People: JLR, Clarke Willmott, Flint Bishop, Liquidity Club, GeoSmart

Jaguar Land Rover has announced the appointment of a new Executive Director of Product Engineering.

Thomas Müller begins his role immediately, taking responsibility for the technical development of all new Jaguar and Land Rovers, including both hardware and software. His expertise in technology, leadership and digital capabilities will bring significant benefits to the efficient delivery of the next generation of modern luxury vehicles.

With more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, Müller has an extensive background in different roles in research and development, with a focus on chassis, ADAS and autonomous driving. He joins Jaguar Land Rover from the Volkswagen Group, where he held a variety of engineering leadership positions at Audi. Most recently, Thomas was Executive Vice President for Research and Development ADAS and Autonomous Driving at Volkswagen Group’s automotive software subsidiary, CARIAD.

Müller said: “I am thrilled to join the Jaguar Land Rover team at a pivotal point in the company’s transformation. We have a truly exciting opportunity.

“By fully implementing agile principles, automating engineering processes and applying innovative product development methods, we will bring to life a new generation of electrified Jaguar and Land Rover models that embody our modern luxury philosophy.”

National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has expanded its planning and environment team with the appointment of a new partner.

Marianne Barker

Marianne Barker joins Clarke Willmott with over 20 years experience of contentious and non-contentious planning law and is the latest recruit to the firm’s growing specialist team.

Advising on all aspects of planning law including permitted development rights, CIL, green-built release and heritage, Barket will be based in the firm’s London office working across the wider national team which also operates from Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton and Taunton.

Neil Baker, head of Clarke Willmott’s planning and environment team, said: “Marianne’s expertise includes providing strategic and long-term planning input for town centre regeneration schemes and negotiating complex infrastructure agreements to deliver major planning consents.

“With a reputation as a solution-focused practitioner, she also has a sound understanding of the political framework in London, which plays a key role in decision making”.

Law firm Flint Bishop has announced the appointment of Joel Nixon as corporate finance partner at its Birmingham office.

Joel Nixon

Joining from Browne Jacobson, Nixon has a wealth of experience advising clients in the private, third and public sector across a variety of transactions including mergers, acquisitions, disposals, reorganisations, and joint ventures, as well as commercial contracting and projects.

He has a notable specialism in the health and social care sector.

Nixon is the eighth partner appointment Flint Bishop has made in the Midlands over the last 12 months and the third lateral hire into the corporate finance team that has been put in place.

Martyn Brierley, head of corporate finance at Flint Bishop said: “With a strong reputation as an experienced corporate lawyer in the West Midlands, Joel will be instrumental in establishing and growing our mergers and acquisitions capability from the Birmingham office and further developing our commercial presence in the Midlands.”

Kirsty Gallagher has joined Liquidity Club as Head of Partnerships in a brand-new role that has been established to enable the business to maximise its relationships and drive its growth strategy.

Kirsty Gallagher

Liquidity Club is a specialist business finance and debt advisory brokerage, sourcing financial solutions for SMEs, specialising in invoice financing, asset-based lending, asset finance, trade finance, foreign exchange and business loans.

Gallagher’s role as Head of Partnerships will enable her to nurture client relationships and facilitate growth opportunities for the team through building on and developing relationships with intermediaries and professionals.

Gallagher has spent more than 20 years in professional services including at RSM, Freeths, Forresters, Browne Jacobson, HBJ Gateley Wareing and Shoosmiths.

She said, “I like nothing more than creating business relationships, building trust, and having meaningful conversations. Connecting the dots and understanding how I can help business growth is where I thrive”.

GeoSmart Information, the environmental consultancy, has expanded its team by appointing a new director and four staff members.

Paul Drury joins the business, a specialist in producing proprietary flood data, as director of product development.

Rosamund Whitehurst, Connor MacNeil, Paul Drury, Paul Ellis, Rebecca Conway, Jack Croft

He has more than 20 years experience of managing data capture projects and report development, as well as producing flooding and climate change insights.

Drury will support innovation and product development, including the modelling of new environmental datasets and services. He will steer the team of environmental and geographic information systems (GIS) modellers to design and complete new products and will manage research and development projects.

Dr Paul Ellis the firm’s managing director said the appointment was in response to increased demand across a raft of its services, including contaminated land reports, sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), and flood risk analysis.

“Business is growing rapidly, which has necessitated the expansion of the team and I’m pleased to have brought in Paul, who has an exceptional professional background and will play a key role as we develop new products for the insurance, land development and property sectors,” he said.

His appointment comes just weeks after Phillip Martin was announced as the managing director of new division GeoSmart Risk.

The business has also added four new members to the team. Rebecca Conway and Jack Croft join as environmental consultants, while Connor MacNeil has been appointed as graduate drainage engineer. Rosamund Whitehurst has also joined as sales administrator, working with the sales team.