People: Crowe; Team ITG; Conference Aston
Audit, tax, advisory and risk firm Crowe has appointed Steve Maslin and Gary Kildare as its first Independent Non Executives.
A chartered accountant, Maslin has over 40 years experience in the profession and has held key audit and leadership roles during his time at Grant Thornton, prior to retiring in 2019.
During his tenure at Grant Thornton, Maslin was appointed chair of the Global Public Policy Committee (GPPC), which represents the six largest accounting networks in dialogue with stakeholders such as global institutional investors, banking authorities, the OECD and audit regulators.
Maslin also spent seven years as chair of the same firm’s Partner Oversight Board, which ensures the firm acts in the partnership’s interest and meets the public interest responsibilities expected of a leading accounting firm.
He also held a variety of leadership positions including office managing partner (first for London West and subsequently for the London Gatwick office) and national head of audit, running an audit portfolio of the firm’s highest profile audits, as well as significant not for profit bodies.
Today, Maslin holds two commercial non-executive positions on the board of Nuffield Health and Carey Group, and two charitable roles with The Royal Collection Trust and The Gurkha Museum.
Gary Kildare
Kildare spent over three decades with software and professional services organisation, the IBM Corporation. He is the former chief human resources officer for Europe and global head of Labour Relations and was a member of IBMs Senior Leadership Group appointed by the CEO to provide global leadership and stewardship across key strategic areas to accelerate growth.
Working at country, European and global level, Kildare undertook major transformation projects covering people and culture, M&A, divestitures, growth markets, business start-ups, restructuring, enterprise risk, and business control.
Kildare also sat on IBM’s UK Pension Board, as well as chairing the Diversity and Inclusion Council, Enterprise Risk Committee, the European Works Council, leading the Global Investigations function and chairing the Disciplinary Action Review Committee. His remits spanned from identifying and mitigating global business risks to managing employee and union risks and DEI.
Kildare holds a number of INE and governance roles and is experienced as an INE in a regulatory environment. He has a portfolio of non-executive director and board advisory roles in the public sector, education and for charities.
Nigel Bostock, chief executive of Crowe, said: “The role Independent Non Executives play in protecting the public interest, promoting the enhancement of audit quality and safeguarding the sustainability and resilience of both the audit practice and the firm, is vital. At Crowe, we understand the importance of this, alongside the need for accountability, challenge and continual improvement. We are therefore delighted to welcome Steve and Gary as our first Independent Non Executives. Their appointment comes at a moment of significant growth for the firm and both bring a wealth of experience, as well as new and fresh perspectives into governance and compliance.”
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Team ITG has appointed Natalie Somerville as global managing partner to drive the company’s international expansion through global partnerships.
Somerville will be tasked with growing the business overseas, overseeing new partnerships, major campaigns, and delivering Team ITG’s services across global markets.
Prior to her new role, Somerville held senior marketing and consulting positions across major retailers and brands such as Tesco, Camelot, B&Q, Sainsbury’s and Asda, where she led on campaign strategies and forming partnerships.
The news comes following the appointment of industry veteran William Eccleshare to the board alongside a dedicated M&A drive in the US market to support key brands including Haleon, Johnson & Johnson, McDonalds, Puma, Claire’s and L’Oréal.
Somerville said: “I am excited to take on this new role as Global Managing Partner at Team ITG, working with our unique model of technology and creative services that we have built over many years. The culture of innovation and incredible people within the company is what stands us apart and I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running to drive the global expansion strategy. Forming strategic partnerships with key players is a crucial part of business growth and Team ITG has an excellent track record of delivering in this area.”
Simon Ward, CEO for Inspired Thinking Group said: “Inspired Thinking Group is constantly looking for opportunities to expand our global presence, and we’re delighted that Natalie will be driving this forward as Global Managing Partner. Having worked within Team ITG for a number of years and with her previous experience managing marketing campaigns and partnerships with household names, this appointment bolsters our growth efforts as we continue to target new markets, partners and acquisitions across the globe. We already have a well-established global customer base, and look forward to Natalie playing a key role in expanding the reach of our technology and services over the coming years.”
Team ITG forms the creative consultancy engine of Inspired Thinking Group, founded in 2009 by CEO Simon Ward. The company is backed by mid-market investment firm, Bridgepoint, and has offices across Europe as well as in New York and Chicago with a total headcount of over 1,300 people.
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Kirpal Mehta has joined the ranks of Conference Aston, bringing more than two decades of experience in the hospitality industry.
Starting his career in 2002, he has worked for major brands and organisations throughout the Midlands including Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, Twycross Zoo and Tamworth Snowdome.
Mehta will serve as general manager responsible for overseeing catering and housekeeping services at the venue.
Samantha Brown, head of sales Conference Aston, said: “Kirpal is a real asset to the team and we are thrilled to welcome him to Conference Aston.
“He comes at an exciting time for Conference Aston, we have just had an incredibly strong year that was boosted by our work with the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and we want to continue with that.
“We look forward to working with him as we continue to push the venue forward as one of the top conferencing, events and hospitality sites in the Midlands.”
Mehta added: “Conference Aston is a fantastic venue that has a great reputation throughout the region and beyond, so I am excited to be a part of that and working with the team, who are absolutely committed and great to work with.
“Post-Covid there have been a lot of challenges within the hospitality industry, but as things are picking back up again. I look forward to helping to push the venue forward and see the venue continue its upward trajectory throughout 2023.”
