People: 360 Chartered Accountants; Gordons; Yorkshire Building Society; and more

360 Chartered Accountants, which has offices in Hull, York and Wakefield, has confirmed a series of appointments across its administrative team.

Having been instrumental in improving systems and processes across the firm, Sarah Dalton has been promoted to office manager from administrative assistant.

She came to 360 over three years ago with extensive experience in back-office processes in the financial services industry.

Sam Gibson joined eight years ago as an administrative assistant.  He has now moved across to the accounting team as accounts and administrative support.

Meanwhile, Ellis Eastburn has become the firm’s latest business administration apprentice.  He will be looking after the office admin and will be the first point of call for clients.

Andy Steele, Founder of the business, said: “We really couldn’t do without our fantastic admin team to ensure everything runs smoothly not only within the firm, but also for our clients.

“Sarah’s overhaul of systems at 360 has been absolutely brilliant. She is so professional, calm and organised. As office manager she will be taking on extra responsibilities, so welcoming Ellis to our successful apprenticeship programme was a no brainer.

“He will be working alongside the rest of our admin team so that Sarah can focus on her officer manager role.

“Finally, Sam has shown a real interest and has been working more and more with the accounts team, so this means he will now provide dedicated admin support for them.”

The appointments come just after the firm revealed its first ever apprentice, Sophie Holmes, has become a shareholder and part-owner of the business as part of its succession planning.

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Leeds and Bradford-based law firm, Gordons, has appointed its first head of privacy and data protection to further capitalise on this  expanding aspect of the law.

Lauren Wills-Dixon, who joined four years ago, will now lead this practice area and be responsible for ongoing client service delivery and new business generation.

Since joining, she has specialised in privacy and data protection and commercial contracts across the retail; sports, media and marketing; and digital and technology sectors.

She advises clients on all aspects of non-contentious and contentious data protection compliance.

Gordons’ privacy and data protection clients include retailers Wren Kitchens and Heron Foods; market research organisation Mintel; global chemical company BASF plc; and Houseful, the parent company of property brands including Zoopla, Alto and Hometrack.

Wills-Dixon said: “It’s a privilege to be Gordons’ first head of privacy and data protection and to lead an excellent team of practitioners to further enhance this specialist service.

“Data is arguably now the biggest commodity in the world. Privacy and data protection therefore represent some of the most pressing issues facing businesses today, with clients facing more stringent regulatory oversight and the increasing threat of personal data-related cyber attacks.

“It’s also an area undergoing constant change, so it is essential clients have access to a specialist legal partner to stay ahead of evolving regulations and risks.”

Last year, Wills-Dixon passed the Practitioner Certificate in Data Protection (PC.dp) exam. This is regarded as the UK’s leading practical qualification for data protection professionals and is accredited by the UK Law Society and the Bar Council.

Gordons’ managing partner, Victoria Davey, said: “Lauren has excelled since joining the firm and been instrumental in the growth of our privacy and data protection offer.

“She is trusted by clients to advise on business critical information and they appreciate the approachable and practical way she goes about working with them.

“Lauren thoroughly deserves being recognised as our first head of privacy and data protection. She is an ambassador for the firm and has become a recognised industry expert through her regular media commentary on data privacy.

“We now look forward to supporting Lauren to further evolve her practice area for the benefit of our existing clients and expanding it through new client acquisition.”

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Yorkshire Building Society has confirmed Peter Bole has will join its Board as non-executive director on 1 September. 

Bole has over 30 years’ experience in financial services and has held the role of chief financial officer at Tesco Bank and Virgin Money, where he went on to become group integration director. 

In his current position as CFO of esure Group, he has played a key role in its digital transformation programme.

Much of his career has been spent at organisations that are experiencing a period of growth and transformation.

Annemarie Durbin, chair of Yorkshire Building Society, said: “Peter has considerable experience in the financial services sector. His skills and knowledge will be of considerable value to Yorkshire Building Society and the Board as we continue to grow in the years ahead.”

Bole said: “I’m pleased to be joining Yorkshire Building Society. Its strong mutual heritage and purpose-driven approach was particularly appealing, and I look forward to using my experience to support the society as it grows for the benefit of its members, customers and communities.”

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Wakefield-based YPO has appointed Philippe Galland as brand manager.

He will lead YPO’s brand management efforts, collaborating with the wider organisation to enhance creative brand strategies and elevate the YPO product range, recognised by its purple and yellow packaging.

Born in southern France, Galland relocated to the UK in the mid-1990s to join Proctor & Gamble.

There he played a pivotal role in the resurgence and expansion of Old Spice in Eastern Europe. Throughout his career, he has held various marketing and commercial roles at companies such as Masterfoods and Pentland Brands, spanning multiple industries.

His interest in education advocacy was ignited while developing the Eden Learning Brand, which focuses on creating conducive learning environments with soft, flexible furniture.

He continued this trajectory at WF Education where he launched learning spaces and product lines in the UK and Europe.

Galland said “I am thrilled to be joining YPO, a well-respected product and procurement organisation, dedicated to supporting the education and public sector in today’s challenging landscape.

“I am looking forward to collaborating across teams and external stakeholders to enhance and expand the YPO brand, providing our customers top-quality, cost-effective products.”

Ashley Cartwright, head of trading at YPO, added: “Philippe brings extensive marketing experience and a genuine passion for making a difference in the education space in this newly created role.

“I look forward to collaborating closely with Philippe to build and shape the future of the YPO brand over the coming months – there are some great opportunities ahead that will further demonstrate the value of our own product range for customers.”