People: Armstrong Watson; Raworths; York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce; and more

Armstrong Watson has made three new appointments in its Leeds Restructuring and Insolvency (R&I) team.

Ed Connell has joined as an R&I director. He has 15 years insolvency experience for Big Four firms, leading insolvency, advisory and contingency planning engagements across various sectors including retail, real estate, manufacturing and leisure.

His appointment is a key development in the growth of the R&I team in Leeds and comes just months after the promotion of Ann Probert to senior manager and the hires of manager Paul Valentine and Senior Zoe Cleghorn.

He will work with head of R&I Mike Kienlen and Probert in the Leeds team to support the continued growth of the business and will also support the wider team across the firm.

Connell has previously held head of finance and financial director roles for two Yorkshire-based SMEs operating in the property development and construction sectors.

He said: “Given my unique experience in both industry and practice I have a deep understanding of the business needs faced by stakeholders when challenged by financial distress. I will be able to assist these stakeholders to guide businesses through difficult times.

“Having worked with the wider Armstrong Watson firm, particularly the audit and tax service lines, as a finance director of a family SME in recent years, I was attracted to this role as I saw and appreciated the core business values and behaviours of the staff and felt aligned to these.”

Probert joined Armstrong Watson in 2015 and qualified as a corporate insolvency practitioner in 2020.

Valentine’s appointment in November also sees the team expand at manager level.

He joined from Begbies Traynor and has nearly 20 years’ experience in restructuring and insolvency, while Cleghorn returned to her Armstrong Watson roots in January. She left in 2015 after seven years with the firm and has since worked in invoice finance and run her own business.

Kienlen said: “The recruitments and promotion demonstrate the need that we are seeing within the Yorkshire market for more restructuring and insolvency advice and support.

“I’m pleased to have strengthened the team in the manner in which we have and look forward to continuing our role of supporting individuals and businesses within the region.”

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Raworths has recruited three new hires and celebrated two newly qualified solicitors as part of its strategic growth plan, which sees the Harrogate law firm continue to strengthen its specialist teams.

Katie Johnston has joined the Trusts, Wills and Estates team as a solicitor, with Lucy Allen coming on board as a paralegal.

Charlotte Newman also joins the team as a newly qualified solicitor, having completed her training contract at Raworths.

Rachel Tunnicliffe, senior partner and head of Private Client Services and Trust, Wills and Estates at Raworths said: “Our approach goes beyond offering excellent technical legal skills; we actively look to recruit lawyers who can show emotional intelligence too, with the ability to build trusted long-term relationships with clients across all generations.

“Our team is often providing legal advice on very personal family issues, whether that’s helping young adults understand the responsibilities that come with inheriting family wealth or guiding older generations to decide how and when to hand over the reins.

“Communication and sensitivity are at the heart of this, and we’re thrilled to welcome Katie and Lucy, who will join Charlotte as valued members of our team and who all share this ethos and will enable us to continue to grow our client portfolio.”

Following confirmation of Heather Roberts’ appointment as legal director in Raworths’ growing Commercial Property team last month, Katie Jaros also joins as solicitor.

Jaros, who previously worked at Hethertons Solicitors in York, brings extensive knowledge of the local and regional commercial property market.

In Raworths’ Residential Property team, Tracy McKenna has qualified as a solicitor having completed her training contact at the firm.

Simon Morris, managing partner, said: “We have ambitious growth plans across the business as we look to build on our unique position of being able to offer our clients sound legal advice across both personal and commercial issues.

“We are excited to be welcoming such great new talent to our team, as well as continuing to invest in the ongoing development and training of our people at every level.”

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York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce has appointed Sarah Czarnecki as its new vice president.

She is a respected business leader in the region and sits on the York and North Yorkshire Chamber Leadership Group as well as being vice-chair of its Hospitality Forum.

The appointment will see her join the wider West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce board, working alongside current York & North Yorkshire president Laurence Beardmore until his time in office concludes this summer, after which she will assume the office of president.

Outside of the chamber, she is best known as director of the Grays Court Hotel & The Bow Room Restaurant in York city centre.

She is also a director at York’s Business Improvement District and an advisory board member of York St John University’s business school.

Czarnecki said: “Becoming vice president of York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce is both an honour and a privilege.

“I have dedicated much of my life to business in this region and am looking forward to devoting my time and passion to make York and North Yorkshire as successful and prosperous as it can be.

“North Yorkshire is a gem of the United Kingdom with a strong footing in the industries that have made us the county we are. Working with, and championing, these industries and businesses will be a prime focus for my role with the chamber.”

Beardmore added: “Sarah is a passionate advocate for this region and a hugely well-respected business leader. She will be an outstanding leader for the chamber.”

Amanda Beresford, chair of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are happy to welcome Sarah to the vice-president’s role.

“Her knowledge, leadership and passion for the region will make her an outstanding addition to the team.”

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Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce (HDCC) has appointed vice president Martin Mann as its acting chief executive officer.

It follows the news that David Simister, its current CEO, is unlikely to return to the role following a sudden acute medical episode, on March 11 2023. He remains under treatment at the Harrogate District Hospital.  

Speaking after the appointment, Sue Kramer, the president of HDCC, said: “Everyone at HDCC is very grateful to David for all the time, effort and energy he has brought to the role of CEO during the past 18 months, and we will very much miss his dedication and enthusiasm.

“I am sure all our members, and the wider business community of Harrogate, will join us in sending our thoughts and heartfelt wishes to David and his family and friends at this difficult time.”

Mann said: “David’s legacy will be difficult to follow, but I am determined to do him proud by continuing his work in the role of CEO and taking forward the momentum he created.  

“The Harrogate Chamber has been working with the businesses of Harrogate for over 125 years and we will continue to be the voice of business community through our events in the months and years to come.  

“I’ve been involved with the chamber since I started my own business in my home town 10 years ago. 

“More recently, I joined the Executive committee to assist the CEO and president in the running of the meetings. Stepping up as acting CEO is simply a natural extension of this.”