People: New directors at KPMG; Museum appoints campaign director; Deputy District Judge joins circuit; New airport property manager; and more
Business advisory firm KPMG has named four new directors in Yorkshire as part of its latest round of senior promotions.
Luke Sheriff, Dr Irene Sellars, Karl Pountney and Oliver Stephenson – all based in KPMG’s Sovereign Square office in Leeds – have been promoted, boosting the firm’s advisory teams locally and across the UK.
Sheriff has been promoted as part of KPMG’s national tax practice, working with clients from large multinationals to small tech start-ups.
He specialises in innovation reliefs and incentives – predominantly R&D tax credits for innovative businesses.
Originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, Sellars has 14 years’ experience in technology risk and audit, and co-leads KPMG’s IT risk management team across its Leeds and Manchester offices.
Prior to joining KPMG in 2005, she received a three-year overseas research studentship (ORS) award from Newcastle University for her PhD in E-Business and Technology Management.
Pountney joined KPMG’s national financial services practice in 2008.
He specialises in providing audit and advisory services to retail banks, building societies and consumer finance companies. His experience also includes supporting clients with capital market transactions.
Stephenson has been promoted within KPMG’s national markets audit practice, having joined the firm in 2006.
He audits across a variety of sectors and businesses ranging in size from small owned managed to AIM listed.
He is part of KPMG’s private capital business development team, working with cross-sector specialists to support private equity-backed, family-owned and other fast-growth businesses.
Christine Hewson, KPMG’s new North Region Chair, said: “We pride ourselves on attracting and retaining the best talent, to bring value to our clients in Yorkshire and beyond.
“Collectively, these promotions highlight the development opportunities available to everyone at KPMG.
“It’s wonderful to work alongside such ambitious and knowledgeable colleagues who embody the dynamic and entrepreneurial spirit our clients demand.
“Our drive is to enable businesses to unlock growth and build on the pillars set out in the UK’s industrial strategy.
“Having this depth of talent and expertise will bolster our ability to help businesses large and small navigate the challenges and opportunities they face both strategically and day-to-day.”
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The National Railway Museum in York has appointed Julie Moody as Campaign Director to lead the museum’s £50m ‘Vision 2025’ fundraising campaign.
In her newly-created role, Moody will be responsible for overseeing a six-strong team as they deliver the museum’s most significant redevelopment since opening in 1975.
She will develop relationships with existing and potential supporters and will secure funding for the Vision 2025 masterplan, which is expected to come from a range of sources, including land sale, corporate donors and the public.
A former company director with more than 25 years’ experience, Moody has held senior business development and fundraising positions in the charitable, cultural and private sectors.
She joins the museum from Leeds Cares, formerly known as the Leeds Hospital Charity Foundation, where she was Director of Communications & Income Generation.
Prior to that, she held a number of senior roles, including Regional Major Gifts Manager at Marie Curie Cancer Care and Business Development & Events Coordinator for a renowned fine art auction house.
Moody was also co-founder of estate agent business Hudson Moody and has extensive political experience, having worked on numerous campaigns for the Conservative Party.
Originally from County Durham and now living in York, Moody said she has fond memories of coming to the museum as a child and was a regular visitor with her three children.
She added: “The National Railway Museum is poised to embark on a transformational, £50m masterplan and it is a tremendous opportunity to join at such a crucial moment.
“Having visited many times with my own family, I know first-hand how important educational and cultural centres such as the NRM are to York and the wider region.
“But this also represents a significant challenge, as this former railway site needs a complete overhaul and we must invest in our future if we want to have museums that rival the best in the world.”
She will join the National Railway Museum’s senior management team and will report to Director Judith McNicol.
The museum’s Vision 2025 campaign will see extensive redevelopment of the attraction’s galleries, buildings and public spaces, with work due to be complete by 2025.
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Andrew Mawdsley, a Senior Associate at Yorkshire law firm Berwins, has been appointed as a Deputy District Judge in the North Eastern Circuit.
Sitting in the North and West Yorkshire Cluster of Courts, including those such as Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield, Mawdsley will combine his judicial duties with those of head of Berwins’ Dispute Resolution team.
Deputy District Judges are appointed by the Lord Chief Justice.
The appointment will see Mawdsley sit in county courts and in civil and family law cases, from claims for damages to insolvency matters and proceedings involving property.
“I’m honoured to have received this prestigious appointment and am looking forward to embracing this new and challenging role,” he said.
“As a litigation specialist, spending time in court is not unusual for me and my team and I believe my experience in supporting clients to assert their rights will be a significant benefit in my role as a Deputy District Judge.”
Berwins’ Managing Director, Sarah Smith, added: “We’re proud that Andrew has been selected for this important role in our country’s legal system.
“The appointment process is a rigorous and highly competitive one and it is a testament to Andrew’s talents as a solicitor that he has joined the select few who receive the Lord Chief Justice’s appointment.”
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Doncaster Sheffield Airport has taken on Liz Askam as property manager responsible for the asset management of the airport’s tenant property portfolio.
She will play an important role in promoting development opportunities on the airport’s immediate site, a key part of the airport’s 20-year Masterplan.
Askam joins the team from Harworth Group where she worked as asset manager in the Business Space Division, dealing with property management across the north of England and the Midlands.
She was involved in several major developments for the Sheffield City Region, such as Gateway 36 and the Advanced Manufacturing Park.
Mike Cotterill, Finance Director at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “Liz joins our property portfolio development team at an exciting time for the airport.
“Her expertise in managing complex portfolios with multiple stakeholders will serve us well as we seek to fully deliver 1.5m sq ft airside space, of a total 5.5m sq ft on site which Liz will focus on.”
The airport’s Masterplan published in 2018, details the future development of the current site and projected growth, including a forecast of 4.7 million passengers and 70,000 tonnes of cargo per year, over the next 20 years.
Following her appointment, Askam, said: “I’m delighted to be joining the team at Doncaster Sheffield Airport working on delivering the Airport’s Masterplan.
“The site has already shown what an excellent and easily accessible location it is for new businesses and our current tenants, with over 100 companies across the site, supporting 1,000 jobs.
“Our Masterplan allows us to explore a range of development opportunities alongside a fast-growing airport for passengers, cargo and general aviation. Few places in the UK are capable of this, which is really exciting.”
Askam studied Planning and Property Development at Nottingham Trent University, where she spent a placement year in the Estate Department of Derbyshire County Council, before gaining a First-Class Honours degree in Planning and Property Development.
She joined JLL, Leeds as a graduate surveyor, in September 2011, working in valuation, rating and property management and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor (MRICS) in 2013.
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Growth Partner, the Yorkshire-based investment firm of HomeServe founder Richard Harpin, has appointed Alex Marsh as part of its plan to scale-up and support more talented entrepreneurs.
Growth Partner has already backed several high-profile entrepreneurs to help them expand their business.
They include new Dragon’s Den star Sara Davies whose North East based business Crafters’ Companion is flourishing in the US market, and Victoria Robertshaw whose North Yorkshire-based Keelham Farm Shop is rolling out stores across the county.
Marsh has been recruited as investment director, with a remit of connecting with exceptional entrepreneurs running consumer-focused businesses for Growth Partner to invest in and support.
He is a chartered accountant with over 10 years’ experience working in finance, M&A advisory and investment.
He has a track record of leading successful equity investments into high growth North East based businesses, following an earlier career advising management teams in PwC’s Corporate Finance team in Newcastle.
Growth Partner managing partner Gerard Downes said: “Alex’s experience will allow us to extend our reach, discover, invest in and develop more promising entrepreneurs, enabling Richard Harpin to inspire and bring on new British talent.”
Marsh said: “Growth Partner’s supportive, flexible and sector focused approach is unique in the investment landscape and has the backing of one of the UK’s most prominent and successful entrepreneurs in Richard Harpin.
“Growth Partner understands the entrepreneurial journey, and focuses on offering targeted support, to accelerate growth and build value through shared learnings and introductions.
“I will be focusing on building a larger pipeline of investments, close relationships with entrepreneurs and providing the support that will help those businesses to scale.
“I’m delighted to be joining Gerard at Growth Partner, as it looks to build its reputation as a leading supporter of UK entrepreneurs.”
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York property and development company S Harrison has appointed Alex Musgrave as development delivery manager.
Musgrave will work within S Harrison’s established team delivering developments across the company’s portfolio, which includes major residential, hotel, student accommodation and retail projects across Yorkshire and in Edinburgh.
He is also gaining facilities management experience, liaising with contractors that provide maintenance services across the commercial and residential developments that S Harrison owns and manages.
He has worked in the construction industry for more than seven years after initially completing a law degree and postgraduate diploma in legal practice (LPC), before studying for a postgraduate in construction project management at Northumbria University.
He then worked as a recruiter in the construction and civil engineering industries, before joining Miller Construction’s graduate recruitment scheme.
Since then he has been employed in site management roles at Galliford Try, Linden Homes and Newett Homes.
Musgrave said: “Joining S Harrison is an opportunity to work within a highly experienced team, with a strong track record for delivering high quality developments across all sectors.
“A particularly appealing aspect is the prospect of working on all facets of a development’s life cycle, from the feasibility, planning and tendering phases, right through to the construction process, then providing ongoing management company obligations.”
Ann Scott, Managing Director at S Harrison, said: “We’re enjoying sustained and impressive growth and have a strong development pipeline.
“This includes a number of large-scale city centre residential, hotel and student accommodation schemes in the likes of Leeds, Manchester and Edinburgh.
“Alex brings plenty of relevant experience to the role and his appointment will further strengthen our team at a very exciting time for the company.”
Current developments S Harrison is working on include a new Lidl store in York and the company is converting Buchan House on St Andrew Square in Edinburgh’s New Town into a 72-bedroom Malmaison hotel with bar and brasserie.
The business is working with Thirteen Group company Tees Valley Housing to deliver 190 new homes for sale or rent at Whitby.
The company has recently submitted planning applications for 322 private rented sector homes, a gym, café and commercial space just off East Street in Leeds city centre, as well as two student accommodation schemes in West Edinburgh with a combined total of 663 beds.
