People: Principle Estate Management; HCC; Metro

Principle Estate Management has added two senior property directors to its team, bringing almost two decades of combined experience in the sector.

Polly Dyer, joining as property director, previously served as the regional head of property management at the HML Group, overseeing multiple offices.

Before her role at HML, she worked with the Residential Management Group and Gem Estate Management.

Andrew Davis, the new associate director, comes from Centrick, where he served as operations manager.

With a background at the Residential Management Group, he worked his way up from property manager to regional manager during his seven-year tenure.

Stephanie Jobson, operations director at Principle, said: “We are delighted to welcome both Polly and Andy to our team after they both impressed us at the interview. The property director position was a role we had in our long-term business plans that we knew we needed in the business.

“We decided to recruit now to prepare us for our future growth, as we have an excellent pipeline of property sites about to join our growing portfolio. This also enabled us to look at some other structural changes to strengthen our team and service offerings, with the addition of an associate director.

“Polly’s valuable experience includes successfully managing various teams’ performance across multiple offices within the HML Group. Andy’s experience includes overseeing and supporting the significant growth of sites under management at Centrick, and finding extra team members needed to manage that expansion. They will provide excellent additional support for Principle at a time when it is most needed in the profession with all the changes, including extra obligations on clients and managing agents.”

Serious injury law firm HCC has expanded its Birmingham team by welcoming solicitor Mark Copley.

Joining as a senior associate, Copley brings extensive expertise in handling complex and catastrophic injury cases, including life-changing brain injuries, spinal injuries, amputations, and cases involving children and other protected parties.

With a qualification as a solicitor in 2009, he has supported clients with catastrophic injuries, securing financial compensation and rehabilitation packages ranging from £1m to approximately £15m.

He has also served on the board of directors for the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Headway Cambridgeshire, and he is actively involved in various legal associations, earning recognition in both the Legal 500 and Chambers.

Joe Speed, partner at HCC in Birmingham, said: “We are delighted to bring Mark on board to our practice in Birmingham. Having worked with Mark previously and having known him for many years, he is exactly the kind of professional who I know will support our clients who have sustained life-changing injuries as well as their families.”

Sophie Allison has assumed the role of managing director at Midland Metro Limited (MML) after serving in the interim position for the past two years.

Sophie Allison

Boasting over two decades of experience in the transportation sector, Sophie has guided the tram operator through a substantial period of transformation, overseeing the expansion of the network, including the launch of two extensions, and the expansion of the fleet.

Anne Shaw, executive director of Transport for West Midlands, said: “I am pleased to extend my congratulations to Sophie on this well-deserved appointment. Her contributions during her time as interim managing director have been outstanding, and we look forward to following her continued success now the role has been made permanent.”

“The appointment has been made at a crucial point as the Metro system looks forward to further growth with the ongoing construction of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill and Birmingham City Centre Eastside extensions, alongside the redevelopment of the West Midlands tram depot.”