People: Dow Schofield Watts; Whitby Seafoods; Planet Sport Bet; and more

Dow Schofield Watts (DSW) has expanded its Corporate Finance team in Yorkshire and the North East with the appointment of Harry Martin as an associate.

Martin, who will be based at the firm’s Leeds office, joins from PwC, where he spent almost four years in the audit department and qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

He previously worked in retail, having started his career with Sainsbury’s and, after gaining a first class honours degree in Business Studies at Leeds Beckett University, spent two years in management before joining PwC.

He  said: “I am excited to be entering the world of deal making. The DSW Corporate Finance team based in Leeds was particularly attractive, with a strong track record and high-quality client base across the region.

“I am looking forward to working with entrepreneurs and business owners as part of an experienced team advising on a wide range of deals.”

Roger Esler, who co-leads the DSW Corporate Finance team in the region, added: “We see strengthening business confidence amongst business owners and a more optimistic outlook as interest rates peak.

“Together with the plentiful availability of debt and equity capital, active strategic buyers and a looming election, we expect M&A market activity to continue to increase going into 2024.

“We are pleased that we are able to attract talent such as Harry into the team and know that he will make a fantastic contribution to our business and our clients.”

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Whitby Seafoods, the UK’s largest scampi manufacturer, has made a key appointment to bolster its finance and senior leadership teams.

Carol Gee has joined its Board as finance director following a recruitment process led by finance recruitment specialist, Headstar.

Gee, a chartered accountant, comes with a wealth of experience in finance and management, having worked in private sector businesses across a diverse range of sectors including FMCG, manufacturing and retail.

Her new role will see her contribute to the company’s overall business strategy with a focus on driving financial performance in line with business objectives. She also oversees the management and development of the finance and HR teams.

Managing director Daniel Whittle said: “Carol has a proven track record when it comes to driving financial performance and business growth, both in the UK and internationally, and we’re happy to welcome her to the team.

“Despite the challenging backdrop in the UK of late, we remain extremely excited for the future as we look to continue our growth trajectory.

“Carol’s extensive experience, together with her strategic vision, will undoubtedly be instrumental in helping us to reach new heights.”

Founded in 1985, the family-run business employs 400 people and has an annual turnover of £65m.

Operating out of two sites, Whitby and the Northern Irish port of Kilkeel, it makes more than a million portions of scampi every week.

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Leeds-based Planet Sport Bet, the sportsbook arm of independent sports media group, Planet Sport, has signed National Hunt jockey Harry Cobden as its new horse racing brand ambassador.

The 18-time Grade 1-winning jockey will provide insight into his rides throughout the 2023/24 National Hunt season via a weekly written blog as well as through regular video content and exposure on social media.

Cobden will also provide analysis each day during the major spring festivals at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown.

The 25-year-old, who is stable jockey to 14-time Champion Jockey Paul Nicholls, will ride the likes of Bravemansgame, Stage Star, Stay Away Fay and Captain Teague this season, and joins Planet Sport Bet’s stable of brand ambassadors alongside former Premier League footballer Robbie Savage and TV presenter Emma Jones.

Planet Sport launched Planet Sport Bet in 2021 as part of the founding of a Betting & Gaming division that also houses multi-sports media title PlanetSport.com and recent acquisition, Tipstrr, a content subscription platform.

Mike Grenham, MD, Betting at Planet Sport said: “Harry is one of the top jump jockeys around, and it’s fantastic that he will be able to offer his thoughts on some of the best horses exclusively to our customers.

“You just have to look at the likes of Bravemansgame, Stage Star, Stay Away Fay, Captain Teague and Hermes Allen to see the quality that Harry will ride this season.

“And with him involved in the jockeys’ title race as well, he’s set for a very exciting season and one we’re really excited to being involved with.”

Cobden added: “I’m really looking forward to getting started with Planet Sport Bet. It might be a relatively new sportsbook, but I’ve been really impressed with what they’ve done so far and what better place to kick things off than at Cheltenham for the November Meeting.

“The National Hunt season is in full swing now and I’m very lucky to be riding some of the best horses in Britain each week, while I’m still focused on challenging for the jockeys’ title. It’s set to be a very exciting few months.”

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Right Fuel Card, a Leeds-based independent distributor of fuel cards which is part of the Edenred group, has appointed Matthew Briggs as its new CEO.

Briggs was formerly CEO of ECSC Group PLC based in Bradford. He successfully ran the sale of the business to Daisy Group in 2023.

Prior to this he was CEO of AutoProtect Group which included DealTrak, based in Leeds Dock.

Briggs was also CEO of Minster Law Solicitors and opened the Wakefield office.

Prior to this he was operations and commercial director of FMG in Huddersfield. Briggs has also held several NED/chair roles for Yorkshire based businesses.

Briggs will take full responsibility for the leadership and development of Right Fuel Card (RFC) Edenred, playing a key role in meeting the company’s growth goals while supporting Edenred’s “Beyond” strategy, aimed at providing value-added services beyond fuel cards to Right Fuel Card’s 30,000 customers.

He said: “I am pleased to be joining RFC Edenred as CEO at a time when the global mobility landscape undergoes significant change.

“Given the pedigrees of both Right Fuel Card and Edenred we are perfectly positioned to optimise these changes and take RFC Edenred to the next level and beyond.”