People: KPMG; CPP Group; Northcoders; and more

Business advisory firm KPMG has strengthened its offering to privately-owned businesses with the appointment of a Yorkshire-based partner to lead its Global Tax and Legal Private Enterprise business.

Hull-born Mike Linter has been a partner with KPMG for 20 years, supporting businesses in the region with their expansion plans, both at home and abroad.

In his new role, he will develop KPMG Private Enterprise’s global tax and legal strategy, exploring tax strategies and solutions that can be tailored for privately-owned companies.

Linter has a particular interest in the corporate strategies adopted by entrepreneurial businesses and will work with KPMG’s Private Enterprise teams internationally to share best practice for the benefit of clients across the globe.

He highlighted the key role of fast-growth businesses in engineering economic recovery in the wake of Covid-19, in which tax will play a central role.

He added: “It is essential that Private Enterprise businesses have a voice in the debate around how private businesses can grow, given how critical this will be in driving economic growth in towns and cities across the Yorkshire region and the UK more widely.

“Supporting entrepreneurs and fast-growth businesses is the backbone of KPMG and part of our heritage.

“Seeing firms achieve their growth ambitions is an exciting privilege.

“A key part of my new role is collaborating with my international tax team, understanding what is working internationally and across our key trade corridors, to help businesses here in implementing their growth strategies.

“These insights will underpin the advice our multidiscipline teams offer to firms navigating complex tax landscapes to deliver efficiency and value, ultimately supporting their expansion ambitions.”

:::

CPP Group, a Leeds-based international products and services business, has confirmed its chairman, Sir Richard Lapthorne, intends to retire with effect from 31 January 2021.

He has been chairman of CPP Group since May 2016, during a period of significant change.

He will be succeeded as chairman by existing non-executive director, David Morrison, who brings more than 35 years’ experience of active engagement in both private and public companies.

Jason Walsh, CPP Group’s chief executive, said: “When Sir Richard was appointed as Chairman, CPP Group was facing a collapse in the renewability of its UK back book with no sight of a sustainable ongoing business to replace it, and a continued focus on historical issues.

“Without the full support of the Board under Sir Richard’s leadership the positive progress we have made would not have been possible.

“He leaves the business in a much stronger position than it was in when he first joined, and I wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Lapthorne added: “For me personally, CPP has been an interesting and enjoyable experience and I would like to thank my Board colleagues and, indeed all our colleagues around the world, for their extraordinary efforts in the development of the company since 2016.

“I am proud of the progress that the Group has made in that time and, having assisted in bringing the Group to the position it is in today, this is a good moment for me to choose to retire and step down from the Board.

“I am happy that, in David, CPP Group has a successor who will provide the Board with new insights as the company moves into a phase where it continues its growth and, in addition, delivers tangible rewards to its shareholders.”

:::

Coding school business Northcoders has added to its marketing team with two new appointments.

Karen Burns is the company’s new growth and relationship manager, whilst Beatrix Matyas becomes its new community growth manager.

Burns joins Northcoders from Leeds-based technology consultancy firm BJSS where she was the company-wide events manager.

She has 20 years’ experience across employer branding, talent attraction, marketing, events, and community building. She has also been an active member of the Leeds Digital Festival steering panel.

Her new role will see her working closely with the commercial and B2C marketing teams to raise the company’s profile in the business, tech, and consumer markets through activities including events, podcasts and digi bytes.

Matyas’s focus will be growing and nurturing Northcoders’ community of learners, using everything from social media to email marketing, and events.

She has worked in content marketing for around four years and joins from Digital Next. Prior to that she worked at theEword.

Burns said: “I have known Northcoders for a long time and have always admired its culture and values.

“It is genuinely a people-first organisation with community at its heart so I’m looking forward to adding value and amplifying its voice to our business, tech, consumer and alumni audiences.”

Ruth Ng, head of sales and marketing, said: “Both Karen and Beatrix bring with them some fantastic experience and I couldn’t be more excited to have them on board.

“As a business, Northcoders has adapted and evolved since the COVID pandemic hit, and we are now well placed to grow once again 2021.

“Their arrivals will help us build a strong, connected and diverse community of technologists across the country.”

:::

Andrew TC Smith

Commercial real estates services firm, Cushman & Wakefield, has announced 80 promotions across a range of markets, skill lines and functions based within the UK.

Five promotions have been made at the company’s Leeds office, based at St Paul’s House.

Andrew TC Smith, head of the firm’s Public Sector Advisory (PSA) team, has been promoted to international partner and Matthew Cliff, also part of the PSA team has been promoted to partner.

Jenna Hull who is part of the Development team and Liz Millard in the Asset Services team have both been promoted to senior consultant/surveyor-level while Catherine Warner (Asset Services) has been promoted to senior customer satisfaction analyst.

Matthew Cliff

Keith Hardman, head of Cushman & Wakefield’s Leeds office, said: “These promotions recognise the positive impact that these individuals have made to both our business and our clients during an unprecedented year for our industry.

“I am immensely proud of the tenacity and hard work they’ve demonstrated and heartily congratulate them all as they take the next exciting step in their career.”