People: EY; Finance Yorkshire; Ponderosa; and more

EY has appointed Will Rix, a corporate finance professional with over 10 years of experience in the Northern market, as a partner and the firm’s new head of capital and debt advisory for the North of England.

The role will focus on independently advising businesses, including both corporate and Private Equity (PE) owned clients, on optimising capital structures and their cost of capital, as well as providing execution services.

As part of the new role, he is also set to work with EY’s diligence, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and restructuring teams, providing a breadth of services to clients in the North of England.

He joins EY from HSBC, where he worked for almost 11 years, most recently as a senior director in its Corporate Banking Origination team.

Rix said: “I am looking forward with both excitement and optimism to working with my new colleagues and delivering exceptional results for clients across the region.

“Having grown up in Lancashire, I am hugely passionate about the business community in the North of England, so to be able to take on a senior leadership role for EY in the region means a great deal to me.”

Mark Clephan, corporate finance leader at EY, added: “Adding Will to our strong and talented corporate finance team in the North of England is a fantastic step forward.

“The appointment is a statement of intent from the firm as we continue to invest in our regional business, showing support and belief in the Northern economy.

“I have every confidence that the team will continue to grow from strength-to-strength as Will brings his experience and expertise to the table.”

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Finance Yorkshire has appointed experienced corporate lawyer Paul Trudgill to its board.

Trudgill, a partner at Knights, joins as a non-executive director. He replaces Jennie Adams who served on the Finance Yorkshire board for 15 years.

He is a partner in the corporate group in the Sheffield office of Knights.

He advises owner-managed business and SME clients on all aspects of company law including mergers and acquisitions, disposals, management buyouts and increasingly employee ownership trust transactions.

Prior to joining Knights, he was the managing partner at Keebles for 13 years, culminating in its successful acquisition by Knights.

Trudgill said: “I have been a member of the South Yorkshire professional and business community for more than 30 years and therefore have an informed perspective to bring in terms of Finance Yorkshire’s external environment including in relation to its target market.

“I have considerable experience of transactions involving venture capital (VC) funds, advising investee companies and acting for VC funds in relation to their investments.”

Finance Yorkshire chief executive, Alex McWhirter, added: “We are happy to welcome Paul to the Finance Yorkshire board where he will complement our other non-executive directors with his breadth of corporate legal knowledge and expertise.

“The board acknowledges the time Jennie gave to Finance Yorkshire over many years in which her contribution to our discussions and decision-making was invaluable.”

Finance Yorkshire is expecting to invest more than £50m in Yorkshire and Humber SMEs over five years. Investment is available from its loans, seedcorn and growth funds.

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Leeds-based brand and communications agency, Ponderosa, has appointed Sarah Alcock as client services director.

With over 25 years integrated and digital marketing experience in Leeds, she has a distinguished track record, having worked with brands such as Boots.com, Benson for Beds, DFS, Hitachi Capital, Wren Kitchens, and Seven Seas.

She brings a wealth of expertise to Ponderosa, where she will play a key role in driving commercial growth across its client portfolio and providing guidance to the client services teams.

She previously spent five years as head of digital and e-commerce in-house at ScS, alongside senior positions at Woven Agency, Bezier Connect, and Coolpink.

Her depth of experience uniquely positions her to support the agency in delivering best-in-class service, strategic insights, and impactful results.

CEO at Ponderosa, Richard Midgley said, “Sarah has an impressive track record of developing and leading on digital and e-commerce strategies in integrated agencies as well as in-house, which will add huge value to our growing roster of clients”.

Alcock will be leading and mentoring the account management teams across the agency, working with clients including Hisense, SiS and Leeds Bradford Airport.

She said: “I’m thrilled to be joining an agency with such a talented team and diverse skillset.

“My in-house experience has given me a unique understanding of the challenges and pressures our clients face.

“I’m excited to support the client services teams in delivering smart, creative, and timely campaigns that genuinely make a difference.”

Ponderosa is part of Audience Collective, which was formed in 2020 and now comprises seven specialist marketing agencies.

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Potter Space, a provider of industrial and logistics properties specialising in small to mid-box units, has appointed Will Hean as non-executive director.

Hean brings extensive experience in sustainable urban development, with a strong track record in managing high-profile projects across the UK.

His most recent role at Osborne+Co saw him overseeing significant real estate developments, aligning with Potter Space’s focus on long-term growth in the industrial property sector.

In his new advisory role, Hean will support Potter Space in refining its strategic direction and expanding its presence in key markets.

His expertise in real estate development and sustainability will be instrumental in driving the company’s ongoing growth initiatives and supporting its commitment to delivering high-quality business parks.

Hean said: “It’s an exciting time to be joining Potter Space, as we focus on future project developments.

“With an expanding pipeline and a forward-looking approach to infrastructure and innovation, I’m eager to contribute to projects that support the company’s long-term vision and continued success across its sites.”

Jason Rockett, managing director, added: “Will joins us at a pivotal moment as we expand our portfolio. His track record will be invaluable as we set new standards in the I&L sector.

“This appointment strengthens our commitment to developing adaptable, high-performance facilities that support our customers’ evolving needs.”