People: IoD Director General role for Yorkshire professional; KPMG recruits Senior Partner; New faces at civil engineering firm; and more

The Institute of Directors has announced the appointment of Jonathan Geldart as Director General.

He has spent 30 years working in the professional services sector, most recently at Grant Thornton International, where he served on the global board prior to becoming responsible for the organisation’s interests in China.

Earlier this year he appeared in front of the House of Commons International Trade Committee to give evidence on the Government’s efforts to increase trade with the country.

Geldart lives in Yorkshire and combines his international experience with a long-standing connection with the IoD’s Yorkshire and North East region of which he was Chairman until his appointment as Director General. He was also Chairman of the North Yorkshire branch.

As Director General he will be working closely with the Board and focused on delivering the Institute’s strategy of ‘closer to members’. Central to this is the empowerment of its UK branches to improve member experience and engagement, as well as making the IoD relevant to the next generation of Directors. He will start in the role on 1 October.

Charlotte Valeur, Chairman of the IoD, welcomed Geldart to the Institute. She said: “Jon impressed the board with his vision for the future of the IoD, and we believe he is the ideal person to refresh our offering to members.

“At this pivotal moment when the UK is trying to establish a new role on the global stage, Jon brings an international perspective combined with a deep understanding of the needs of directors. We are confident he will bring everyone together behind the goal of ensuring the IoD will be here, fulfilling its mission to support, develop and represent directors for another hundred years.”

Geldart said: “With current turmoil in both the political and business environments, I strongly believe it is even more important to equip directors of all organisations with the tools to be resilient and agile in their response to a fast-changing world.

“The Institute of Directors has a crucial role to play in this and I’m honoured to have been chosen to lead it at this time. Increasing value for today’s directors, whilst making the IoD relevant to the directors of the future, is the task at hand.

“I believe skilled, knowledgeable directors improve their organisations, the communities in which they operate, and consequently the whole economy.

“The UK needs more directors who understand and responsibly discharge both their legal and societal duties. These directors need a strong IoD to provide them with guidance, representation, and a community of like-minded peers. Better directors make for stronger businesses, which makes for a better society.”

Natalie Sykes, Regional Director, IoD Yorkshire and North East, said: “Through his inspirational leadership, Jon has quickly progressed through the IoD ranks, from committee member to North Yorkshire branch chair and, most recently, chair of our new super-region covering Yorkshire and the North East. His appointment is testament to the strength of our region.

“We will be shortly commencing the recruitment process for a new North Yorkshire branch chair. Jon will be a very hard act to follow.”

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Euan West will be the new Office Senior Partner in Leeds at business advisory firm KPMG, with effect from 1 November 2019.

He will work alongside Christine Hewson, the firm’s North Region Chairman, and the Yorkshire-based partner and director group who lead the 1,000-strong KPMG team in the region.

West returns to Leeds, where he previously worked for many years, following time spent in London and most recently Liverpool, where he has been the firm’s Office Senior Partner for the last two years.

Despite his time based in other regions, he has continued to lead KPMG’s relationships with a number of significant Yorkshire-based organisations, and is widely known within Yorkshire’s corporate community having held market facing roles for the firm since he joined it in 2002, becoming partner in 2011.

In addition to his leadership role in Yorkshire, he also sits on KPMG’s Investment Review Board and is a member of its wider Northern Leadership Team.

Commenting on his appointment, West said: “To rejoin KPMG in Leeds, where I cut my teeth in professional services and thoroughly enjoyed more than a decade with the firm earlier in my career, is an absolute delight. Despite a series of roles in other regions, Yorkshire has always remained my home.

“Not only will I join a hugely talented KPMG team, but I‘ll be working among a genuinely high calibre business and public sector community. Yorkshire’s economy is of a scale, and with necessary diversity, to play host to an exciting portfolio of organisations from significant blue chip businesses to younger fast growth companies, like those in the tech sector that we support at Nexus.

“In such an active market, I believe there’s the opportunity for professional services firms to make a significant impact with the advice we bring to clients as they pursue their growth ambitions.

“I’m really looking forward to making new contacts and re-establishing some old ones, as we seek to maximise they ways in which KPMG makes a positive contribution to the Yorkshire region.”

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Yorkshire-based Howard Civil Engineering has welcomed eight new employees, following a string of new contracts in the local area.

Gary Reed and Paul McGarry have accepted leading roles as Contract Managers, and Lee Wright and Oliver Downes have also joined the team as Site Managers.

Based in Howard Civil Engineering’s Leeds offices, Nick Pyle has assumed the role of Senior Quantity Surveyor and Emma Brier has taken the new position of Procurement Administrator.

The business has also demonstrated a strong commitment to investing in the youth of West Yorkshire in appointing two new apprentices. Brendan O’Hara has joined the team as a High-Level Apprentice Engineer and Niall Gaughan has accepted an apprentice role as Trainee Quantity Surveyor. In addition to recruiting fresh-faced apprentices, Howard Civil Engineering is also pleased to have offered permanent roles to existing apprentices Oliver Brown, Kian Hegarthy and Hayden Brook.

This is growth a result of the company winning multiple new contracts for clients such as Willmott Dixon and Caddick Construction across the Yorkshire region.

Managing Director Michael Howard said: “We are over the moon to welcome such skilled and enthusiastic employees into a variety of roles across the business. I am confident this worthwhile investment will not only ensure we continue to deliver quality products to our clients across the region, but will also complement our ambitious growth strategy which should hopefully see us surpass £30m turnover in the next financial year.”

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With the last 12 months seeing growing activity levels at the York and Stockton-on-Tees offices of insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor, the firm is further strengthening its team with the appointment of three senior insolvency managers.

Chris Cox, who joined Begbies Traynor ten years ago, has been promoted from Manager to Senior Insolvency Manager at the firm’s York office.

Another insolvency specialist, York-based colleague James Crawford, who has been with Begbies Traynor since 2008, has also been promoted to the role.

After four years with Begbies Traynor, Todd becomes a Senior Insolvency Manager at the office in Thornaby, Stockton. All three are specialists in corporate and personal insolvency, distressed advisor and business investigations.

In addition, the Teesside team sees Warren Seals promoted to Administrator and Stephanie Breckon becoming a Senior Administrator. In York, Jo Hudson also takes up the position of Senior Administrator.

David Broadbent, Partner for Begbies Traynor in York and Teesside, said: “Over the last four years, we have really focussed on building our presence across North Yorkshire and Teesside. During the last 12 months in particular, we’ve seen increased demand for our services with the York and Stockton offices averaging over 30 potential instructions each month.

“Our loyal teams in the two offices have played a vital part in this success and these promotions recognise their hard work and talent. It is vital that we retain and nurture our experienced team to ensure we maintain our high levels of service.”

Begbies Traynor currently has nine offices and employs around 100 staff in Yorkshire, the Humber and the North East. It offers a full range of professional services including corporate recovery, investigations and risk, forensic accounting advice, corporate finance, property, funding, debt collection and personal insolvency.