Employers located across the North West have confirmed 20 top hires and promotions over the last seven days.
Major companies such as The Very Group, BDO and Sykes Holiday Cottages are among those to have added to their teams.
Other businesses include law firms, a data science and software engineering company and a marketing communications agency.
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Below, BusinessLive rounds up the latest 20 appointments and promotions in the North West we feel you should not miss.
Do you have an appointment you would like to be featured by BusinessLive? Please e-mail North West editor Jon Robinson at jon.robionson@reachplc.com.
The Very Group
The group behind the Very and Littlewoods brands has announced a senior hire and a promotion to chief operating officer.
The Very Group has appointed Charlotte Heiss as group general counsel and company secretary.
She will join the Speke-headquartered business’ executive team in May and report to group CEO, Henry Birch.
Operations director Sean Hallows has also been promoted to the role of chief operating officer, joining the executive team and also reporting to Mr Birch.
Hugh Jones Solicitors
Manchester-based Hugh Jones Solicitors has appointed Liz Hughes as its new managing director to succeed Rachel Dobson who is to retire.
The outgoing MD will stay on as a consultant director and remaining a shareholder and mentor to the new team.
Liz Hughes said: "I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to take the firm forward as it enters a new era.
"The support I’ve received from our employees and clients has been overwhelming and I’m excited to continue to work closely with everyone within the firm’s network to deliver the outstanding work it has become renowned for."
Rachel Dobson added: "It’s wonderful to see the firm evolve through the development of our own people, which has always been a central part of our philosophy.
"Our place as a nationally recognised niche practice is assured by the continuity and expertise offered by the new senior team."
Express Solicitors
Manchester-based personal injury law firm Express Solicitors has appointed Carlos Lopez as its newest partner and head of its clinical negligence department.
The firm has also appointed partner Damian Bradley as head of legal operations.
Jon Andrews also joins the firm as an employers’ liability partner, acting for victims and their families following serious and fatal accidents at work, as well as those with occupational diseases.
The appointments have been made possible thanks to a revolving credit agreement with The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) worth £8m.
RSM UK
RSM UK has announced four partner promotions across the North West.
The tax practice saw two partner promotions, including private client tax specialist Heather Pendlebury in Preston and transaction tax specialist Patrick Curry, Manchester.
John Guest and Nick Wyatt have also been promoted to partner in the audit and corporate finance practices, respectively.
Kevin Duffy, RSM UK’s regional managing partner in the North West, said: "I’m thrilled to welcome four exceptionally talented North West colleagues to the partnership.
"We are committed to growing our own people – investing in development and creating a culture where our people can shape the career they want, so it’s great to announce so many regional partner promotions this year.
"Our business is accelerating and we’re working hard to deliver an ambitious growth plan. Our new cohort of partners come from a range of specialisms that support the everchanging needs of middle market businesses and their input will be crucial in delivering a premium experience for our clients and people."
DSG Chartered Accountants
Liverpool-headquartered DSG Chartered Accountants (DSG) has added to its growing corporate finance team with the appointment of Mark Kearney as corporate finance director.
Originally from Liverpool, Mr Kearney has more than 14 years’ experience in corporate finance and management consulting. Having previously held London-based positions at Deloitte, Grant Thornton, and EY, he is now returning to the North West to join DSG.
He said: "It’s an exciting time to join DSG. The business is performing exceptionally well and has a strong reputation as one of the leading independent advisors in Liverpool City Region and wider North West.
"There is a real opportunity here to expand existing corporate finance service lines to include debt advisory and financial modelling, something we’re seeing increased demand for in today’s market.
"I’m looking forward to getting under the skin of businesses, particularly owner-managed, across the region as they embark on significant growth journeys, supporting with organic growth, acquisitions, disposals, and funding when required."
Miralis
Lancaster-based data science and software engineering company Miralis has announced Judith Halkerston as its new chair.
The announcement comes after Miralis secured investment for its flagship product, electric vehicle charge point management platform, Fuuse.
Judith Halkerston has previously held roles with the likes of BT, Logica and Steria
She said: "I am delighted to join Miralis as they embark on this exciting next chapter, and the journey poses a fresh challenge for me too.
"It’s rare to join a thriving start up where all the leads are inbound, so our focus will be ensuring we identify and prioritise the right opportunities at the right time.
"There is clearly a very large appetite for Fuuse, and together with the foundations of a passionate team, and the backing and support of investors and fellow entrepreneurs, there is a real opportunity for Fuuse to become a household name amongst fleets, installers and the public."
Skylab
Skylab, a Manchester-based sports technology firm, has confirmed Tim Haynes has joined the senior management team as technical director from WhiteSpider.
He said: "It’s an incredibly exciting time to be joining Skylab on their current trajectory and an amazing opportunity to be able combine my passion for both sport and technology.
"Skylab has a unique set of skills, balanced between elite performance analysis, software development and user experience, which aren’t traditionally available to sports organisations as a package.
"Moving forwards, this gives us a clear advantage of being able to provide tools and applications that actually make a difference to people, rather than having to settle for off the shelf solutions."
Alcedo Care Group
Alcedo Care Group, which has locations across the North West, has appointed Lynsey Collins to manage its Live-in Care division.
She will will oversee the day-to-day activities of the 50-strong live-in care team.
She said: "I am very proud to have joined an amazing family business with a wonderful reputation based on the delivery of exceptional care.
"Caring for clients in their own homes is a privilege; in a short amount of time we have already helped so many people and formed fantastic relationships where our carers have really become part of the family.
"To be leading this team is a career highlight for me and I am looking forward to developing the service offering and geographical areas that we cover over the coming months."
SLG
Manchester-based marketing communications agency SLG has appointed a new managing director and CEO
Former head of client services Ryan Jones has become the new MD.
He first joined the agency as a PR account manager and has held other roles within the business during his decade at the firm, having previously worked at Weber Shandwick.
Julie Malone, who is one of the original members of the agency and has been with the business since it was formed in 1980, has moved into a new role of agency CEO.
She said: "I’m delighted that Ryan is taking over as managing director at SLG after so many years of excellent work.
"The agency will continue to achieve great results across an expanding scope of work with Ryan at the helm."
Mr Jones added: "We have an enthusiastic and talented team at SLG and work with some excellent clients who will continue to get the best service from SLG.
"Our team is growing and so is our client base so it’s a really exciting time to be taking over as managing director. The agency has a formidable heritage, but it is a team very much focused on what can be achieved in its future."
mmadigital
Manchester-based customer acquisition specialist for the legal sector mmadigital has announced the appointment of Anne Geddes to the role of PR manager.
In her new role, she will manage the internal and external PR, news content and communication requirements for the firm and its customer-facing consumer brands - The Compensation Experts and The Medical Negligence Experts.
She said: "It’s great to be joining mmadigital at such a crucial juncture for the company with so many exciting projects taking place and major developments in the pipeline.
"mmadigital has such a strong and energetic company culture and a clear vision for the future, so I’m looking forward to the opportunities ahead and to being part of such a creative, enthusiastic and growing team."
Sykes Holiday Cottages
A former Skyscanner board director has joined Chester-headquartered holiday rental agency Sykes Holiday Cottages.
Shane Corstorphine became the chief financial officer of Edinburgh-based Skyscanner in 2012 and helped it grow over his seven years as a senior executive.
He has now been appointed as a non-executive director at Sykes.
He said: "When you’re a fast-growing business and well-known as a best-in-class employer, it can be difficult to sustain both, but Sykes has achieved just that.
"Britons have really fallen in love with the staycation over the past few years so the opportunities for Sykes and its holiday home owners are huge and it’s a great time to join them on that journey."
Dovehaven
Southport-headquartered property company Dovehaven has appointed Jenny Davies as its first ever chief executive.
She worked for THG Ingenuity and M247 prior to joining the business.
She said: "It is an absolute pleasure to be joining this exceptional business. I knew that my next role needed to be somewhere with a strong purpose and the health and social care sector has shown us all, no more than recently, how important high quality adult social care is to the people in our lives.
"I look forward to working with the owners and the capable team at Dovehaven to take the business forward and build the leading care home provider in the North West."
Hill Dickinson
Matt Noon, partner and head of corporate with law firm Hill Dickinson has been announced as head of office for Liverpool.
He said: "I feel proud to take on the role as head of office for Liverpool, particularly now as we return to office working in greater numbers and rebuild internal and professional networks.
"Liverpool is my home turf and, as a key employer, we are part of the city’s thriving business community.
"Acting as the focal point for local issues and engagement will strengthen our team and in turn help ensure we continue to provide exceptional service to our clients."
CEO Peter Jackson added: "Hill Dickinson is an international law firm that I’m proud to be able to say has a strong and unified culture across all offices and countries that we operate in.
"As we grow our offering and our workforce, we nevertheless recognise the importance of being responsive to local trading conditions and meeting the varying needs of our people and clients in different locations."
BDO
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has made two new hires to its national minimum wage (NMW) team in Manchester.
Dale O’Reggio has been appointed as national minimum wage technical lead in the North to support with active HMRC compliance investigations and help employers take proactive steps to improve their governance control environment to ensure ongoing compliance with the NMW regulations.
Rhys Tomlinson joins as assistant manager, having worked at HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for five years as a higher officer within its NMW department.
Mr O’Reggio said: "I’m delighted to be joining BDO at a time of continued change within the NMW field.
"As we expand our capabilities and extend our NMW service, we will be perfectly positioned to ensure clients meet their NMW obligations and continue to pay employees the legal minimum wage, particularly at a time when the cost of living crisis is reaching unprecedented levels."
