People: Redmayne Bentley; Leeds Building Society; FW Capital; and more

Leeds-headquartered Redmayne Bentley has appointed Pete Donaldson as head of financial planning as it continues to grow its Financial Planning service.

He brings more than 30 years’ experience in wealth management and financial planning.

Donaldson has held senior roles across bank-based financial services and independent adviser firms, leading teams, reshaping services and supporting high-net-worth and business clients.

The appointment reflects the firm’s continued investment in the development of its Financial Planning service.

James Andrews, partner and director of investment management at Redmayne Bentley, said: “Growing our Financial Planning business is a key priority for Redmayne Bentley and I am pleased to welcome Pete to the firm.

“He brings extensive experience of leading and developing financial planning businesses, helping advisers to succeed and improving services for clients.

“His expertise will be invaluable as we continue to invest in our service and strengthen our offer in support of our long-term growth ambitions.

“Pete’s leadership and strong track record will help us continue to develop our service in the years ahead.”

Donaldson added: “I am pleased to be joining Redmayne Bentley at such an exciting time for the business.

“The firm has a strong reputation for delivering excellent client service and professional expertise, and I look forward to working with colleagues to help grow the service and support clients on their financial journeys.”

During his career, Donaldson spent many years working for HSBC in senior leadership roles, managing regional and national teams.

He led major changes, including introducing its first digital client journey and remote advisory teams.

He later joined Fairstone, where he was managing director of partnerships, overseeing the onboarding and integration of firms and developing professional partnerships across the UK.

Donaldson is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

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Leeds Building Society (LBS) has appointed Steven Croke as its new chief information officer (CIO), subject to regulatory approval.

He brings more than 30 years’ experience delivering major technology transformations in financial services.

Croke joins from Gartner, where he was most recently VP executive partner of the research board, advising CIOs across a range of industries.

Prior to that, he helped develop a global banking platform at HSBC and led the modernisation of RBS’s core banking estate.

At LBS he will work with chief operating officer Rob Howse during a transition period, ahead of Howse’s departure from the society at the end of the year.

Annette Barnes, chief executive officer, said: “With more than 30 years’ experience delivering major core banking transformations in financial services, Steven has a clear focus on using technology to improve outcomes for members and colleagues.

“Technology is central to how we deliver on our purpose of putting homes within reach of more people. I look forward to working with Steven as we continue to invest in resilient, secure and straightforward services and build the capabilities we need for the future.”

Croke added: “I’m really pleased to be joining Leeds Building Society. The society’s strong heritage, member-led values and commitment to helping people achieve their ambitions provide a great foundation for the future.

“I’m particularly excited by the scale of the technology modernisation underway and the opportunity to help shape that journey, combining the society’s strengths today with the technology, data and digital capabilities needed for tomorrow.”

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Fund manager FW Capital has strengthened its senior leadership team with two promotions.

Joanne Whitfield becomes managing director of FW Capital in England, while Lindsey McMenamin has been appointed fund director, leading teams across the North East and Yorkshire.

FW Capital has invested more than £400m since 2010, leveraging more than £590m of private sector investment for nearly 1,000 businesses.

The team currently manages a portfolio of nine funds across England.

Whitfield joined FW Capital as its first employee in England in 2010 and has played a central role in its growth over the past 16 years.

In the newly created role, she will lead the fund manager’s strategy and growth across England, including fund delivery, stakeholder engagement and new investment opportunities.

She will work alongside Rhian Elston, chief investment officer for the Development Bank of Wales Group and chief executive of FW Capital, following the retirement of Mike Owen.

FW Capital is part of the Development Bank of Wales Group, one of the UK’s largest SME investors, which manages funds worth more than £2.6bn.

McMenamin becomes fund director after almost a decade with FW Capital and 25 years in SME fund management.

She will lead the investment and portfolio teams across the North East and Yorkshire, supporting fund delivery and economic impact.

Rhian Elston, chief executive, said: “Joanne and Lindsey’s well-deserved appointments strengthen FW Capital’s leadership team as we look to the next phase of growth.

“As part of the Development Bank of Wales Group, FW Capital combines deep regional knowledge with the scale and expertise of one of the UK’s largest SME investors, helping us deliver more for our fund investors and the ambitious businesses that we support.”

Whitfield said: “It is a privilege to lead FW Capital’s operations in England. Over the past 16 years, I have had the opportunity to work alongside an exceptional team, and I am proud of the impact we have delivered.

“I look forward to working with Rhian and Lindsey to build on that success, expand opportunities and help even more businesses access the finance they need.

“The work we do makes a tangible difference to businesses, communities and regional economies, and I’m deeply committed to supporting that growth.”

McMenamin added: “I’m looking forward to leading our North East and Yorkshire teams and helping ambitious businesses access the finance and expertise they need to grow, innovate and create high-quality jobs.

“FW Capital has a strong track record of delivering positive outcomes for stakeholders, built on an outstanding culture and a focus on customer service.

“The regional investment funds we manage play a vital role in unlocking opportunities and breaking down barriers to growth, and I’m excited to work alongside our talented teams to help even more businesses realise their ambitions.”

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Leeds-based digital commerce and performance group, IDHL, has appointed Alex Wright as managing director of Earned and Owned Media.

He will lead the continued development of the group’s SEO and GEO proposition, while evolving its capabilities across SEO, content, Digital PR and outreach to deliver greater value for clients.

He joins with over a decade of experience across brand-side and agency roles, most recently at Dentsu as managing partner SEO where he led the UK SEO team and worked with major global brands including Heineken and Ferrero Group.

Prior to that, Wright spent seven years at Clicky, progressing from SEO specialist to agency director, where he led acquisition marketing across SEO, paid search and wider paid media.

He has also held marketing roles at household names including Panasonic and Iceland Foods.

He said: “The role felt like a natural fit from the start. IDHL has a strong leadership team, a clear ethos and a huge amount of specialist talent across the business, backed by impressive technology and client results.

“As a specialist at heart, I’m excited to get under the skin of the product and build on the strong foundations already in place, continuing to evolve our SEO and GEO proposition as the market develops.

“Building greater community and cohesion across the team will be just as important, because that will directly shape how we work with clients and the impact we can deliver.”

Lewis Sellers, CEO, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Alex to IDHL. He brings a fantastic mix of specialist search expertise, commercial leadership and people-first thinking, which will be invaluable as we continue to grow our owned and earned media offering.

“His experience will help us sharpen our proposition, strengthen delivery for clients and unlock further opportunities across the business.”

Wright is an established industry speaker on the circuit, having spoken at BrightonSEO five times.

He has also been selected to speak at Google’s first Search Central Live Deep Dive Europe 2026, where he will discuss AI search measurement and how brands need to rethink search strategy in the years ahead.