Appointments: Engage Mutual; SJP Law; Handelsbanken Hull
ENGAGE Mutual has appointed Maria Harris as its new sales director.
Maria will oversee the Harrogate-based savings and health insurance group’s sales team and take responsibility for growing partner and intermediary sales channels while in parallel increasing the focus on direct to consumer sales. She will also become a member of the organisation’s executive committee.
Harris has previous experience of the mutual sector, joining Engage Mutual from Leeds Building Society, where she held the positions of head of direct sales and contact centre, and most recently head of corporate relationships.
She said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Engage Mutual, and look forward to the challenges ahead in helping the organisation achieve its objectives. It’s great to be joining a business which already has a strong brand and where the customer matters most.
“I want to build on this heritage and deliver a culture which puts our customer at the heart of what we do, creating the best value for our members while achieving the required growth for a successful future.”
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SIMON Gittings, a senior partner at Hull-based commercial solicitors, SJP Law, has been elected to the board of LawNet, the UK and Ireland’s network of independent law firms.
As part of this role, Gittings will work on behalf of LawNet helping to ensure that the organisation effectively represents and serves the interests of 66 firms and over 2,000 solicitors across the UK and Ireland.
Gittings said: “To be elected to the LawNet board is a great honour and one that I’m immensely proud of – it’s a testament to the efforts and expertise of everyone at SJP Law, and the reputation we’ve built for delivering quality, personalised and professional legal services.
“I’m a huge believer in the value of being a part of a nationwide network,
and firmly committed to driving LawNet forward for the mutual benefit of its independent member firms across the Humber region and around the UK.
“As a regional firm, playing an active part in nationwide and international networks like LawNet and Eurojuris enables us to provide clients with the best of both worlds – personalised service and local knowledge, backed up by extensive resources and broad-based expertise to rival the UK’s biggest law firms.”
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NEIL Harrison has taken up the role of branch manager at Handelsbanken Hull.
He will be responsible for heading up this office – the 11th UK branch to open.
He said: “These are really exciting times for Handelsbanken both locally and nationally. I am looking forward to taking over one of the largest branches in the north of England and further enhancing the banks reputation with our customers and professional partners.”
Harrison has worked for Handelsbanken since 2010 and has taken over from Tim Kitching who has been appointed as area manager.
