Category Archives: Appointments

Appointments, Debt, Debt & Finance, Finance and Banking, News

Fresh leadership for debt advisory firm.

Fresh Thinking Advisory is accelerating its growth plans with the appointment of Oliver Reece as managing director.

Oliver will head the Leeds-based team, which provides debt advisory services to a wide range of businesses with a particular focus on the North of England.

Across a 15-year lending career, he has built expertise in term debt and working capital with senior, alternative and ABL lenders, most recently having spent seven years working as an investment director in private credit funds lending to a wide range of SME businesses.

Fresh Thinking Capital launched the debt advisory business in 2022 to help SMEs find and secure the financial support they need to grow. It provides advice to management teams seeking funding for a wide range of purposes, from acquisitions to working capital and from £1m to £100m of facilities.

 

Commenting on his appointment, Mel Hird, director of Fresh Thinking Capital, said:

“Fresh Thinking Advisory launched at a time when businesses’ need for help accessing capital has never been greater. Oliver brings a wealth of experience that will help to accelerate the growth of the firm and of the thousands of small businesses across the region that are currently under-served.”

 

Fresh Thinking Advisory offers impartial debt advisory services and provides a whole market debt advisory offering, using its expertise and network to help clients raise debt funding. It uses a network of trusted specialists and alternative lenders developed over decades, with the team has collectively worked on more than £1bn of transactions.

The firm also helps companies with corporate debt restructuring with help to manage existing funders and business planning.

Oliver Reece said:

“Fresh Thinking Advisory has an exciting offering for businesses across the North and beyond. The adaptability, experience and pedigree of the team set it apart and enable us to provide a genuinely different offering.

“I look forward to working with the many businesses across the region that need financing for expansion and innovation. We work closely with our customers to ensure they go to market fully prepared and help them find the facilities they need from our broad funder relationships.”

 

Appointments, Employee Benefits, HR, HR News, Wellbeing at Work

Vivup’s Karl Bennett appointed to lead UK’s Employee Assistance Professionals Association

Karl Bennett, Wellbeing Director at employee benefits provider Vivup, has been elected to serve as the new Chair of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) UK.

He picks up on the role from Eugene Farrell, AXA PPP Mental Health Lead, who has headed up the national membership body since 2019, including the challenging years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A Director at EAP provider Care First from 2005 until 2022, Karl Bennett has also previously worked as a radio broadcaster.

 

“I’m looking forward to continuing the amazing work being done by the members and dedicated board of EAPA,” said Karl Bennett.

“EAPs have always been seen as an employee benefit — but I believe we are now much more than that, supporting millions of people each year with counselling, professional assessments and psychological therapies, we have become the ‘go-to’ for mental health support for businesses.

“As a sector we need to be encouraging a focus on the preventative elements of our services, adding more non-clinical services like Mental Health Coaching. As a respected body, working hard to promote and develop the employee assistance profession, we also need to lead the discussion around moving EAPs into a longer term assessment and treatment model, properly equipped with the best practice standards to be the alternative for employees to NHS mental health treatment pathways.”

 

Outgoing Chair Eugene Farrell said: “The past four years have seen a leap in terms of the intensity of demands on EAPs, more volume of calls, more challenges, more complexity as the norm.

“As a sector, we have stood up to those challenges. We’ve adapted to the changing context, introduced digital innovations and made progress on recruiting and training the professional expertise increasingly needed by our clients. Working with a board of committed EAP industry professionals, I’ve been proud to be part of the work being done.”

 

Appointments, News

Newton appoints Darra Singh OBE as Strategy Partner for Public Sector practice

Darra Singh has joined Newton’s Public Sector leadership team as a Strategy Partner, alongside his role as Non-Executive Director for the Bradford Children’s and Families Trust.

Darra brings over 40 years of experience across multiple sectors to his new role at Newton, including more than a decade as a Partner in EY’s UK Government and Public Sector team. Prior to this, Darra also served in several CEO roles at the Hexagon Housing Association, ASRA Greater London Housing Association, and Ealing and Luton Councils. He was also second Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions and CEO of Jobcentre Plus. During this time, he also sat as Chair for a number of public sector commissions, such as for the Riots Communities & Victims Panel, the Scottish government’s Expert Working Group on Welfare, and the Independent Commission on Local Government Finance. Darra is passionate about impacting social mobility, diversity, and cohesion, as well as improving community engagement. The depth of his varied career has enabled him to design and deliver a number of large-scale projects that have helped set the agenda for UK public services.

 

Commenting on his appointment, Singh said:

“As a Strategy Partner at Newton I look forward to working as part of the Public Sector leadership team to develop, support and reimagine public services, putting the needs of people and communities first. Newton has long done admirable work in the public sector as a transformation and improvement specialist, and as it continues to grow so does the opportunity to make a real difference.”

 

Senior Partner at Newton, Steve Phillips comments:

“I’m delighted to welcome Darra to our leadership team. Following his 40-year career across the public, private and voluntary sectors, he brings a valuable perspective which will be vital to helping shape our Public Sector offering as we continue to grow.”

 

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About Newton Europe

Newton is a change and transformation specialist fuelled by a fundamental belief that even the best organisations can be better.

Working in partnership with household-name clients, Newton has shaped and implemented programmes to tackle some of the most complex challenges in the UK – including across health and social care pathways, defence equipment programmes, and leading retail and manufacturing supply chains. This work has delivered real value, such as a 69% reduction in service user waiting time for one county council; over £300M in savings on a national defence programme; and £256M top line sales growth for a major retailer. Recognition for this work has fuelled growth of more than 20% per annum since the company was founded in 2001 and the organisation now has over 600 people working across the UK.

Newton believes so strongly in what can be achieved together with clients that they stand by the founding idea of Newton –guaranteeing their fees against delivering real, measurable results. This commercial approach is what sets them apart from many others in their field.

Appointments, News

Hoptroff announces the appointment of Suzanne Ellis to its board of directors  

Hoptroff, the global end-to-end precision timing service solutions provider offering resilient traceable and precise time to enterprise businesses, has today announced Suzanne Ellis as its latest board member, with immediate effect.  

With this appointment, Suzanne brings over 20 years of experience in large-scale transformation and change across all business functions and geographies.  

Suzanne recently led the demerger of Haleon from GSK, creating a £31.5bn market cap in the FTSE 20. Before leading the demerger, Suzanne led a series of global, complex programmes including GSK-Pfizer Consumer Healthcare integration, GSK-Novartis Consumer Health Integration, GSK Supply Chain transformation, and numerous operating model changes, innovation launches, and tech and business continuous improvement projects. Moreover, Suzanne is a Non-Executive Director at Great Ormond Street Hospital. 

David Hulbert, Chairman of Hoptroff, commented: “We are very pleased to have Suzanne join the board. She brings a wealth of experience in both building high-growth profitable businesses and investment management. As Hoptroff continues to grow, I’m sure she will prove to be a valuable member of the Hoptroff family.  

Alongside the rest of the board, I welcome the value and the unique perspective she will bring to Hoptroff’s structuring of future deals and investments. Suzanne’s previous experience will help spearhead Hoptroff’s next phase.”  

On her appointment, Suzanne says: “I am incredibly excited to be joining Hoptroff’s Board of Directors. As the digital world increases in speed, precise traceable time will become increasingly important to open many of the opportunities in front of us now and those that lay before us. I passionately believe that Hoptroff is uniquely placed to realise these.  

I’m impressed with the trajectory that the company under CEO Tim Richards is heading in, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the growth of the company as we delve deeper into this digital age.” 

For more information on Suzanne’s appointment to the Board of Directors click the link.  https://www.hoptroff.com/news/suzanne-ellis 

AI, Appointments, ESG/CSR, Technology

Neurons welcomes ex-Danish PM on their board and expands its focus on being global leaders in delivering ethical AI solutions

Commitment to development of ethical AI and responsible business practices unveiled

Neurons, the world’s leading consumer neuroscience company, has welcomed former Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt as the latest member on their board of directors as it unveils a new, ethically focused approach to delivering its cutting-edge artificial intelligence services.

At a time of rapid tech development, AI and machine learning have emerged as major focuses for companies seeking the most profitable ways forward. Generative AI, in particular, has exploded into the collective consciousness as these tools become more widely available. A study by the World Economic Forum found that 60% of adults worldwide expect that products and services using AI will profoundly change their daily life in the next three to five years.

Yet concerns regarding their commercial use remain. The same study noted that just 50% say they trust companies that use AI as much as they trust other companies, with 39% saying that AI products and services make them nervous.

That is why Neurons is investing in developing ethical technology based on responsible business practices that balance scientific validity with profitability and societal benefit. The company combines neuroscience and AI to understand consumer behaviour, which helps its clients optimise their customer journeys. Recognising its significant value to companies and individuals, as well as its future potential, Neurons is committing to:

  • delivering societal benefits by establishing the Neurons ethical advisory board, developing ethical guidelines and being selective in who the company works with;
  • growing profitably by building AI solutions with care for customers and removing the risk of having to work on projects that run counter to its values; and
  • establishing a Scientific Strategy Group to create scientific standards and protocols, all based on validity, reliability and transparency.

Demonstrating Neurons’ commitment to transparency and embedding ethics into its responsible business practices is the establishment of its ethical advisory board, members of which will include Thorning-Schmidt amongst other industry experts. The advisory board will challenge the company on its processes and approaches.

Thomas Zoëga Ramsøy, CEO and founder of Neurons, said, “As AI technology rapidly advances, we need to set an example by promoting responsible innovation practices. We will continue to grow our company in accordance with these practices; ensuring that our solutions are human-centric, and building our technology based on strong scientific integrity. Establishing our ethical advisory board, and having experts like Helle Thorning-Schmidt joining it to work with us, is central to our goals and purpose.”

Thorning-Schmidt was Prime Minister of Denmark from 2011 to 2015 and now serves on the board of several organisations, including Meta’s Oversight Board. She said, “AI technology is transforming the way we work and is impacting society in profound ways, so the adoption and development of this technology needs to be shouldered responsibly and scrupulously. What Neurons is doing with its responsible business measures is pioneering a new standard for the industry, and I am pleased to be part of their ethical advisory board, helping them carve out this path.”

 

Appointments, News, Technology

Alludo Appoints Pablo Gargiulo, Former Aircall Executive, as Chief Revenue Officer

Alludo, a global technology company helping people work better and live better, today announced the appointment of Pablo Gargiulo as its new Chief Revenue Officer. With over 20 years of leading global go-to-market roles, including key roles as CRO at Aircall and VP of Sales for LogMeIn, Pablo brings a rich background in tech and telco to Alludo. His expertise in serving partners, enterprise and SMB customers, M&A, and high-velocity sales aligns with Alludo’s growth path.

As CRO, Pablo will collaborate closely with the executive team to elevate Alludo’s mission to reimagine what work looks and feels like. The company offers innovative technology solutions that empower users around the world to be productive where, when, and how it suits them best.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Pablo to the Alludo team. His dual commitment to driving results and putting people first is right in line with what we’re creating for our company and our customers,” said Christa Quarles, CEO at Alludo. “Pablo’s deep experience in driving impressive revenue growth, along with his hands-on M&A leadership, will be a major asset in accelerating the growth of our portfolio. I am excited to have him join our leadership team as we serve our millions of users, including SMBs and enterprises, as well as our valued partners with our next generation of solutions that power secure and productive remote and hybrid work.”

“Nothing is as exciting as transformation, and it is impossible to not be impressed when you see what Christa Quarles and team have already accomplished at Alludo. Whether it’s the company’s track record as a highly scalable platform for M&A, the recent launch of its deeply human new brand, or its leadership in delivering some of the industry’s most beloved applications like Parallels and CorelDRAW, so many reasons attracted me to this opportunity,” said Pablo Gargiulo, CRO at Alludo. “With a remarkable people-first approach and industry-leading technology, Alludo is fostering a sense of purpose and possibility in this new world of work. I am eager to join them in this mission.”

Pablo Gargiulo’s biography is available at www.alludo.com/about/leadership.

 

About Alludo
Alludo is a global technology company helping people work better and live better. We’re the people behind award-winning, globally recognizable brands including Parallels®, Corel®, MindManager®, and WinZip®.

Our professional-caliber graphics, virtualization, and productivity solutions are finely tuned for the digital remote workforce delivering the freedom to work when, where, and how you want.

With a 35+ year legacy of innovation, Alludo empowers all you do, helping more than 2.5 million paying customers to enable, ideate, create, and share on any device, anywhere. To learn more, visit www.alludo.com.

Appointments, Business & Property News, News

Paul Slevin standing down as Executive Chair of Chambers Wales

Paul Slevin is standing down as Executive Chair of prominent business group Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid.

Over the last three years, Paul, as an experienced business leader, has been central in enabling and driving growth in Welsh businesses, both at home and on the international market. Paul has been a board member and Director of Chambers Wales since 2018, and stepped into the role of President in January 2020.

 

Rachelle Sellek, Chamber board member and Partner at Acuity Law, said: “Paul’s contribution to Chambers Wales and the commitment he has shown to championing businesses here in Wales has been invaluable. He has worked tirelessly to help our members and support the business community and for that we are very grateful. We wish him every success for the future.”

 

Paul Slevin said: “Having stepped up to the role of President in January 2020, little did I know that just a few short months later, we would find ourselves in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, followed closely by a cost-of-living crisis that has been devastating for the economy and businesses across Wales.

“It has been my absolute privilege to guide and support our members through some of the most difficult times I’ve seen for the business community and I’m incredibly proud of the progress we have made.

“I now feel it’s my time to move on and pursue other challenges and thank our members for their support during my time in this role.”

 

Chamber Wales’ Director of Academy Paul Butterworth has been appointed as interim CEO.

Appointments, Data & Analytics, News, Technology

Keepler Data Tech appoints former IBM leader as part of rapid growth and international expansion

Keepler Data Tech, a leading European advanced data analytics company, has announced that Sean Poulley has joined the company as its Chief Operating Officer.

Poulley’s appointment comes at a time of rapid growth for the organisation. Since its launch in 2018, Keepler has consistently expanded its business with the intention of delivering greater impact for its customers.

Much of this growth has been achieved during the pandemic period. Through 2020 and 2021, year-on-year revenues increased by 30%, with growth doubling to 60% last year.

In September 2022, Keepler launched in the UK, having since added eight new clients to its portfolio to bring its total to 26. Last year also saw a 40% growth in headcount, making the company’s workforce now more than 180 strong.

A major responsibility for Poulley in his new role will be to continue driving this growth momentum forwards. Specifically, he is responsible for enabling the company’s expansion in alignment with its culture and values, optimising revenue and operations, elevating employee engagement and evolving the company’s services portfolio.

During his career, he has held multiple executive product and services leadership roles and has consistently delivered transformational change and growth. This includes a highly influential tenure within IBM’s multi-billion-dollar data and analytics portfolio, as well as building and serving at the world’s leading ‘born in the cloud’ adoption services company, Cloudreach.

Juan Aramburu, CEO, Keepler Data Tech, commented: “Sean has a proven track record and has dedicated his career to delivering excellence across technical organisations and products, making him the perfect fit. Last year was an important year for us and we are now well-positioned to start building Keepler 2.0. We’re excited to bring Sean on board as we embark on this next critical phase in our journey.”

Sean Poulley, Chief Operating Officer, Keepler Data Tech, added: “I am delighted to join a fantastically talented team and play a role in writing the next chapter in Keepler’s fast-moving story. My job is to make sure the potential within the business is maximised to the fullest extent, which in turn will deliver outstanding value to a growing pool of customers around the world.”

Appointments, News, Technology

Xalient bolsters leadership team with two key appointments to drive growth and enhance customer experience

Xalient, a secure network transformation specialist, today announces the appointment of two new business directors to its senior leadership team. The addition of David Bowes as Chief People Officer and Dorota Gibiino as Director of Marketing demonstrates the company’s commitment to driving growth and strengthening its global brand.

 

David Bowes brings over 20 years of experience in high-growth IT businesses to his new role as Chief People Officer, having previously worked as CPO at Phlexglobal, TalentFit, and WDS.

“Xalient’s focus on employee well-being and development is what attracted me to join the team,” said David. “I’m excited to lead the people strategy and ensure Xalient continues to be a great place to work.”

 

Dorota Gibiino, based in the UK, joins Xalient as Director of Marketing to support the company’s ambitious expansion plans and global growth, especially in the USA. She brings a wealth of experience, having held senior marketing positions at Node4, Centiq, and Primenet Ltd.

“I’m thrilled to join Xalient and help build on the company’s success in delivering innovative and reliable IT services to clients around the world,” said Dorota. “My focus will be on leveraging Xalient’s unique value proposition and expanding its reach in key markets, ensuring our customers receive the best possible experience and outcomes.”

 

“We are thrilled to welcome David and Dorota to our senior leadership team,” said Sherry Vaswani, CEO of Xalient. “Their extensive experience and expertise will be invaluable in driving Xalient’s growth strategy forward. We are confident that their leadership will help us continue to focus on our employees’ well-being and development and strengthen our global brand, making Xalient the go-to provider for managed IT services.”

 

Xalient has experienced rapid growth in recent years, receiving recognition from both the Sunday Times Hundred 2022 list of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies and the FEBE Growth 100 list, which champions Britain’s fastest-growing, founder-led private companies. This success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Xalient team. As Xalient looks to the future, it is committed to continued growth and success, building on its achievements and striving to be at the forefront of its industry.

 

To learn more about Xalient and its services, visit www.xalient.com

Appointments, Law, News, North of England, Yorkshire

Double appointment boosts immigration service at law firm

Yorkshire law firm Truth Legal has made two appointments at its recently opened Hull office.

Specialist immigration lawyer, Frances Ledbury and experienced immigration paralegal Olivia Pickering have both joined the firm. The double appointment strengthens the firm’s immigration law service.

Frances Ledbury brings almost 20 years of immigration expertise to the firm, joining as immigration solicitor and head of the Hull office at Truth Legal from Williamsons Solicitors in Hull. Frances’ role involves working alongside businesses to find solutions to their immigration issues, including assisting with international recruitment and sponsor licence applications and audits. Frances has extensive experience supporting a range of sectors including care, hospitality, engineering and farming. Frances also specialises in advising individuals on their options to remain in the UK, advising students, employees and Europeans on their ongoing status and settlement and bringing families to the UK.

Frances reunites with experienced paralegal Olivia Pickering with whom she previously worked at Williamsons Solicitors. Olivia brings over seven years of immigration experience to her new role.

The Hull office of Truth Legal officially opened at the start of the year and is the firm’s third regional office. The business first launched in Harrogate in 2012. A Leeds office was opened in 2021.

Commenting on the appointments, Georgina Parkin, Truth Legal’s managing director and co-owner, said: “The past few years we’ve experienced rapid expansion and an increase in demand for specialist legal advice, particularly in the immigration law sector. This success led directly to the opening of the Hull office. To have both Frances and Olivia join the team provides a huge boost to the firm and its immigration specialism offering.

“We are establishing a growing presence in Yorkshire which is helping to create a solid foundation for the future as we look to build and strengthen relationships with clients and build the reputation of the firm. We look forward to adding to our recent successes and further increasing the number of expert professionals at the firm as it continues to grow.”

The Hull office of Truth Legal services both private and wider business community client needs, helping them to access a wide range of legal expertise including all types of immigration law, personal injury, clinical negligence, employment law, general litigation and professional negligence. It also provides the East Riding with access to an extended range of specialist services provided by experts located at their Leeds and Harrogate head office.

 

For more information, visit www.truthlegal.com