People: Synergy; Mills & Reeve; Wilkin Chapman; and more

Harrogate-based vehicle leasing specialist, Synergy, has appointed Adam Whiteley as finance director.

With 20 years of working in the finance sector in the chemical and automotive industries, Whiteley brings a wealth of skills and experience to the position.

He is committed to using his knowledge of the motoring industry to create new opportunities for the business. 

His appointment comes as Synergy prepares to expand its van leasing service and launch a self-serve online portal that will help SMEs implement and administer electric and hybrid car salary sacrifice schemes more easily. 

Whiteley said: “I couldn’t be more excited to join Synergy as there are so many opportunities we can grasp and areas we can work on that will help the company continue to grow.

“Throughout my career, I have sought out the chance to build new skills and develop.

“This is my first finance director role, and I am looking forward to using everything I have learned to help support Synergy at this exciting time. 

“After talking to the directors and meeting with the team here, who are friendly and driven to move the company forward, I knew that this is where I wanted to be.”

Managing director, Will Voisey, said: “I am pleased to welcome Adam to Synergy. His knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for the role and the automotive industry are brilliant and exactly what we were looking for when recruiting for the role. 

“Adam’s background and expertise will help open up new avenues for the company while we continue to deliver excellent customer service and help businesses of all sizes with their vehicle leasing needs.

“I am confident he will play a central role in our continued success.”

Synergy was founded in 2006 and sold to investment firm, Newable, at the end of 2023.

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The Leeds office of Mills & Reeve has appointed several new recruits as it continues with its growth strategy.

Peter Dowling has joined as bid manager from Eversheds Sutherland where he was content manager. 

Joining him is Pauline Grace who has taken on the role of cyber security risk manager. She was previously a risk officer at DLA Piper in Leeds. 

Also from DLA Piper is Gemma Richardson who has been appointed document review manager, and Sylvia Shumba has become an admin assistant in the Leeds team.

In the last 12 months, staff numbers at the office has grown 25% to 85 after investment in talented lawyers and support staff.

Paul Johnson, head of the Leeds office, said: “We continue to invest in hiring talented and skilled individuals to enhance our offering to provide the best experience to our growing client base.

“It is pleasure to welcome the new recruits who will be a valuable addition to the team as we further develop our growth strategy.”

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East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire law firm, Wilkin Chapman, has appointed a specialist commercial property and agricultural lawyer as its new partner.

Chris Crystal has over 20 years of experience working with large corporate entities, commercial landlords, property developers, farming businesses, education providers and charities.

Based in the Beverley office, he will collaborate with partners Justin Graves and Katie Wright, along with other commercial property and agricultural property law colleagues, to grow and develop the firm’s real estate offering.

He joins the team of 40 real estate specialists based across the firm’s offices and, as a partner, will work with head of real estate Rachael Dicken.

Crystal said: “It’s a pleasure to join the Wilkin Chapman team and I’m looking forward to applying my previous experience to establish new relationships with clients and generate further opportunities for the firm.

“I deal with all aspects of commercial property including option agreements, acquisitions, disposals, refinancing and overage agreements, with specialisms in both the agriculture and education sectors.

“These specialisms align well with Wilkin Chapman’s client base and, in my new role, I’ll be working with clients to understand their perspectives and ensure their ultimate goals are met.

“I’m also looking forward to being part of an expanding team and playing a key role as the firm works towards achieving its strategic growth plans.”

Dicken added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Chris to the team. He is a highly regarded and experienced partner who has an excellent reputation on the North Bank for property work.

“He has experience in both agricultural and commercial property matters which makes him a great asset to our thriving real estate team in Beverley.

“He has also helped many educational institutions, mainly FE colleges and academy trusts, by advising on the property aspects of academy conversion, as well as working with food businesses.

“Because of this, he’s well positioned to work within these sectors alongside our existing clients and create new opportunities for the firm.

“With the addition of Chris’s skills and experience, we’re really looking forward to working together to extend our reach and expertise to new and existing clients across our area.”

Crystal joins after spending more than 20 years at firms based in Hull.

He has handled high value and complex real estate projects in the Yorkshire area and has extensive experience working with clients in the agriculture sector.

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South Yorkshire Pensions Authority (SYPA) has appointed Neil Mason as its new Local Pension Board (LPB) Adviser.

The authority is the public body responsible for the running of the £11.1bn South Yorkshire Pension Fund, which is one of the 86 funds within the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in England and Wales.

Mason, currently serving as the assistant director – LGPS senior officer at Surrey County Council Pension Fund, brings over 20 years of leadership and advisory experience across diverse public and private sector organisations.

He has played a key role in numerous organisational change initiatives and has substantial experience with committee and board work.

This includes supporting elected member committees within local government and contributing to the Hounslow Local Pension Board and the PLSA.

The Local Pension Board at SYPA, as outlined in the Public Service Pensions Act 2013, ensures efficient governance and administration of the South Yorkshire Pension Fund.

Mason said: “I’m thrilled to be working with the SYPA and helping it continue to be a ‘best in class’ LGPS Fund.

“This is a key time for the LGPS, with the remit from the Pensions Regulator to comply with a new General Code of Practice.

“As well as the imminent roll out of pension dashboards and further government guidance on pooling, good governance, and climate reporting.

It is an absolute privilege to be given the opportunity to support officers and members of such a great fund and I look forward to it enormously.”

Riaz Nurennabi, chair of South Yorkshire Pensions Authority’s Local Pension Board, said: “It is great to see Neil appointed as our new Local Pension Board Adviser.

“He brings a wealth of real world experience to this position which will help us build on our already impressive track record, assist in developing our thinking and support us in achieving our ambitions for the future.”