Appointments: Grant Thornton; drydensfairfax; Saffery Champness

DEBT recovery firm drydensfairfax has welcomed Dave Perkins, former COO of Experto Credite, as head of unsecured litigation.

He joins the firm to head up the unsecured legal and technical teams in Leeds.

Perkins has specific expertise in collections, legal, debt placement and debt purchase, risk and compliance and the management of third party relationships.

He will focus on client performance, workflow management and process improvement.

Sue Nickson, chief executive, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Dave to the team. As the largest specialist debt recovery firm in the UK it is important that we continue to lead the market in collections and legal recoveries strategies. Dave is well respected in the industry and his significant insight and experience will help us continue to deliver innovative recovery processes and exceed client expectations.”

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GRANT Thornton is continuing to grow its Northern corporate finance advisory practice with two further appointments, one of which is based in Yorkshire.

Richard Goldsack joins from EY where he spent almost 13 years having worked at its Leeds office from 2001 before moving to Australia with the firm five years later, most recently working as a partner in its M&A team in Sydney. Prior to that, he worked in assurance at Arthur Andersen in Nottingham.

In his new role, he will be based in the firm’s Leeds office, and will focus on the Yorkshire and North East deals market as well as supporting the firm’s wider audit, tax and advisory services across the North of England. He specialises in advising entrepreneurs, management teams, corporates and private equity on all corporate finance matters, with expertise in both sell-side and buy-side work and deal origination.

“Richard is a welcome addition, giving further strength and depth to our Yorkshire-based advisory practice as we continue to build our presence across the North,” comments Will Oxley, senior practice leader for Grant Thornton in Leeds. “Richard’s appointment is a clear demonstration of our commitment to building market leading teams and in particular to growing our corporate finance practice in the region as the deals landscape continues to improve.”

As part of Grant Thornton’s eight-strong corporate finance advisory team in Yorkshire and the North East, Goldsack will work closely with colleagues in the North West, operating as an integrated Northern corporate finance advisory team. His appointment coincides with the appointment of an additional director, Matthew Bryden-Smith, who will be based in Manchester.

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HARROGATE accountancy firm Saffery Champness has announced plans to recruit three new trainees.

Positions for two school leavers and one graduate have been created as part of ongoing expansion of the firm’s operations in Yorkshire.

Jonathan Davis, partner at Saffery Champness, said the firm had continued to experience strong growth since moving to larger premises in 2012 and had been recruiting at all levels of the business.

“We have a strong tradition of providing structured training programmes for graduates and school leavers and this is an excellent opportunity for anyone who is interested in a career in accountancy to train alongside a talented and specialist team,” he said.