People on the move: Moore and Smalley; Buffalo 7; RBS; V4Bprofessions; dock10; Ormrods Solicitors & Advocates
Accountancy practice Moore and Smalley has made another appointment in its Southport office as it targets more growth in Merseyside, the Wirral and West Lancashire.
Qualified accountant Ben Gilbert has joined the firm after 11 years with Bolton-based Donnelly Bentley accountants.
Gilbert specialises in audit, accounts and taxation for SMEs and larger limited companies. His appointment takes staff numbers in the Southport office to 16, an increase of 25% in the last two years.
It closely follows the recruitment of experienced Merseyside-based banker Andy Webster. He was brought on board in September 2016 to strengthen links with the professional community and support client growth.
Gilbert, from Wigan, said: “My family is originally from Merseyside and we always came to Southport growing up, so it’s an area I know very well. I’m looking forward to working with the business community here.
“It’s clear Moore and Smalley is a forward-thinking business the way it has embraced technology like cloud accounting software. It also has a reputation for providing trusted advice.”
James Treadwell, partner at Moore and Smalley and head of the Southport office, said: “Ben is an experienced accountant and just the kind of person we need in our team. We want to grow this office and work with more SMEs and owner-managed business in the region.
“As well as advising clients, Ben will also be performing a management role with the firm. This will help myself and the management team to focus on the strategic growth and development of the business.”
Moore and Smalley established a presence in Southport in April 2014 when it acquired local practice Hollows Davies Crane.
Moore and Smalley also has offices in Preston, Blackpool, Lancaster, Kendal, and East Midlands.
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Manchester-based presentation design agency Buffalo 7 has appointed a client services director.
The new role has been created to strengthen the firm’s client relationships with a view to developing more repeat business and to support its ongoing growth.
Appointed to the position is Gary Corrin, who brings with him 20 years of experience in commercial and marketing leadership roles within a variety of industry sectors.
Corrin has previously worked with and advised brands such as InterContinental, Hilton, David Lloyd and Molson Coors.
Over the past 12 months, Buffalo 7’s turnover has increased by more than 56%, breaking the £1m mark for the first time. Turnover is forecast to hit £1.6 m in 2017.
The PowerPoint design specialist has also added 12 new staff members over the last year, bringing its current number of employees to 24. As a result, it is looking to expand its presence in Manchester and London, as well as to set up operations in the US and Asia by 2019 and 2021, respectively.
Lyndon Nicholson, CEO of Buffalo 7, said: “We are delighted to have Gary on board. He is experienced in building relationships with clients, understanding their needs and supporting them with the right solutions. He will be a valuable addition to the team as we push forward with plans to grow the business.”
Corrin said: “This is an exciting time to join Buffalo 7 and I’m looking forward to helping the business to deliver its growth plans. By getting closer to our clients, we can deliver even greater value and help them create presentations that tell their stories with ever increasing impact.”
Buffalo 7 works with clients including UEFA Champions League, Samsung, Facebook, PlayStation and Red Bull.
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Royal Bank of Scotland has strengthened its corporate transactions team by welcoming two new recruits.
Terry Errington and Sarah Laverty, have both been appointed as directors of the team covering the North of England.
The duo will join the team based at Mosley Street in Manchester, a highly active outfit which has completed 30 transactions during 2016 supporting existing and new to bank customers with £142m of facilities.
Errington has enjoyed various roles with Lloyds Banking Group and Grant Thornton over the last 16 years.
His previous role as relationship director for Lloyds Commercial banking team saw him manage a portfolio of £25m to £100m turnover businesses supporting them with their strategic goals and growth aspirations.
Laverty has spent most of her career in a variety of roles based in Manchester with the Royal Bank of Scotland, totalling over 10 years of debt financing experience, with the last five in structured/leveraged finance, transacting private equity leveraged buyouts, corporate acquisitions and refinances across a range of asset classes.
In her new role she will now continue to focus her efforts on working with the mid-market sector whilst also using her experience to support SME’s with their strategic plans.
John Copping, head of corporate transactions team for the North and Scotland, said: “Both Terry and Sarah are vastly experienced and I am confident they will invest their wealth of knowledge in the corporate finance market to enhance the bank’s offering in the SME, Corporate and Private Equity markets. I extend a huge welcome to them both and wish them well in their new roles.”
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Wrexham-based Business funding provider V4Bprofessions has recruited additional staff in a bid to cope with increased demand in a buoyant market.
Following a record-breaking January for the company, it has appointed Daniel Barnes as account manager and Liz Evans as administrative support.
The appointments follow Aaron Leclercq’s appointment as business development manager in November and form part of a continued recruitment drive.
Barnes joins from Bluestones Medical where he was a recruitment consultant. Prior to that he was business development manager at Creative Play which designs playgrounds for UK schools and holiday parks.
Evans was previously receptionist at sister company Vehicles for Business and brings several years’ administrative experience to the role.
Pete Hollingsworth, director at V4Bprofessions said: ‘We’ve had a phenomenal start to the year, outperforming all records since the company began.
‘We have recently moved into a purpose-built office and following Aaron’s appointment we saw the need for a larger workforce. The new appointments will help drive business even further and continue the success we have experienced so far.”
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Media services business dock10, based at MediaCityUK in Salford, has announced the appointment of Darren Deans as its head of marketing.
Deans has more than 25 years’ experience in the broadcast industry, having held key marketing roles in organisations including Babcock Media Services, WRN Broadcast, Arqiva and Kingston Inmedia.
dock10 is the UK’s largest television studio facility, where major productions including ITV’s The Voice and BBC’s A Question of Sport are filmed.
The recent acquisitions of vfx businesses Edit 19 and 422 have made dock10 the largest post production business outside London and also taken it into the creative services market.
Deans said: “I am proud to be joining dock10 at such an important time in the development of its studios, post production and managed services businesses. I am looking forward to working in such a talented team and to supporting the continued success of the company.”
Mark Senior, CEO at dock10, added: “Darren brings to dock10 a wealth of experience in international marketing communications and a reputation for innovative thinking.
“This is an important appointment as it comes at a crucial stage of dock10’s expansion. We are all looking forward to welcoming Darren as an integral member of our senior team.”
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A Lancashire legal firm is expanding its team as it continues to grow its North West client base in the field of family law.
Ormrods Solicitors & Advocates has appointed seasoned legal expert Sharif Ela in a new role as the company’s private client solicitor at its base in Cleveleys north of Blackpool.
A highly experienced trust and estate practitioner with over 20 years in the legal and financial services profession, Ela will be helping the firm meet increased demand for its services.
He will oversee a range of different legal needs on behalf of clients, from drawing up Power of Attorney documentation and long term care fee planning to managing complex probate cases and the administration of estates.
Ela is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the worldwide professional association for legal professionals who advise on family law. The accreditation is widely regarded as the industry ‘gold standard’ for promoting best practice, professional integrity and education.
Geoff Ormrod from Ormrods Solicitors & Advocates said: “We’ve seen a surge in demand for our services in recent months and Sharif will be a strong addition to our legal team.
“The administration of an estate requires detailed legal work, often at a stressful time if a close family member has passed away. Sharif’s experience and his empathy and rapport with clients will be in high demand and we warmly welcome him aboard.”
Ela has also been appointed as a ‘notary public’ constituted by law to cover estates, deeds, powers of attorney, and foreign and international business.
“Joining the Ormrods team is the start of an exciting new chapter in my career,” added Ela. “As well as guiding clients through all the requisite trust and estate legal paperwork, my role as a notary public also means I can undertake more specific case work.
“This can involve administering oaths and affirmations, taking affidavits and statutory declarations and authenticating the execution of certain classes of legal documents.”
