People: Skipton Building Society; Mercia Asset Management; Blacks Solicitors; and more

Skipton Building Society is continuing to expand and strengthen its Business Development Team with the appointment of a new intermediary lead.

Jenny Goodall has been promoted to the new role from leading the Skipton Direct Mortgage Advice Team to underline Skipton’s determination to increase support to brokers and help fulfil its goal to become a top 10 lender.

Goodall, who started her new role on 6 September, has been with Skipton for eight years leading teams in broker support, direct lending and mortgage advice areas. She also worked on the pilot of Skipton’s telephone BDM team when it was first launched.

She said: “I am delighted to take the new role and am excited to lead the telephone BDM team into a new chapter, working collaboratively with our networks and intermediaries to deepen our relationships and build more business together.

“Working for an organisation that values its culture and purpose as much as Skipton does is important to me.

“I am passionate in my belief that we do the right thing for our brokers, customers and colleagues and are all working to the same goal of helping more people to own their own homes.”

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Mercia Asset Management, which invests in regional SMEs, has appointed Victoria Robson to help expand its non-executive director (NED) network.

As part of Mercia’s Portfolio Resourcing team, Victoria will help to recruit NEDs and other board members for the Group’s 400-plus portfolio companies.

She will also be helping to expand Mercia’s talent pool of external directors and contacts.

Robson, who joins from investment firm BGF, has 20 years’ experience in recruitment and talent management, having started her career with DirectorBank.

She will be based at Mercia’s Leeds office and will provide support for Mercia-backed businesses throughout the UK.

She said: “Having the right NED can make a big difference to a company’s prospects. Entrepreneurs may be experts in their field but often lack experience of leading a fast-growing business.

“A NED can bring a wealth of knowledge and contacts and ensure they have the right structure in place to scale effectively.

“Mercia has one of the largest number of portfolio companies of any investor. I look forward to supporting their growth journey.”

The portfolio resourcing service was launched in 2019 and provides Mercia-backed businesses with access to a wide community of business leaders and sector experts.

Recent introductions include medtech industry heavyweight Keith Valentine as chair of Locate Bio and former Vodafone HR boss Jeremy Tipper as chair of employee engagement platform WorkBuzz.

The service is led by Lisa Ward, who said: “Victoria’s extensive experience in executive search makes her an excellent addition to the team.

“Since its launch two years ago, the service has added real value to our portfolio companies by helping them build diverse, balanced and effective boards.

“Victoria’s arrival will enable us to expand the support we offer and continue to build our network.”

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Blacks Solicitors has invested in its Commercial Property team with the appointment of Andrew Pedley as partner.

He brings over 20 years’ experience in Commercial Property to the team at Blacks, having previously practised in West Yorkshire and the North West.

He has worked with developers at a regional and national level, as well as investors and land owners on all aspects of their portfolios, and extensively with public sector organisations.

Pedley will work with the 24-strong Commercial Property team on all matters, including residential and commercial developments, and will provide advice on areas including development, investment, landlord & tenant, and finance.

He said: “It’s a dynamic time for the Commercial Property sector, with significant developments evolving across the UK.

“I’m looking forward to working with the team at Blacks to support our existing clients, and build new relationships to contribute to the ongoing expansion of our Commercial Property offering.”

His appointment comes as a key part of the team’s strategy to deliver excellent service to clients, and to meet growing demand thanks to an increase in residential development clients.

Nick Dyson, head of Commercial Property, added: “It’s great to welcome Andrew and his significant experience to the growing  team.

“Not only does this reaffirm our commitment to the sector and our clients, but his appointment will support our strategic drive to offer expert advice to regional property investors and developers.”

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Software application support management expert, Claire Booth, has joined Sheffield-based rail technology consultancy 3Squared in the role of head of client support.

This is part of the company’s wider strategy to build on the success of its client support department.

With 14 years’ experience in customer support management and 24 years in software support, Booth joins 3Squared from Proactis, where she was head of customer support for nearly a decade.

She is passionate about the world of technology and innovation, and the transformative power it holds to streamline operations and develop new ways of working.

At 3Squared, she will be managing a team of four and will focus on all elements of customer support and service; from technical investigations to deployment of new technologies across the support operations, to making changes to client reporting and creating an open forum for clients to engage and provide feedback.

Since its inception in 2002, the consultancy has scaled its work both in the UK and internationally, to deliver innovative technological solutions for its customers and become specialists in the development of mobile and web apps for major clients across the construction, rail, and manufacturing sectors.

Booth said: “I am excited to join 3Squared at a landmark point in their journey. I feel like I am already at home and can’t wait to work alongside and collaborate with some of the greatest minds in the UK rail technology space.

“Customer support and service is the backbone of any client facing operation and I look forward to working with our talented team, to take the department to the next stage and continue to provide our customers with a gold standard, market leading service.”

James Fox, commercial director and co-founder at 3Squared, said: “We are honoured to have Claire on board to drive forward and evolve our client support department.

“With her vast experience and warm personality, she is a real fit for the business, and we look forward to seeing how she will drive the function forward in new and innovative ways.”

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