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People: FWP; Olliers Solicitors; PKF; River Capital; Gateley; CoolKit
Architecture, design and masterplanning practice FWP has announced a trio of appointments at its Preston headquarters as it continues to grow and develop its team.
Abigail King joins as assistant quantity surveyor. She has four years’ experience in the industry after gaining a degree in quantity surveying from the University of Salford and is currently working towards gaining chartered status.
Mark Strother has been appointed M&E technician. Mark has more than 20 years’ experience in a career that has included consultancy and facilities management work. He also has experience in the health and safety field and in the rail industry.
Emily Critchley has joined as an apprentice and has been appointed to the role of receptionist at the Ribblesdale Place office in the heart of Preston’s business district.
FWP, which also has offices in Manchester and London, is known for sports stadia and healthcare design work, though its portfolio is much wider and ranges from heritage projects to leisure developments.
David Robinson, FWP managing director, said: “The appointments come at a time when we are seeing further business growth on all fronts and they will add to the strength-in-depth we display in all our disciplines, which is a hallmark of FWP and the services that we provide.”
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Gareth Martin
Olliers Solicitors has strengthened its team with new fee earning appointments alongside a number of support staff.
The criminal specialist firm with offices in Manchester and London has brought Gareth Martin on board to bolster its regulatory offering. An experienced solicitor, Gareth has nearly 15 years’ post qualification experience and will work closely with the Olliers senior management team to develop the firm’s regulatory department.
Meanwhile, fraud specialist Richard Cornthwaite joins the firm as a consultant, while solicitor Kathryn Lloyd re-joins the business having first worked with Olliers more than 20 years ago.
The trio are joined by a number of new support staff including a new office manager, together bringing Olliers’ headcount to over 40.
Matthew Claughton, managing director at Olliers Solicitors, said: “Gareth is an important appointment for Olliers and will be focused on ensuring that our team becomes a go-to firm for all regulatory matters. His involvement in some of the most newsworthy and significant hearings in recent years is testament to how well respected Gareth is by peers and clients alike.
“We are thrilled to be expanding our team with these exciting appointments as we continue to grow our regulatory team, and I look forward to many years working together to cement the Olliers name a key firm in criminal defence and regulatory throughout the UK.”
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James Wilkinson
Accountants PKF has appointed James Wilkinson to lead its new Manchester office
James joins the firm from PwC, where he has spent nearly nine years, most recently in one of the firm’s northern offices. He is an experienced auditor, specialising in the financial services sector.
PKF opened its office at 11 York Street in Manchester last month. The firm is the UK’s second largest auditor of AIM-listed businesses and ranked sixth for all listed companies in the UK.
Managing partner, Dominic Roberts, said: “We’re excited to welcome James to PKF. James is known for being approachable and personable, which fits perfectly with our ethos and culture here.
“James will also head up the expansion of our new Manchester office, which is an important part of our strategic investment plans.”
James Wilkinson said: “I’m originally from the Manchester area and went to university here, so am looking forward to coming back home. PKF has made a strong commitment to growing its operations in the North West, and I’m excited to be playing my part in making these plans a success.”
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Paul Humphray and John Gray
Liverpool based fund manager River Capital, has appointed John Gray as its new head of debt.
The appointment marks a new chapter for River Capital as Paul Humphray steps down from the role after 20 years with the firm, though will remain with the business in a consultancy capacity to ensure a smooth transition of the role before joining the firm’s investment committee.
John will work with the team of investment managers and oversee a portfolio of more than £40m of debt funds, including the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, Flexible Growth Fund, and Business Growth Loan Fund.
Before joining River Capital, John served as an investment manager at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority where he oversaw the Capital Loan Funds and major grant projects, with a specific focus on capital projects supporting local SMEs. This experience grants John extensive knowledge of the regional SME landscape and fosters strong relationships with influential stakeholders within the local eco-system.
River Capital CEO, Mark Borzomato, welcomed John, saying: “His extensive experience and proven track record in managing funds and building strong relationships made him the ideal candidate to lead our debt team. With his deep understanding of the regional SME landscape, John brings valuable insights that will enable us to better support our clients.
“I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Paul Humphray for his remarkable contributions over the past two decades, not only to our business but also the wider North West region and so many businesses that have benefited from his support over the past 20 years.”
John Gray said: “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to join River Capital at such an exciting time for the business. Having recently rebranded and having launched additional funds, I was incredibly attracted to the growth trajectory and wanted to be a part of an ambitious journey that includes bringing more funds under management.”
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From left: Holly Howarth, Crystal Or, Paul Jefferson, Leanne Murray
Three new partners are among the 13 promotions announced at the Manchester office of legal and professional services group, Gateley.
The three lawyers promoted to partner are Leanne Murray and Crystal Or of Gateley’s residential development team, and Holly Howarth from the construction team. Another senior appointment is real estate’s Helen Ellis, who has been promoted to legal director.
There are also three new promotions to senior associate: Jonathan Burton-Baddeley and Katie Mindurski, both in the real estate team, and Michael Rock from corporate.
In addition, there have been six promotions to associate across corporate, planning, employment, commercial dispute resolution and private client. These are Haz Arshad, Richard Bailey, Jordan Buckle, Matthew Knowles, Adam Noble, and Katie Walsh.
Paul Jefferson, partner and head of Gateley’s Manchester office, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone in the Manchester team who has received a promotion this year and been recognised for their excellent work. At Gateley we are highly committed to the development of our emerging talent and undoubtedly this latest recognition will enable them all to continue on the successful trajectory in the next stage in their legal careers.”
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Coolkit management team: Matthew Kershaw, Daniel Miller, Rupert Gatty, Mike Scappaticci
Burnley-based CoolKit, a specialist in temperature-controlled vans, has appointed Usman Batan to the role of marketing executive as part of its expansion programme.
Earlier this year the Burnley-based company announced a restructuring of its executive team following a record order intake of £20.1m for 2022.
Usman, who gained a first-class honours degree in marketing management and advertising at UCLan, previously led marketing at another successful East Lancashire company, Star Tissue in Blackburn. He said: “I am very excited about the challenges I am going to face at CoolKit. This company is absolutely thriving, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”
Daniel Miller, managing director at CoolKit, welcomed Usman, saying: “His pedigree of working with some excellent Lancashire businesses and his academic accomplishments mean we are sure he will hit the ground running and help us to achieve the next steps of our exciting plans for growth.”
