People: Tax dispute specialist makes key hire; Esh Group strengthens team; and more
EAST Yorkshire-based HMRC-handling and tax dispute specialist Independent Tax has appointed a tax investigation expert with 30 years experience as its associate director.
John Norman, who will be based at the company’s headquarters at Brackenholme near Howden, brings 25 years of experience working for financial sector giants Grant Thornton UK, BDO and KPMG to the role. He also worked for HMRC for a number of years during the early part of his career and is an expert in dealing with tax and serious fraud investigations.
Managing partner of Independent Tax, Gary Brothers, said: “This is the most senior role within the team and we’re very excited about John joining us.
“I’m confident that he will bring stability to the business by focusing on the delivery side and overseeing the work of our team of consultants. He will be a permanent presence in the office, which will allow me to focus on winning new business in order to grow Independent Tax further.”
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Esh Group has made two senior appointments to support its continued expansion.
Alistair Gill joins the business as bid manager from Willmott Dixon, where he held a senior role. Jonathan Haran is appointed as estimating manager and joins from Clugston.
John Davies, managing director at Esh Construction, said: “Alistair and Jonathan bring a wealth of experience to the business. They will support our expansion plans in the region as we seek to grow our civil engineering and commercial build divisions.”
The Yorkshire team is further strengthened as Chris Hale and Dave Harrod join the team from Esh’s North East business, as commercial director and estimating manager respectively.
Esh Construction recently announced the opening of a new regional operations centre in Swillington, West Yorkshire. The new site provides larger office and 8,000 sq ft of warehousing.
The Yorkshire operation employs 250 people in everything from civil engineering and building to commercial and residential property development.
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SOUTH Yorkshire road surface specialist SteelPhalt has appointed a business development manager.
Lee Birkbeck is responsible for building new working partnerships and cementing existing relationships.
Having previously been a group buyer within parent company Harsco, Mr Borkbeck has extensive knowledge of SteelPhalt customers, products and services.
His appointment is part of a company-wide investment in customer-focused improvements and a key task within his brief will be to ensure that SteelPhalt drives through efficiencies to realise benefits for their customers.
The SteelPhalt plant in Sheffield Road, Rotherham, converts steel slag into a surface course for road making, which achieves high skid resistance.
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LEEDS-based Independent Motor Auctions (IMA) has started its period of recruitment following the acquisition of a Lancashire firm as part of its expansion plans.
Family-run IMA took over West Coast Motor Auctions (WCMA) in Poulton-le-Fylde near Blackpool in November in a deal worth an undisclosed seven-figure sum to include the business and property.
The company has now appointed a new sales director to manage growth at both sites. Michael McMullan joins the team bringing with him over 20 years’ experience in sales and development with luxury brands and within the remarketing industry.
IMA took over WCMA as part of its expansion plans as the company not only branches into a new region but also into auctioning motorbikes as well as cars.
The business has been rebranded as Independent Motor Auctions Blackpool with all 16 of WCMA’s original staff being retained, adding to IMA’s current team of 22. WCMA has a longstanding reputation spanning almost 30 years and IMA has acquired the family-owned business due to retirement.
IMA is owned and managed by the Lane family with Justin Lane recently taking over from his father, John, as managing director following his retirement. Since taking full ownership of IMA in 2006, the Lanes along with Martin Britton and their team have continually increased turnover which has recently reached in the region of £20m.
