People: Private equity house continues expansion; Law firm takes on construction partner from Pinsents and more…
LAURA HOWES has been appointed as a research manager by Leeds-based private equity house Key Capital Partners (KCP) which has invested significantly in its team since launching an £80m investment fund for fast growing SMEs last November.
A chartered accountant, Ms Howes joins from RSM UK where she worked as a transaction services manager for almost four years. Prior to that she was a corporate finance executive with Garbutt + Elliott and also worked for Armstrong Watson.
After eight years in corporate finance, she has extensive experience of working with owner managed businesses and SMEs across a wide variety of sectors. Her expertise will further bolster KCP’s team as it seeks investment opportunities with dynamic businesses throughout the UK.
Owen Trotter, managing partner of KCP, said: “We’re one of the few PE houses specialising in the smaller buyout market and Laura’s understanding of SMEs is a great fit for us. Her appointment will really boost the team’s research capability – rather than waiting for business opportunities to come to market, Laura will be working with us to actively identify firms with real potential and also with our portfolio companies to identify bolt-on acquisitions to accelerate growth”
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LAW firm Gateley has hired Richard Anderson, a construction partner who will be based at its Leeds office, bringing total partner numbers to 11.
Mr Anderson joins from Pinsent Masons, where he had been a partner since 2012 following the merger of Pinsent and McGrigors.
He specialises in contentious construction matters, dispute avoidance and real-time project management for clients working, primarily, in the power and process sector.
Mr Anderson has worked on some high-profile cases, including acting for the city of Edinburgh in relation to a series of disputes on the high-profile £545m Edinburgh Trams public infrastructure project.
He said: “I was attracted by the entrepreneurial energy within the team. I have admired the way in which, from small beginnings in 2012, Gateley has grown by making well-placed investments and by attracting lawyers with excellent reputations. I believe that my clients would benefit from Gateley’s commitment to growing its business in Leeds and its early successes in the Yorkshire marketplace.”
Gateley Plc, which last year became the first law firm in the UK to go public, revealed in July 2016 that turnover had increased more than 10% to £67.1m.
The law firm works through a network of seven English offices based in Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Reading.
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HULL-based IT firm PDS has hired Rob Gutherless as business development manager.
Prior to joining PDS, Mr Gutherless was part of the special projects team at East Riding Council, and developed a bespoke IT support package for local schools which saw him work on a variety of high-profile projects.
Following this, he moved to Hessle High in 2013 to project manage the IT requirements for the school’s recent £19m new build.
At PDS he is tasked with expanding the firm’s reach in the education market.
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BARRATT Developments Yorkshire West, which includes both Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, has recruited four staff across its commercial, technical, financial and construction teams.
The most senior of Barratt’s new appointments sees Patrick Devine join the company as senior quantity surveyor, who is tasked with overseeing the commercial aspects of Barratt sites.
Robert Carter has joined the division as a technical co-ordinator with a master’s degree in architecture while Matthew Eccles has been welcomed on board the construction team as a trainee assistant site manager.
Randeep Rehal has joined the financial team on a year long undergraduate placement within the department and will support the wider team in providing regular financial and management information.
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KEYLAND Developments, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister company to Yorkshire Water, has appointed Luke Axe as planning manager to work in the company’s Leeds office at The Embankment.
His appointment follows on from the recent joining of Cameron Sanderson as graduate surveyor in July.
Mr Axe is an experienced town planner and he joins Keyland from Turley where he held the position of senior planner.
At Turley, he was able to draw on his extensive development management experience which included management of a leading local planning authority’s planning functions. He has acted as expert witness at public inquiries and has participated in proceedings at the Crown and High Courts.
Mr Axe has expertise in developing planning strategies and taking complex projects from inception through to planning permission, and experience in land promotion across Yorkshire and the North East.
