People: Morrish Solicitors; Pace; Vanquis Banking Group; and more
Morrish Solicitors has welcomed new members to its employment rights and IT teams at its Leeds head office.
Asifa Rehman has worked in-house for Network Rail and Sainsburys PLC advising on employment and HR matters.
She joined Morrish Solicitors in March 2023 as an employment solicitor working within the Employment Rights team.
She completed her undergraduate degree in Law in 2005 and postgraduate studies at The College of Law in Birmingham, a year later. From there she went on to train at a national firm before qualifying in 2011 and remained there as an employment solicitor.
During her career Rehman has specialised in employment law cases, including assisting in securing a large settlement against a FTSE 500 company for race and sex discrimination.
Jamie Jaskolka graduated from Coventry University in 2021. He has worked as a court usher in York while volunteering as witness support at the Leeds Magistrates Court. Prior to joining Morrish, he worked as a legal assistant in wills & probate at Oakwood Solicitors.
Rehman and Jaskolka join head of department Daniel Kindell in Morrish’s growing employment team, which works with 30 trade union and associations as well as private clients nationally.
Rehman said: “I have been afforded a wonderfully warm welcome by the whole team and I am very much looking forward to continuing my career here by delivering excellent advice to our private and trade union clients alike.”
Jaskolka added: “Morrish Solicitors provides excellent services with a great environment and I am excited to have this opportunity to start my legal career with an exceptional firm.”
Also joining the firm is Jamie Wallace, who takes over as IT manager. Wallace worked at BW Legal since 2016, where he was IT operations manager.
He said: “It’s a privilege to join such a reputable firm and I’m excited to help the business continue their fantastic service to all clients.”
David Sorensen, managing partner, said: “Asifa and Jamie will be invaluable to the firm as we continue to grow and develop our work, including new relationships with unions and associations around the country, and delivering exceptional service to our clients.
“We are also very pleased to be welcoming Jamie Wallace as our new IT manager. As a firm we are proud of our strong track record in cyber security, our eagerness to adopt new technologies, and giving our teams the tools to provide the best service possible.”
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Creative communications agency, Pace, has appointed a new creative director and introduced the role of art director as it strengthens its leadership team.
As part of its continued growth plans the Hull-based company has welcomed Calvin Innes as creative director and Jon Butterworth has moved into the role of art director.
Innes said: “My career has been shaped by looking for opportunities to work with ambitious teams who want to push the limits of creativity.
“Pace is an agency that has really impressed me with their growth over the last few years, and their plans for the future align perfectly with my own. They’re talented, and hungry, and that’s really exciting.
“I’m looking forward to bringing my blend of experience, creative vision and strategic insight to the table, pushing boundaries and delivering exceptional results for our clients, while helping to drive the overall creative vision of the agency.”
He has more than 20 years’ experience in the design and marketing industries working with brands including Sony, Adidas, Nestle, Team GB and JCB.
In 2013 he established digital marketing agency DA Creative Studio in Hull which won several awards for work with high-profile clients.
His solo work has also picked up several awards, the most recent being the Drum Chip Shop Award in 2022 for his out of home concept for THINK! Road Safety.
Anita Pace, MD, said: “Calvin has a great reputation for creating high impact, memorable campaigns that really connect with people.
“I’m happy to welcome him to Team Pace. Together with Jon, we have a formidable creative pairing and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
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The Board of Bradford-based Vanquis Banking Group has appointed Sir Peter Estlin as a non-executive director of the company.
He will become a member of the Nomination, Audit and Remuneration Committees.
Patrick Snowball, chairman, said: “I am pleased to welcome Peter to the Board of Vanquis Banking Group and look forward to working with him.
“Peter has significant experience across banking, finance and digital innovation and his experience will be highly relevant as we continue the development of the organisation as a specialist banking group.”
Estlin has had a 30-year career in banking and finance and was knighted in 2020 for his services to International Business, Skills and Inclusion.
He qualified as an accountant with Coopers & Lybrand, where he later became a partner, before joining Citigroup where he held the role of CFO for the Asia Pacific and, latterly, the Global Corporate & Investment Bank businesses.
From 2008 onwards, he held senior roles at Barclays plc including group financial controller, CFO of the retail & business banking division and acting group CFO.
In 2013, he stood for election as an Alderman for the City of London, a role he still holds today, serving on the Digital Services, Finance and Education Committees.
In 2016, he was elected Sheriff of the City and as Lord Mayor in 2018. Since 2019, he has pursued a plural career as a non-executive director.
He is currently an independent member of the Supervisory Board of Rothschild & Co and a non executive director of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.
Estlin said: “It was Vanquis Banking Group’s successful repositioning as a specialist banking group and its strong sense of social purpose that really attracted me to the role.
“I am hopeful that my experience across banking, finance and digital innovation will enable the group to continue its repositioning and digital expansion efforts.”
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A new deputy chief executive has been appointed at The Sheffield College.
Andrew Hartley has held several senior posts since joining the college seven years ago.
He said “Supporting young people and adults to acquire the skills and knowledge to help them achieve their aspirations and make a positive contribution to society is at the heart of everything we do.
“We are also committed to ensuring that the college is well positioned to provide high quality education and technical training to our students, employers and the communities we serve.”
His previous roles at the college include being business development director and commercial director.
His responsibilities have covered business development, employer engagement and partnerships including apprenticeships delivery, and marketing and communications.
Recently, his remit has expanded to include commercial services, estate and facilities, and health and safety.
In addition to being deputy chief executive, he will continue as executive director of commercial and operations.
Prior to joining the college in August 2016, he worked for a private training provider and before that he was based at the University of Derby for 10 years, leading its commercial and work based learning activity.
Angela Foulkes, chief executive and principal at The Sheffield College, said: “We are committed to becoming leaders in technical and academic education and delivering exceptional opportunities to the communities we serve.
“As we strive to achieve our vision, Andrew has significantly strengthened our employer responsiveness and profile in the city at a pivotal time when there is growing recognition of the need for high level technical skills.”
The Sheffield College is the largest apprenticeship provide in the city and region and works with 2,458 employers.
