People on the move: Chess; Ultimate Finance; Marks & Clerk; Hotter; RSM; myclever
CHESHIRE-based ICT specialist Chess has appointed chief operating officer Steve Cox, who also becomes a member of the board.
As COO and board member, Cox will bring recently acquired IT service providers, including Lanway, Pinnacle, Parachute IT and PowerC IT together within a single structure and consolidate the Alderley Edge company’s ICT proposition.
He joins Chess from the Technology Service Group, an award-winning IT solutions provider, where he was a main board director.
He brings with him more than 20 years of experience in IT service businesses having worked for the Intermediate Capital Group, Barclays Capital and Ford to name a few.
Under the new set up, a team of 50 Chess people based in Burnley, Borehamwood and Queenslie, will service over 1,500 current customers, providing them with complete ICT solutions.
The flexible structure aims to deliver outstanding quality to Chess customers as well as improving the customer journey experience.
Cox said: “I always wanted to be part of an ambitious and growing company that values its people. My vision was to build a single national IT Service provider with a local presence built on the foundations of passionate people delivering quality service.”
“My number one goal is to achieve our shared vision and strive to make Chess a great place to be a customer. To do that we have to get our structure, the interaction with our customers and our systems right.”
In step with the market trends of the lines between traditional telecoms companies and IT service companies becoming more blurred, Chess is transforming into a true end to end solution provider.
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ULTIMATE Finance has appointed Vince Tovey as national head of sales for trade finance along with responsibility for the invoice finance sales team based in the Manchester office.
With 30 years’ experience in international banking and asset based lending, Vince will be developing the Trade Finance offering on a national level whilst continuing to drive the growth of Ultimate Finance within the North West region.
Tovey previously worked for NatWest Bank and HSBC, prior to moving into the ABL sector with Davenham and Aldermore.
Tovey said: “It is great to be joining a company with a real appetite to lend. The significant funds made available by its parent company Tavistock means we can work closely with brokers and SMEs to help find a solution to their cashflow needs.
“I am confident the next few years will see Ultimate Finance expand its market share considerably as many SMEs continue to struggle to find the right funding partner to help grow their business.
“For this reason I believe we will become the lender of choice as we continue to provide the flexibility and solutions to suit their requirements.
“This is an exciting time to be part of a very forward thinking business and I look forward to adding real value.”
Group sales director Richard Waldman said: “I have previously worked with Vince so I know about his impressive track record and the skills and experience he will bring to both the Trade and Invoice Finance teams.
“He is highly respected within the sector and the fact we were able to attract him to the business demonstrates the high regard in which we are now held within the market.”
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MARKS & Clerk, the UK’s largest firm of patent and trade mark attorneys, has made a series of appointments to strengthen and support the growth of its Manchester office.
Dr David Robinson has been appointed as office managing partner, and Mike Williams has been promoted to partner.
The firm has also recruited Dr Marco Morbidini and three trainee patent attorneys; Parvathy Nair (computer scientist), Peter Youle (chemist) and Louise Mansion (mechanical dngineer).
Robinson and Williams’ practices include a broad range of clients from start-ups and SMEs to large multinationals, in the North West, nationally and internationally.
Robinson takes over from Mark Kenrick, who will continue as the partner responsible for the international firm’s finances and as a member of the international firm’s board of management.
Morbidini joins Marks & Clerk’s Manchester office team from Scott & York IP Law as an associate.
Dr David Ward, UK managing partner at Marks & Clerk, said: “Our Manchester team is well equipped to meet the growing demand for patent and trade mark protection services not only in Manchester but also in the wider North West, nationally and internationally.
“David and Mike in particular are excellent patent attorneys who are well known for giving commercial, technical and legally astute advice to a vast range of clients. I am very pleased to appoint David as Office Managing Partner and to welcome Mike to the partnership.”
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WEST Lancashire-based Hotter has appointed Dominic Appleton as its chief financial officer as part of the business transformation of the footwear brand.
Appleton has a wealth of financial experience having qualified with KPMG before moving to the FMCG sector with Procter and Gamble and SSL International.
He has worked in senior financial positions in manufacturing and supply chain businesses and most recently has developed his online retailing experience at Shop Direct and as chief financial officer at VictoriaPlum.com.
Chief executive of the Skelmersdale-headquartered firm, Sara Prowse, said: “Dominic’s extensive experience of financial management across a variety of sectors will prove invaluable for the next part of the Hotter journey.
“Dominic has a proven track record across several sectors that mirror Hotter’s unique manufacturing and omni-channel retail structure and he will play a strategic role in building the Hotter brand.”
Appleton said: “Hotter has a fabulous quality product and an enviable heritage that many brands can only strive to attain; I am delighted to be joining the brand and am confident that we have a great platform for the next stage of our growth.”
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WEST Lancashire-based Hotter has appointed Dominic Appleton as its chief financial officer as part of the business transformation of the footwear brand.
Appleton has a wealth of financial experience having qualified with KPMG before moving to the FMCG sector with Procter and Gamble and SSL International.
He has worked in senior financial positions in manufacturing and supply chain businesses and most recently has developed his online retailing experience at Shop Direct and as chief financial officer at VictoriaPlum.com.
Chief executive of the Skelmersdale-headquartered firm, Sara Prowse, said: “Dominic’s extensive experience of financial management across a variety of sectors will prove invaluable for the next part of the Hotter journey.
“Dominic has a proven track record across several sectors that mirror Hotter’s unique manufacturing and omni-channel retail structure and he will play a strategic role in building the Hotter brand.”
Appleton said: “Hotter has a fabulous quality product and an enviable heritage that many brands can only strive to attain; I am delighted to be joining the brand and am confident that we have a great platform for the next stage of our growth.”
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AUDIT, tax and consulting firm RSM has appointed risk assurance specialist Maya Buchanan as a director based in its Manchester office.
Buchanan joins RSM from AIM-listed manufacturing company Scapa Group where she was the head of group risk & assurance.
Prior to this, Buchanan worked in practice at two big four firms specialising in internal audit and risk assurance.
With more than 15 years’ experience, Buchanan brings a wealth of expertise in corporate governance, investigations and implementing effective risk management frameworks and corporate compliance in the UK and globally.
In addition, SHE has a range of specialist expertise within the manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceutical, property management and Not for Profit sectors.
In her new role, Buchanan will drive the expansion of RSM’s risk assurance practice with a specific focus on supporting a growing portfolio of corporate clients across the region.
Jill Jones, RSM regional managing partner for the North West, said: “Risk assurance is becoming increasingly more important as the nature of business becomes ever more complex.
“Maya’s extensive knowledge will help our clients navigate and protect themselves in an ever-changing landscape, and it’s great to have her on board.”
Buchanan said: “RSM is a forward-thinking firm that has a growing corporate client base and extensive international network which complements my experience perfectly.
“I’m looking forward to drawing on my in-house, practice and sector experience to support a variety of corporate clients to add real value in a challenging market.”
RSM continues to invest in the North West internal audit practice following the recent appointment of risk assurance manager Michael Harding who joined the team from Beever and Struthers, bringing further not for profit expertise to the faculty.
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MANCHESTER-based social media agency myclever has appointed Kelly Byrne as finance director.
The 35-year-old ACMA qualified accountant takes up the newly created role with the Manchester team following six years with Latitude Digital Marketing in Warrington.
As part of her new role with myclever, Byrne will become a key member of the leadership team, helping the agency meet its financial and business growth targets in the coming years.
Myclever chief executive Rob McNair said: “In order to meet our ambitious growth targets we’ve got to be able to quickly produce information to allow us to make great business decisions.
“The industry is becoming extremely agile and companies that want to grow and succeed need to be able to meet challenges and deal with changes quickly.
“We are confident that with Kelly in place we will be able to do that, and she will be able to fill that role and deliver from day one.”
Byrne added: “It’s been a great start, we’ve moved into an amazing new office space and the agency has ambitious plans for the future so it is an exciting time to join the team.
“My goal is to bring finance to the heart of the business, and into the day to day conversations across all departments so we can continue to grow quickly and profitably to meet our growth targets.”
