People: Corporate banking manager hired; Promotions at KPMG in Yorkshire; New chief executive named for housing association; and more

Handelsbanken York has appointed a new corporate banking manager in response to increasing demand for its local relationship banking services.

Ian Lynch joins the local relationship bank with over 20 years of banking experience. He will be involved in developing existing customer relationships as well as welcoming new customers to Handelsbanken’s bespoke approach to local banking.

He said: “I was attracted to Handelsbanken by its decentralised model and focus on local relationship banking, based on trust and delivering outstanding service to customers. As experienced local bankers we make the majority of banking decisions right here in the branch.”

The branch, established in 2010 and located at Clifton Park, has developed a reputation for traditional banking, financial strength and high standards within the local business and professional services community.

Chris Ibbotson, branch manager, added:  “I am very pleased to welcome Ian and his substantial experience to our team. His appointment means that we can continue to meet the growing needs of both existing and new customers in York whilst maintaining the high levels of service for which we are renowned.”

Originally from Sweden, Handelsbanken now has approximately 750 branches in 19 countries. In the UK, where it has established its wholly-owned UK subsidiary, the bank supports customers in over 200 communities across the country.

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KPMG has promoted Sue Richardson to partner and appointed six new directors in Yorkshire, as well as 65 further promotions throughout the business in the region.

Richardson is a deal advisory specialist who has progressed her career within KPMG for nearly 20 years, working on a part time basis for the last ten, which will continue.

She leads the firm’s 40-strong transaction services team in Yorkshire, working on deals across all sectors with a particular focus on privately owned retail, consumer and leisure businesses. Landmark transactions on which she has advised include the sales of Seabrook Crisps to Calbee and Youngs Seafood to Capvest.

Additionally, she is KPMG’s north head of retail, with a portfolio of clients that line Yorkshire’s high streets. She brings her experience and the firm’s global and national sector expertise to retailers and their supply chains across the region.

Richardson said: “I’m delighted to join the KPMG partnership, which has offered me such a fulfilling and varied career, working with best in class businesses in Yorkshire and beyond.

“It’s a rewarding time to be supporting clients in M&A as the uncertain economic climate means more assurance than ever is being sought over the opportunities and risks associated with their acquisition plans.

“Meanwhile, with my retail hat on, the changing face of the high street and the huge impact of technology on the retailing model and operations, makes for a fascinating, changeable and, yes, challenging environment in which to advise.”

The six new directors are: Adam Barton, in technology consulting, who focuses on developing technology enabled solutions for privately owned businesses; Mickey Crow, of KPMG Nunwood, who supports clients to grow profitably through delivering brilliant customer experiences; Lauren Dobson from the firm’s audit practice, providing support to audit engagement teams; Justine Gray who has the same role within the Financial Services practice; Nathan Potton and Jonathan Tate provide tax advice – Potton to entrepreneurs and shareholders and Tate to large corporates and inbound businesses, focusing on cross border issues.

Graham Pearce has also been promoted to partner at the firm. He is a corporate financier who leads KPMG’s tech sector M&A business and is known to many in Yorkshire, where he has spent the majority of his career to date and where he continues to live.

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Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association (LYHA) has appointed Mark Pearson as permanent chief executive, with immediate effect. The 1,500-home organisation, established in the 1950s, has homes throughout Yorkshire, including: Barnsley, Leeds, Scarborough, Settle and Whitby.

Pearson joined LYHA in December 2017 and was made interim chief executive in June 2018. Over the last 18 months he has overseen the transformation of the organisation and made significant improvements to all areas of operations, including health and safety and risk management, which has led to LYHA successfully regaining its G1 V1 status last month.

Mike Gaskell, chair of LYHA, said: “I know I speak on behalf of the Board and staff at LYHA in saying that we are all very happy to announce Mark as the new permanent chief executive.

“He has been pivotal in transforming the culture and operations at LYHA; prioritising engagement with customers and swiftly delivering service improvements throughout the business.

“We are proud of all he has achieved to date and confident he will lead the team so that we continue to build on these foundations to both deliver high quality services in close partnership with our customers and to provide more much needed social housing in our core areas of Leeds and Barnsley.

“Mark’s skills and experience together with his open, collaborative approach are exactly what are needed as we focus on those two future priorities. We wish him every success.”

Pearson added: “I am delighted to be appointed to this role on a permanent basis. This is an exciting time for LYHA as we look to build on the successes of the last few months. I am very fortunate to have the support of a dedicated team of staff, board members and engaged customers who work tremendously hard to provide a great service.

“I look forward to working together with them to continue our transformation journey, delivering outstanding services to our customers, and benefits for the communities we work in. I am especially looking forward to forging ever stronger relationships with our customers to ensure their views play a central part in shaping our future direction.”

He has over 20 years’ experience in the social housing sector, having previously worked for a number of housing associations across the north of England, most recently at Muir Group, in Chester, as assistant director of communities and customer service.

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Leeds-based IT support firm Systemwork has added to its growing team and hired a technical consultant to support the brand’s target of increasing turnover to £1m by 2020.

Kyle Cummings brings with him high-level expertise from leading UK businesses, including EMIS Healthcare and GCI. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the support and planning of customer hardware and infrastructure, in a corporate environment.

He has been appointed to strengthen the company’s infrastructure skill set, including Azure and AWS technologies. This will allow Systemwork to keep up with increased customer demand and uphold its five-star customer rating.

Systemwork’s founder, Jamie Durham, said: “We wanted an appointment that fit with our ethos of bringing professional IT services and products to the SME market, and I feel Kyle is the perfect fit. He was previously supporting large enterprises such as Centre Parks, Jet2 and Sunlife.

“We have also become the highest-rated provider in Leeds – receiving 60 five star reviews on Google which is twice as many as any other IT company in the area – and I believe Kyle will help us to keep up this status, and will support us with our next wave of business growth.

“I’m really excited to have him on board. He has already settled into his role perfectly, and has seamlessly integrated himself into the team – we’re all looking forward to seeing what unfolds in 2020 and beyond.”

Cummings added: “I’m delighted to be a part of this expanding team – I feel like I’ve joined at an exciting time in the brand’s journey. I’m looking forward to taking care of customers’ infrastructure, and seeing how each one varies.

“Personal and professional development is something really important to me, so I’m looking to enhance my knowledge, particularly in cloud computing.”

The news follows the firm’s 100% turnover uplift in 2018 and the launch of its new brand, Bigphish – a data security training software.

Systemwork provides a variety of services including managed IT support, VoIP, cloud, connectivity, data security, mobile device management and employee monitoring.