People: Weightmans makes partner hire; Two director appointments for architectural practice; and more

Weightmans has appointed partner Helen Brown to the local Government team in Leeds.

Brown has joined the firm from Langleys where she was deputy head of insurance law division and head of the public sector unit.

She is an expert in claims involving stress, bullying and harassment in addition to specialising in a full range of abuse work. Throughout her career she has dealt with the full spectrum of employers’ and public liability claims for local authorities, insurers, Lloyd’s syndicates and listed companies.

Brown has a keen interest in the latest legal reforms and was previously the chair of the public sector focus team for the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) and was subsequently appointed onto the FOIL national committee as lobby officer.

Peter Wake, partner and head of local Government litigation at Weightmans, said: “We are delighted to welcome Helen to the firm. She is a fantastic addition to our expanding office in Leeds and will be integral to the continued growth of our local government and commercial insurance presence both in Yorkshire and nationwide.”

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Architectural practice Stephen George + Partners has appointed directors Alistair Branch and Alan Soper as part of plans to grow the business in Leeds and across West Yorkshire.

Stephen George + Partners offers architectural services regionally, nationally and internationally across a wide range of sectors.  The team at Leeds has particular expertise in the delivery of commercial buildings; including offices, business parks, retail developments and buildings for industry, manufacture, storage and distribution. The practice also has considerable experience in workplace reorganisation and estates rationalisation, fit-out and interior design and delivers projects for public sector organisations including HMRC, DWP and NHS, as well as private corporations and universities.

Branch joins from AHR Architects where he was associate director, leading on major transport projects.

Soper joins from Riverside and previously at Robinson Design Studio where he was director, responsible for overall design quality and business development.
He has extensive experience in a wide range of sectors including commercial, industrial, education, healthcare, housing, retail and leisure.

Geoff Ward, partner at Stephen George + Partners, said:  “Alistair and Alan join Stephen George + Partners at a key moment in the practice’s development which will see its strategic growth and expansion into new offices in 2017.  Together they will strengthen our offer to existing and new clients.”

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Performance Engineered Solutions (PES) has boosted its engineering design team.

The company said the appointment of Dean Gardner as principal engineer highlights the rapid development of the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP)-based engineering solutions company in the past two years and its increasing involvement in larger engineering design projects.

Gardner joins PES from his previous role as engineering manager at Atkins Energy where he looked after the 50-strong engineering team for the nuclear design function that designed mechanical handling equipment for various civil and defence nuclear programmes.

His career includes designing state of the art fly-by-wire controls systems for clients such as BAE Systems, NASA, Bombardier and Lockheed Martin, and supplying design services into clients including, Rolls-Rolls Tidal Generation (now GE Renewables) and GE Oil & Gas.  

Dan Fleetcroft, engineering design director at PES, said: “We have very specific requirements, as an engineering solutions business, operating in multiple environments, and it is difficult to find design engineers who have gained a broad level of experience before specialising.

“It has taken us over 12 months to find the perfect individual to join the team, and in Dean we feel we now have that person. In addition to his engineering design skills, Dean has the experience we increasingly need in terms of delivering larger, complex projects.”

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Henderson’s Relish, the makers of the iconic Sheffield sauce, has appointed Matt Davies as its general manager.

Davies is moving from Taylors of Harrogate, where he was head of international sales.  He worked previously for Mars UK.

He said: “Henderson’s Relish belongs to Sheffield.  I am very proud to be general manager at an exciting time in the company’s 131-year history, as we look to increase our sales in Sheffield, Yorkshire, and further afield.

“We want to continue making the people of Sheffield proud of one of its most iconic brands and oldest family businesses.  A significant investment in new production equipment this year will provide much-needed increased capacity, ensuring continued supply to our growing number of consumers.”

Davies replaces Patrick Byrne, who is retiring, along with his wife Liz, the office manager of Henderson’s.