions.

“We’re looking forward to seeing Chris progress at RoC Consulting and help us continue to deliver outstanding, award-winning work for our clients.”