Category Archives: Appointments

Appointments, Construction, Property

Homes by Stirlin appoints new managing director

Lincolnshire residential developer, Homes by Stirlin, has announced the appointment of Tony Lawton as managing director. Tony joins Homes by Stirlin to spearhead the firm’s ongoing expansion strategy and brings with him over 30 years of expertise and reputation in residential development, having previously been MD of Lindum Homes.

Established in 2016, Homes by Stirlin was set up by brother and sister team James Kirby and Abigail Purdy and sisters Jo Costall and Victoria Hilliard. It is the result of two families with strong backgrounds in local development and construction, coming together with a shared passion to deliver high-quality homes in prime locations.

Since its inception, Homes by Stirlin has quickly established a reputation for excellent build quality. Its first development – Lodge Lane, in Nettleham – brought 40 new homes to the market with a further four to be released soon, along with developments in Saxilby and Brant Road.

With an increasing number of new residential developments in the pipeline, the role of managing director has been created to deliver Homes by Stirlin’s ambitious growth strategy. Tony will lead the expansion plans using his wealth of practical experience and sound understanding of what discerning home buyers require from a modern and efficient home.

Tony said of his new role:

“Homes by Stirlin is going from strength to strength with a number of sites to be announced next year. We are also looking for short-term sites for immediate delivery, medium-term sites to take through the planning process and long-term sites as part of our strategic planning. In addition, we are also looking to further expand the Homes by Stirlin team.

“I’m proud to be a part of this impressive company and I’m looking forward to being part of the team on our onward journey.”

Managing director of Stirlin Developments and director of Homes by Stirlin, James Kirby, said:

“Our ambition is to be one of the leading local residential developers. Homes by Stirlin continues to welcome demand from buyers wanting exclusive homes within highly desirable locations – and to help us continue to meet that demand and achieve our aspirations for the future – we have appointed Tony as managing director.

“Tony’s reputation proceeds him. Myself and the entire Stirlin team are elated to have him on board. Having Tony join Homes by Stirlin is a milestone for us and we are confident that with him at the helm, Homes by Stirlin will continue to thrive; delivering beautiful homes and providing first-class customer service to our buyers.”

Jo Costall, director of Homes by Stirlin, added:

“Homes by Stirlin has come a long way in a short space of time, our residential developments offer a superb place for people to live. We are extremely proud that our first development, Lodge Lane in Nettleham, has been nominated for a Premier Guarantee Excellence Award.

“With an increasing focus on expansion and the acquisition of a number of new sites, we are very much looking forward to 2020.

Appointments, FInance

TransferGo strengthens leadership team and launches in new markets following record year for growth

TransferGo, one of the world’s fastest growing money transfer companies, has today announced that it has now completed over five million transactions, with its user base continuing to grow in the thousands each day.

To support this rapid growth, the remittance company has made four senior hires from some of the biggest names in the technology and financial services sector like PayPal and Santander and launched its service in four new markets making it available in over 50 countries.

Some of those new markets include payment corridors to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Indonesia – countries that are seeing huge increase in the volume of remittances as expatriates look to find the most cost effective and efficient ways to send money to friends and family. This launch into new markets follows TransferGo’s successful entry into the Indian market, where it has seen a 180% increase in money flow over the last 12 months.

Daumantas Dvilinskas, CEO and Co-Founder, TransferGo commented:

“As we continue to grow rapidly and expand our offering into new markets, we needed to ensure we had the right personnel on board to enable us to keep providing one of the best remittance services available. We’re delighted to welcome Scott, Simon, Anna and Gareth to our team at this exciting time.”

TransferGo’s new senior hires include:

  • Scott Chow, Chief Product Officer – Scott joins TransferGo from Santander’s Asto, a fintech which develops financial tools for SMEs and freelancers – where he was CPO. Prior to this he held the same position at Starling Bank.
  • Simon Moran, Chief Commercial Officer – Simon was previously CCO at Yoyo, the UK’s largest & fastest growing multi-retailer mobile loyalty & payments platform. Prior to Yoyo he spent over eight years as a member of PayPal’s UK senior leadership team.
  • Anna Roe, Chief People Officer – Anna was Global Head of People at Airbnb management experts, Airsorted, before joining TransferGo. Prior to this she was Global Recruitment Lead (engineering) for Transferwise.
  • Gareth Knight, Chief Growth Officer – Gareth’s previous roles include CMO of B2B SaaS business Mettrr, and CMO of the UK’s largest gym marketplace, PayAsUgym.

TransferGo is favored by migrants working in the UK who send money home to their families but don’t want to deal with the bureaucracy and fees imposed by banks for processing payments in other countries and currencies.

Based in London, UK, TransferGo is the quickest, most reliable remittance company in Europe, rated ‘excellent’ on Trustpilot (4.8) and with a NPS score of 75, it has built a much-loved brand based on transparency, trust and user experience. Last year the company announced a fee-free offer – the first completely free international money transfer service.

For more infomation, please visit https://www.transfergo.com/en

Appointments, Law, Midlands News

Grantham law firm appoints new commercial solicitor

JMP Solicitors is expanding its commercial team at its Grantham office with the appointment of a new solicitor, Robert Cox.

Having graduated from Keele University with a degree in Law and American Studies, Robert brings over 30 years’ legal experience to the team having worked in Melton Mowbray for 17 years at Oldham Marsh Page Flavell, and in Grantham for 16 years, at Close Kendall, Trumans, and Nelsons Solicitors.

Robert will bring a breadth of expertise to the role, in which he will be advising clients on all aspects of business and commercial law, with a particular interest in business start-up and litigation. He will look to bring a modern approach to legal problem solving, providing advice for all types of businesses, from well-established companies through to new start-ups.

On his new appointment, Robert said:

“JMP Solicitors is a modern, friendly firm providing legal services to businesses and personal clients and I’m very much excited to be part of such a forward-thinking and approachable team. It’s important to ensure that clients receive a friendly and helpful service, to guide them through legal obstacles, with minimal risks to keep costs down.

“I grew up in Grantham and to now be based here in the area where I live for work, so close to family and friends is very exciting- I look forward to putting my skills and expertise to good practice for a new challenge.”

Ian Howard, managing director at JMP Solicitors, said:

“We’d like to give a warm welcome to Robert on joining the JMP team. With his extensive experience and enthusiasm, he is an ideal asset to join our commercial division to lead and support its ever-growing portfolio.

“With Robert’s background working in the counties of Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, he has a whole collection of contacts within the business community which will help with new business development and building key relationships in the commercial sector.”

For more information please visit: https://www.jmp-solicitors.com

Appointments, London News

Frances Coats joins Augusta as General Counsel

Litigation funder Augusta today announces the appointment of Frances Coats as General Counsel, based in London.

Frances joins from diversified insurance business The Ardonagh Group, where, as Chief Counsel, she managed the Corporate and Commercial legal needs of the group. Coats was named as Legal 500 In-House Insurance Individual of the Year 2019, Legal Business’ Rising Star In-House Counsel of the Year 2019 and was listed in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 2019.

Frances’s recruitment is a further addition to Augusta’s management group following the arrivals of Proskauer’s Director of Professional Resources Polly Bahl as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and FTI Consulting Managing Director Leor Franks as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). These additions reflect Augusta’s continued growth and investment in professional functions to support the increasing demand for dispute and litigation funding.

Commenting on the appointment, Louis Young, Managing Director at Augusta, said:

“We’re pleased to welcome Frances to Augusta. With her deep experience of financial services in-house legal management, Frances will play an important role in advising on the next phase of our growth”.

Frances Coats commented:

“I’m delighted to be joining leading litigation funder Augusta. As the business continues to grow, entering new markets and forming strong strategic client relationships, I’m looking forward to supporting Augusta’s management team in the UK and internationally”.

Appointments, Business Software, HR News, Technology

Press Release: CoreHR Welcomes Steve Leeson as Chief Revenue Officer

CoreHR, leading provider of Cloud-based HR and payroll solutions announced today that IT industry business leader Steve Leeson has joined its Executive Team as Chief Revenue Officer.

Leeson brings two decades of experience heading growth strategies of respected SaaS vendors with him to CoreHR.  He led Oracle’s Human Capital Management (HCM) Cloud Apps Business in the UK for four years through 2018, delivering a fivefold increase in annual revenue. Similarly, Leeson transformed the position of HCM provider Saba in EMEA.  He now joins CoreHR from Genesys, where he was General Manager and Vice President UK and Ireland. Other roles have included leadership positions with ABB Software and SAP UK.

Leeson is a welcome addition to the CoreHR executive team which holds a combined 100 years of technology sector experience. He is joining at a great time as the company’s new business growth continues to accelerate with international retailer JD Sports recently added to the growing list of customers.

“I’m extremely excited to join CoreHR and further develop and deliver on the company’s ambitious growth strategy,” said Leeson.

“HR leaders everywhere are looking at technology to automate routine, help better serve employees and give HR back the time it needs to align people management strategies with business goals. It’s a great time for me to join this amazing, growing company.”

CoreHR’s platform allows business leaders to automate transactional HR practices and drive data-led strategic direction. The new XD platform, launched earlier this month, supports HR’s shift from a tactical function into one of the central pillars of an organisation.

“CoreHR’s revenue is growing at three times the pace of the already buoyant market for HR software and I’m delighted Steve has chosen to join us,” said Dean Forbes, CEO at CoreHR.

“Steve brings exceptional people leadership, commercial acumen, market knowledge and vision to CoreHR and I know he’ll play a truly instrumental role in our future.”

CoreHR is expanding rapidly in the UK and Ireland. For current opportunities please see the company’s careers pages.

Appointments, Benefits, HR News

TMF Group announces senior hire as it takes another step in reshaping employee benefits market

TMF Group, a leading provider of international business administration services, has made a significant hire as it continues to redefine how and where businesses can set up employee benefits plans.

Mark Lindsay has been appointed as Global Solutions Director, Employee Benefits, taking a leading role in developing TMF Group’s growing proposition to deliver a jurisdictionally agnostic approach to employee incentives services globally.

His appointment comes as TMF Group was granted a licence to offer employee benefits services in Abu Dhabi, adding to the licencing agreements already in place in Switzerland, Hong Kong and Jersey. That list is likely to grow further with Malta expected to join its portfolio in the coming months.

“Service providers are often guilty of shoehorning solutions into their preferred jurisdiction driven by where they have people on the ground and the structures they have in place, even though that may not be what’s best for the client,” said Lindsay, who joins TMF Group after five years at Intertrust.

“Our wider multi-jurisdiction approach looks to address that, enabling corporates to find the right jurisdiction to suit their strategic objectives, rather than where their advisors might be based.

“We are looking to build on that momentum, with a range of flexible, efficient and cost-effective solutions that are readily portable from company to company and jurisdiction to jurisdiction,” he added. “It’s an exciting time to be joining TMF Group as we take the lead in shaking up how and where employee benefits are set up and managed around the world.”

The team at TMF Group has also said that technology will sit at the heart of its solutions to ensure greater efficiencies and that highly mobile workforces – from oil rig to charity workers – will have easy access to their pensions, share options and investment plans.

Bethell Codrington, TMF Group’s Global Head, Employee Benefits, said:

“Our jurisdiction-neutral approach, supported by the fact that we have local expertise on the ground in over 80 locations, means we can offer multinational companies not only a wider, deeper level of support but also offer greater choice and flexibility when it comes to employee benefits.”

For more information please visit www.tmf-group.com

Appointments

OpenPayd, modular platform announces new Chief Product Officer and Chief Growth Officer

OpenPayd today announces the appointment of Adam Bialy as Chief Product Officer and Sophie Guibaud as Chief Growth Officer.

Sophie joins OpenPayd from Fidor, where she was appointed as Vice President of European Expansion in 2015, becoming Managing Director Europe in 2018. She began her career in investment banking before joining a growth capital fund. After launching HelloFresh, she led product strategy and commercialisation at Bankable, before establishing Fidor in the UK.

Adam joins OpenPayd with extensive experience in the payments and financial technology industry. He brings a broad range of product development knowledge from his prior role as Head of Payments at Sainsbury’s and senior roles at Ukash, FIS, Raiffeisen Bank and Elavon.

These strategic hires come at a pivotal time for OpenPayd as it continues to develop new banking and payments solutions, and grow its client base. Sophie and Adam will be a crucial part of developing and implementing initiatives within OpenPayd and advancing its modular platform to serve the needs of today’s corporates. The flexible technology enables businesses such as financial institutions, FX Brokers, cryptocurrency exchanges, e-commerce platforms and SMEs to quickly and easily access a customisable range of international banking products.

Iana Dimitrova, Chief Executive of OpenPayd, commented: 

“Adam and Sophie’s impressive experience and expertise mean we are better placed to accelerate the development of our customisable technology and growth of the business. I am delighted to welcome them to the team as we continue to expand our product offering and global reach.”

For more information please visit www.openpayd.com

Appointments

QA Announces New Addition To Senior Leadership Team

Former Conduent executive, Srikanth Iyengar joins new CEO Paul Geddes to drive future growth and expansion ​​​​​​​

QA, one of the UK’s leading digital education and skills providers, today announced the appointment of Srikanth Iyengar to its Executive Committee reporting into CEO Paul Geddes. Iyengar will start in the role from 1st November 2019 and will work with Geddes to shape QA’s growth and expansion plans – with full backing and investment from QA’s owners CVC Capital Partners.Iyengar joins from global outsourcing company Conduent, where he led European sales and operations as Group CEO. Prior to this he held senior leadership positions at Capgemini and Infosys, so brings a wealth of knowledge and experience.

“I am very excited to join QA – it’s clearly a really successful business with a market-leading position in digital education, and the opportunity for further growth is huge” said Iyengar.

“Their recent acquisition of San Francisco-based digital skills provider Cloud Academy further adds to its capabilities in structured technology certification programmes, and is a real illustration of QA’s intent to grow into new markets. I am really looking forward to bringing my knowledge and global experience to the role.”

Iyengar is well-recognised as an industry leader, and his appointment marks the second significant senior executive hire this year for CVC-backed QA.

In September, Paul Geddes joined to lead the business, after 10 successful years driving growth at insurance company Direct Line.

“QA is ambitious. We are already a world-class tech skills business – supporting and developing the careers of over 250,000 people each year – but we want to do more.  Demand for tech skills continues to increase – at home and abroad – and we see ourselves as the onlyplayer with the offering and scale to be able to service that demand,” said Paul Geddes, CEO of QA.

“Srikanth’s appointment is a core part of realising this ambition. His knowledge of the changing demands of the tech sector combined with his years of experience in senior leadership positions (for some of the UK’s top businesses) is the perfect combination for this role.”