People: Bradford Estates; Ultimate Finance; Averta Employment Lawyers

Landed estates business Bradford Estates has strengthened its property arm with the appointment of an experienced director.

Chris Hodson has joined the business, which holds a principal asset of 12,000-acre land holding on the Shropshire- Staffordshire borders, as Property Director following the recent launch of a new investment drive.

In his role Hodson will draw upon his experience, which ranges from leading on property management for a major national infrastructure project to working as a regional director for leading property services specialist Savills, where he advised on residential, rural and commercial properties across the Midlands.

With a history dating from 1066, Bradford Estates use its main landholding for regenerative farming, sustainable forestry, leisure, local housing and commercial use.

Led by managing director Alexander Newport, Bradford Estates is looking to acquire multi-let industrial estates between £1m to £5m through its Bradford Industrial arm to further diversify its growth drive by expanding its portfolio by 50 per cent.

Hodson, who was most recently Head of Property Management at HS2 Ltd, will be working closely with Alexander on investment opportunities and driving the performance of the growing portfolio.

As well as overseeing the expansion of Bradford Industrial, he will develop the on-estate ‘Business Villages’ portfolio
which offers a diverse range of commercial properties to local businesses.

He said: “Joining Bradford Estates had a strong appeal because of the mixture of work involved in the management of the current portfolio and also the opportunity to work alongside the existing senior team to grow the Bradford
Industrial portfolio through the strategic acquisition of further industrial estates which offer ‘value add’ asset management opportunity.

“On the local estates, we have a mix of small to medium-sized occupiers with different needs which makes the role varied. My aim is to add further rigour in the approach to property asset management. There was a strong appeal in being able to work in the community where I live and I am enjoying being in a business which has such strong roots in the area. The energy of the senior leaders creates a fast-paced and dynamic environment to work in with sleeves rolled up and exciting times ahead.”

Alexander Newport said: “We are pleased to add Chris to our senior team to draw upon his experience as we deliver an exciting estate management strategy in keeping with our role as a historic land and property steward with a heritage going back nearly 1000 years. We are excited to have Chris join us as Property Director to oversee the portfolio and play a leading role on new acquisitions as part of our long-term plan to realise our ambitions.”

Specialist asset-based lender Ultimate Finance has strengthened its team in key areas of the business as it looks to continue its mission to support the ambitions of UK businesses with cash flow to keep their business moving.

Four new regional sales directors have been welcomed alongside a client relationship manager.

The new hires bring with them a huge amount of industry knowledge and experience and an impressive relationship-driven approach to service.

David Moran

The Southern and Midlands sales team sees the introduction of David Moran and Steve Armstrong.

Moran is well known in the asset-based lending world and brings with him an enviable track record.

Moran said: “I am thrilled to have joined the team and have been impressed by how innovative and dynamic they are. I am looking forward to contributing to the continued growth by using my network of advisors to provide asset-based
lending to SMEs across the South East.”

Steve Armstrong is based in the Midlands and with over 23 years of experience, he is responsible for expanding Ultimate Finance’s presence within the region.

He said “I’m excited to be joining Ultimate Finance at such a pivotal time in their growth. Having spent the last 5 years predominantly supporting businesses with mergers, acquisitions and growth transactions, I can utilise their tailored
funding solutions to give SMEs an even greater access to the liquidity they need.”

The Northern sales team sees the addition of Sean Thomson and Richard Leathley, both of whom have over 20 years of experience and held senior positions within their previous organisations.

Leathley said: “I have joined a fantastic business with a genuine one-team approach to delivering funding solutions. It has been clear to see very quickly that they are proactive, dynamic and have a real desire to help businesses achieve their financial goals.”

The firm has also expanded its relationship management team with the appointment of Gavin Mories who joins as a relationship manager looking after the growing number of Scottish clients.

Mories said: “I am delighted to join Ultimate Finance and be part of a team with a proven track record of delivering service excellence, evidenced by their Trustpilot score. I strongly believe that is what sets a lender apart. It’s already been a busy start to the year which has seen me out and about talking to my network and meeting new clients.”

Averta Employment Lawyers has announced that Martin Chitty has joined the firm as a senior consultant solicitor.

Martin Chitty

Chitty brings a depth of expertise gained over nearly four decades of practice in employment law.

Having begun his career at Pinsent & Co in Birmingham, he qualified in 1986 and went on to hold senior positions at Wragge & Co (later Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co and Gowling WLG), where he served as a partner for over 25 years.

Recognised as one of the most experienced and respected employment lawyers in the UK, Chitty is listed in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame and as a Senior Statesperson in employment law by Chambers UK.

He said: “I’m thrilled to start on this new phase of my career and join Averta Employment Lawyers. Averta’s focus on providing top-tier advice to senior executives and professionals aligns perfectly with my interests and expertise. I look forward to working with the team to help clients navigate their most challenging employment issues.”

Averta’s co-founder and director, Alan Jones said: “I know from being on the other side of cases, Martin’s unparalleled experience and deep understanding of employment law make him a perfect fit for Averta and our clients. We’re excited to have him on board to strengthen our offering to senior executives and businesses alike.”