JLL has bolstered the strength of its North West service offering with a wave of promotions.

The global real estate services firm has invested in its Manchester team with promotions in its Residential and Development and Regeneration divisions.

Heather Turner, who originally joined the business in 2013, has been promoted to Director and Corina Ositelu to Senior Surveyor in the Development and Regeneration team.

They’re joined by Michael Tolan, who has been appointed to Senior Surveyor for Residential and Nadia Manchester who has been promoted to a Surveyor position.

Jonathan Wiedemann, head of the North West at JLL, said: “Manchester’s property market, and its wider economy, continue to show robustness in the face of the headwinds it has faced into in recent years. We’re committed to matching that by investing in our staff, ensuring they grow in their roles and responsibilities to meet the high standards our clients expect.

“I’d like to congratulate Heather, Corina, Michael and Nadia for their well earned promotions, thank them for their hard work and commitment, and look forward to seeing them develop further in the coming years.”

::

Maisie Clark

SAS Daniels, the North West law firm, has promoted Maisie Clark and Matthew Ottley to the positions of solicitors, as the duo complete their training contracts with the business.

Maisie, who has worked in property law for more than seven years, is well-versed in dealing with both buyers and sellers on a variety of transactions. She will now start her next chapter as a solicitor in the commercial property team at the Macclesfield office.

Matthew Ottley

With experience in employment, corporate and commercial property law during his time at the firm, Matthew has qualified as a solicitor into the employment team, working across the Stockport, Macclesfield and Congleton offices, largely focused on the latter two. Utilising his expertise, Matthew assists with tribunal litigation and a range of employment law matters.

Jeremy Orrell, chief executive, said: “I would like to congratulate both Maisie and Matthew on their well deserved promotions, both of whom I am sure will continue to be much valued members of the team as they take on their new positions. It has been a privilege to watch Maisie and Matthew flourish in their professions so far and I wish them both all the best with their further development.”

::

Nicole Burstow

Bridgemere UK, led by former Redrow Chairman Steve Morgan, has appointed Nicole Burstow as its new Chief Financial Officer.

Burstow joins from Dow Schofield Watts, where she was deputy CEO and CFO, and previously spent nearly 16 years at Deloitte.

She succeeds Ashley Lewis, who is retiring in September after 20 years at the company.

Cheshire-based Bridgemere, which is part of the £1bn Bridgemere group of companies, has investments predominately in the housing, property and leisure sectors which include Carden Park Hotel & Spa and Castle Green Homes, one of the UK’s fastest growing housebuilders.

Bridgemere Investments, which is also part of the Bridgemere Group, has a substantial shareholding in Redrow and Spire Healthcare and is also currently underwriting Regional REIT’s £110.5m capital raise.

Morgan said: “It’s an exciting time for Bridgemere and we’re delighted to have recruited someone of Nicole’s calibre. It is rare to find a comparable role outside London, and the position attracted a huge level of interest. Nicole was an exceptional candidate in a very strong field, and she joins the company at a time of huge opportunity.”

Burstow said: “The range and diversity of the role is unique and we are seeing a number of exciting opportunities in the current market.”

Morgan also paid tribute to Ashley Lewis, saying: “Ashley has been a valued friend and trusted colleague for 20 years. Over this period, the group has seen transformational change, including developments across Europe, the acquisition and sale of Wolves (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC) and several other transactions including our earlier healthcare investment in Circle.

“His significant contributions at Carden Park Hotel and Castle Green Homes, as well as his work at The Steve Morgan Foundation have been hugely valued and appreciated and I wish him well in his retirement.”

::

Ian Dixon

A dedicated leader of the region’s funding and finance ecosystem has been appointed as GM Business Growth Hub’s new Head of Access to Finance.

Ian Dixon has been promoted to the new role after 16 years as the Hub’s Access to Finance (A2F) Team Leader.

Dixon has more than 20 years of professional and industry experience in a variety of senior roles, and before joining the Hub worked across a wide portfolio of financial projects, including flotations and acquisitions.

Working at A2F, Dixon has played a key role in supporting the region’s SMEs to secure appropriate funding from either the public or private sector.

Janine Smith, GM Business Growth Hub Director, said: “Ian has a strong commercial background, is well known and respected across the sector and understands the challenges businesses face in seeking finance and funding, particularly in the equity space.”

Recruitment of a new Network Manager and two new A2F advisors is under way.

Ian Dixon added: “The pace of change within the investment landscape continues to accelerate and presents both significant challenges but importantly opportunities for the development of the Access to Finance advisory service.

“I hope to build upon the successes of the past as we look to invest in extending the capacity and capabilities of the future service for the benefit of the GM business community.”

::

Charlotte Platts

Evelyn Partners, the wealth management and professional services group which looks after £61.8bn of client assets, said Charlotte Platts will be joining the business in August as Regional Managing Partner for its Financial Planning business across Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Charlotte has 35 years’ experience in wealth management and joins from Nationwide Building Society where, as Director of Financial Planning, she led a team of 330. Prior to that she was Head of Wealth at Santander UK, overseeing the group’s private banking and branch based financial planning business. Charlotte has also held senior roles at HSBC Private Bank and Investec.

Reporting to Emma Sterland, Chief Financial Planning Director at Evelyn Partners, Charlotte will work with managing partners in the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to drive continued growth in the group’s Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Knutsford, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle offices.

Emma Sterland said: “Charlotte is a highly experienced wealth management professional who shares our commitment to deliver high quality financial planning services to our clients. Charlotte’s extensive experience in growing and leading teams at large firms will be invaluable as we continue with our ambitious plans to expand our presence in the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.”

Charlotte said: “I am very much looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead. In particular a return to a focus both on wealth management and the North region where I hope I can bring my knowledge and experience to help develop an already successful business for the benefit of our clients and colleagues.”

::

Mak Singh

Manchester and Cheshire-based Maguire Family Law, a divorce and family law firm specialising in high net worth, international, and child abduction cases, has added to its team with the appointment of a new solicitor.

Mak Singh is based at the firm’s Manchester city centre office, which opened earlier this year. Previously part of a Legal 500-ranked team in Liverpool and Manchester, Mak has spent the entirety of his career working in the family law sector.

In his new role, Mak will deal with all aspects of relationship breakdown, specifically complex, high net worth, and high-conflict divorces. As part of this, he will also advise clients on financial settlements and child arrangements.

Mak is one of several new hires the firm plans to make in the coming months, as it gears up for the next stage of growth.

James Maguire, managing director, said: “2024 has been a year of growth for the firm. Having opened our fourth office in February, Mak is an excellent addition to our team based in central Manchester.”

Mak Singh said: “It’s an exciting time to join the firm and I look forward to expanding my experience, taking on new challenges, and guiding clients through significant life decisions.”

Formed in 2010, Maguire Family Law has offices in Altrincham, Knutsford, Wilmslow, and Manchester city centre.

::

James Blamire

Fixings and fasteners firm, ForgeFix, has strengthened its sales team with the appointment of James Blamire.

In his new role, James Blamire will oversee both the North and the North West of England as he aims to further consolidate the business’s UK market by adding value to merchant customers.

James is no stranger to the fixing and fastener industry or the Dormole Group, having joined Harrison & Clough in 2000 as a Trainee Sales Advisor. James then climbed the corporate ladder working as an External Sales Representative, Senior Sales Manager onto Senior Warehouse and Distribution Manager. Having become responsible for a vast distribution network, James found his focus in management.

Both Harrison and Clough and ForgeFix are subsidiaries of the Dormole Group which meant James had already been familiar with ForgeFix products. He moved to ForgeFix given its sustainability initiatives and core focus in becoming a value-added supplier.

James said: “I’ve joined ForgeFix at an exciting time and I plan to position the company in the best possible stead for its promising future plans. As such, my aim is to hone my current skills and take helm of the North and North West sales region by fostering those strong client relationships that makes ForgeFix the value-added supplier it is.”

Head of Sales, Paul Simpson, said: “James has fitted in great with our sales team and has already started making significant contributions. I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”