On the Move: MSP Capital; Regional and City Airports; Bournemouth Chamber; RT Marke & Co; Noble

Property finance specialist MSP Capital has announced its new chief executive.

Leigh Bartlett has joined the Dorset-based lender bringing more than 20 years’ director-level experience in the financial and technology industries.

He has held senior roles, as either CEO or CFO, at companies such as Portuguese bank Novo Banco, Masthaven Bank, FNZ Group, NatWest Group and Westpac New Zealand. He has also previously been the chairman of a joint venture between a major bank and a retailer.

Over his years in leadership roles, Bartlett has worked extensively with private equity-owned institutions in the banking, technology and wealth management industries.

Bartlett said: “I am excited to lead MSP Capital and look forward to working even more closely with the talented team to enhance our capability to deliver exceptional financing solutions for customers across the UK.”

His appointment will see him work closely with the long-standing leadership team of Adam Tovey, Lee Merrifield, Nicky Hollamby and Daniel Curtis, all of whom have played a fundamental role in driving MSP Capital’s success.

As part of the leadership transition, former joint managing director Martin Higgins is stepping back from his operational role at the business after 30 years of building and leading MSP Capital to the size and scale it is today.

Furthermore, Paul Miracca, also a former joint managing director, will move into a consultancy role, continuing to offer his expertise to the business.

Under Higgins’ leadership, MSP Capital underwent a significant transformation. The company shifted from being family-owned to privately-owned in 2011, a pivotal move facilitated by the collaboration of Martin, Paul and former director David Capra.

Subsequently, MSP Capital expanded its funding lines and entered a new phase as a private equity-backed entity with the addition of Cabot Square Capital as an equity partner and majority shareholder in 2018.

Richard McDougall, partner at Cabot Square Capital, said: “With his breadth of experience in financial strategy and leadership, Leigh will play a critical role as MSP Capital continues to strengthen its delivery of outstanding service and specialist funding solutions. His proven track record in driving financial success and process optimisation aligns perfectly with the firm’s goals for sustainable growth.

“We thank Martin and Paul for their hard work in contributing to MSP Capital’s success over many years as a specialist, non-regulated lender for the property sector. Both Martin and Paul remain shareholders, and back the remaining management team to lead the business forward to future successes.”

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Regional and City Airports (RCA), which operates Bournemouth Airport and Exeter Airport, has appointed Steve Lilley to the new role of commercial director.

Lilley has more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry, with a strong background in network planning, airline relations, commercial strategy, and aviation development. With an MSc in Air Transport from Cranfield University, his career includes roles with former British Airways’ low cost airline Go, easyJet and Flybe.

Since joining RCA in 2014 as aviation development director, Lilley has played a key role in driving passenger growth at Bournemouth, Exeter, and Norwich Airports, securing key airline partnerships and expanding the route network.

Recent highlights include attracting Jet2 to Bournemouth with 16 new routes launching this season; KLM to Exeter with the start of a new daily service to Amsterdam last month, and bringing Ryanair to Norwich Airport for the first time last year.

In his new role, he will join the executive team and take on responsibility for all commercial activity across RCA’s airports, including aviation development, car parking, terminal concessions, other non-aeronautical income streams, and marketing.

Andrew Bell, chief executive of RCA, said: “Steve’s deep industry knowledge and commercial expertise have been instrumental in RCA’s success. His appointment as Commercial Director is a natural next step, and I have no doubt he will continue to drive growth and innovation across our airports as we look forward to a busy summer ahead.”

Lilley added: “I’m delighted to take on this role at such an exciting time for RCA. With new airline partnerships and growing passenger numbers across our airports, we have a fantastic opportunity to expand our services and achieve even greater success. I look forward to working with the team, our airline partners, and stakeholders to drive our commercial strategy forward.”

RCA is currently investing some £60m in a major infrastructure expansion at Bournemouth Airport with the arrival of Jet2 and Jet2holidays this season with two aircraft, and a third planned next year.

Exeter Airport is celebrating its first ever KLM flights with a new daily service to Amsterdam launched on 31st March and a second TUI aircraft starting in May, with an extra 80,000 seats.

RCA is part of Rigby Group plc, a top 10 wholly-owned UK family business with a consolidated turnover of £3.7 billion and 9,000 employees.

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The new president of Bournemouth Chamber and Commerce has outlined plans for his term in office.

Nigel Hedges wants membership to reach 760 – the level it was at when he finished his last term in 2013. He also wants to create a Chamber Business Hub in the town for hot-desking and meetings.

He also plans a Business News TV project and to grow the ‘Next Gen Group’ of future leaders.

Hedges, who ran an engraving business in Bournemouth for 50 years and closed his shop just before Christmas, also wants to create specialist network groups.

He said: “I have already given 20 years to the Chamber and served as president from 2008 to 2013.

“I have gradually been getting back involved and having been voted in to lead this 109-year-old association I am determined to see it continue to develop.

“I want to continue the growth that happened under my predecessor Bill Perkins.

“Having closed my shop – although I still work as an engraver – I now have the time as well as the energy to meet members and advocate on their behalf.

“I want to grow the Next Gen Group, which is young and diverse, and ensure there is pathway for them to become president if they so wish.

“We will be creating more video content through a Business News TV project and I want to create a Chamber Business Hub.

“The membership continues to grow and we will be continuing with all the networking and other events and there will be more of them.

“We have a board of people with talent, enthusiasm and energy and with a real squeeze on business we will do everything we can to help them; from sole traders through to our biggest members.

“I was pleased that Jessica Toale MP was able to be at our AGM when I was voted in, and she expressed her support for the Chamber and its members.

“Despite the difficulties businesses are facing I am excited about the future and I want to build the number of affiliate members – other similar organisations – because by collaboration we can help each other.”

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R T Marke & Co. Chartered Accountants, part of Sumer Group, has announced the appointment of Terry Bridle as performance and business development manager, underscoring the firm’s ongoing strategy to enhance its service offerings for small to medium-sized enterprises across Devon and Cornwall.

Well known throughout the region, Bridle brings nearly 30 years of experience in accountancy, with a strong track record of advising family-owned businesses both locally in the South West and nationally.

Formerly an associate director at Haines Watts, he spent nearly 12 years with the firm overseeing general accounting operations, maintaining effective internal controls, and ensuring full compliance with statutory accounting requirements.

Neil Marke, R T Marke & Co. managing director, said: “Terry doesn’t just understand business, he understands business owners. That’s a key difference. His reputation in the region speaks for itself, and his appointment strengthens our ability to support clients with advice that’s both strategic and personal.”

Bridle added: “I’ve spent my career working closely with business owners across the South West, so I know just how important it is to have clear, practical advice you can use. That’s what I love doing, and I’m excited to bring that to R T Marke & Co. The firm has a great reputation for putting people first, and I’m looking forward to helping more local businesses move forward with confidence.”

The appointment follows R T Marke’s recent acquisitions of Exeter-based Kirk Hills, and Plymouth-based Condy Mathias, further solidifying its regional presence.

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Bristol digital marketing agency Noble has appointed Lucy Allen as general manager.

She will head the 13-strong team focusing on operations and performance, freeing up co-founder Kate Sikora to drive the digital marketing agency’s ambitious growth plans.

Her appointment follows a raft of new joiners for the business during the past few months. Joe Westley has been appointed new head of paid media, alongside Jade Parsons who joins as a senior SEO strategist.

Two new digital marketing services team members have also joined, with Ben Growcott, project manager and Anna Deardan, digital marketing executive, completing the new hires.

Sikora said “We are super excited to have Lucy join us as our new GM, she brings a vast amount of industry expertise with her and is already making waves. We are also delighted to welcome Joe, Jade, Ben and Anna to the team. We recently celebrated our sixth year in business, so it’s an exciting time to join us and be a part of the team that shapes our business as it continues to grow. We can’t wait to see how each and every team member will contribute.”

To accommodate its growing team, Noble has recently moved to new premises at the Generator Building in Finzel’s Reach. Notable South West clients include Bristol’s St Georges Concert Hall, Martha Jackson Jewelers and the County Tile Warehouse.