People on the move: Simon Judge; Gorvins; Buro Four; Kennedys; UD Group; WM Reply
Preston-based financial recruiter Simpson Judge has appointed Suzanne Horford as associate director to lead its new Manchester office.
Although Simpson Judge has a large client base in Manchester it is looking to build on this and attract more experienced recruiters by having a physical base in the city centre.
Horford comes with a wealth of experience and will be working alongside director Rob Simpson on the executive appointments division of the business.
Horford also has a wealth of experience in tax recruitment and will be working with her network on Senior Tax roles nationwide and Internationally.
She started her recruitment career with a major listed recruitment firm and from there gone on to work within successful boutique search firms.
Simpson said: “This is a fantastic appointment for us and signals an exciting new period of growth for the Simpson Judge business.
“Suzanne will lead our strategic expansion into Manchester and I have every confidence she will attract some excellent experienced recruiters to join the team. We continue to target year on year growth of 100% plus and I believe Suzanne will play a vital part in us achieving this.”
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Gorvins solicitors in Stockport is expanding its commercial litigation team with the appointment of new partner Jonathon Crook.
The 51year-old Cambridge graduate brings a timely global touch to the Stockport-based team, having previously been a partner with several international law firms both in the UK and also in Hong Kong where he was admitted as a solicitor.
He has also acted for clients involved in disputes in various other Asian jurisdictions including China, India and the Middle East.
Although the Blackburn-born lawyer has extensive experience in all areas of commercial litigation- ranging from acting for multi-nationals in cross border disputes to advising shareholders in family owned businesses – his particular area of expertise involves claims arising from the sale of financial products and other investments both to companies and to individuals.
The Cheshire-based father of three said he was particularly looking forward to using his expertise in banking and financial services disputes to assist the continuing growth of the firm.
Crook said: “I’m delighted to be joining join Gorvins as the firm shares my philosophy of providing commercial, efficient and cost effective advice. I’m also joining at the start of what is likely to be unpredictable few years for businesses who trade with the rest of the world and especially within Europe and who will increasingly need advice and support from lawyers with international experience.”
Martin Hoare, the firm`s managing partner added: “Jonathon’s appointment is a very exciting development for Gorvins, he adds a wealth of experience and expertise.
“His appointment further reinforces our mission to provide the very best legal services to the SME business community and to our private clients.”
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Project management and consultancy specialist Buro Four has promoted regional director David Boles to its main board, aptly marking 21 years in Manchester.
Boles brings a wealth of experience to the Buro Four board having been instrumental in significantly growing the business in Buro Four Manchester and the North West over the last eight years as well as supporting offices in Leeds and Birmingham.
In his new role, he will continue to concentrate on developing the team, winning exciting projects across the region and delivering a high quality to service for clients.
Simon Glass, working with the University of Manchester on the £320m MECD project, has meanwhile been promoted to senior project manager, whilst Emma Payne has been promoted to project manager after working with clients such as English Cities Fund to deliver projects in the New Bailey Salford masterplan.
Ross Cuming also joins the team as project manager and is currently working with the Universities of Manchester and Nottingham.
A number of recent project wins including the Manchester Museum Courtyard Project along with continued work for clients including Bruntwood, University of Manchester, The Monastery Manchester and Muse Developments is testament to the both the strength of the regional market and the strength of the Manchester team, the company said.
The continued investment in the regional teams shows the commitment to supporting this growth.
Chairman Iain Roberts said: “We are delighted that David will be joining the board of Buro Four, bringing experience and energy and helping us to continue to provide an exemplary service to our clients.”
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International law firm Kennedys has made its second lateral hire of the year with the appointment of Paula Garvey as partner in the firm’s growing Manchester office.
Garvey joins from Hill Dickinson’s Manchester office where she was a partner in the firm’s insurance casualty team. She brings 19 years’ experience in employer and public liability cases, and is a specialist in rail liability cases.
At Kennedys, she will be reunited with her former Hill Dickinson colleague, Gordon Davidson, who joined Kennedys as a partner with a four-strong team last year.
The team handles pre-litigation and litigated motor and casualty claims for insurers, transport companies, food manufacturers and local authorities.
Garvey said: “Kennedys has a committed insurance presence in Manchester and an unrivalled national reputation, so I am looking forward to working with my former colleagues again to grow Kennedys’ insurance casualty business in Manchester.”
Nick Thomas, senior partner at Kennedys, said: “We remain committed to attracting top talent and growth predicated on client need. Paula’s appointment will help to grow our regional presence and our casualty practice in particular. Her experience will certainly be attractive to our national and international clients and I’m delighted she is on board.”
Garvey becomes the ninth partner in the Manchester office and follows the appointment of dispute resolution and commercial partner Nick Humphreys from Clyde & Co at the start of the year.
Kennedys moved into its new larger office in Manchester’s Oxford Street in October 2016, and has 54 fee-earners in total based in the city.
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Manchester-based UD Group, the intelligent software developer for the energy and utilities sector, has appointed Andy Calvert as chief technical officer, bringing a wealth of expertise and product management experience to the team.
His past roles include technical director and founder at Cloud Affinity and iCritical, where he was responsible for building the technical arms of both companies from inception.
Calvert will be responsible for overseeing the development of its disruptive software as the business continues on its rising growth trajectory and targets expansion into new markets in the UK and internationally.
UD Group managing director Steve Armitage said: “As we look to build on the exceptional growth of the business over the last 12 months, it is important that we have the structure in place to ensure our solutions remain ahead of the game in the market. Andy’s experience is going to be invaluable as we adapt our already strong suite of solutions and bring innovative, new software to market.”
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Chester city centre digital agency and Microsoft SharePoint specialists, WM Reply, has welcomed Jamie Williams, to the team.
Williams, 37, from Parkgate, has been a Microsoft SharePoint Consultant for 16 years and was involved in the set up and creation of the original Office 365 platform.
He joins the team after supporting many public and private sector organisations across the UK to improve communication and collaboration using the latest Microsoft Technology.
He said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Chester Team at WM Reply. I’m looking forward to driving the business forward and showcasing the potential of SharePoint and Office 365 to businesses, particularly in the North West.”
Williams will work alongside WM Reply Chester Manager, Cathy Taylor. She said: “We’re really pleased to have Jamie on board. His experience, skills and expertise in the SharePoint and Office 365 field are well-renowned in the industry.”
WM Reply, which also has offices, in London, Minsk and Amsterdam, is part of the Reply network, a Europe-wide digital consultancy comprising of over 90 digital agencies specialising in the latest technology.
