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July 7, 2020

Surveyors Naismiths add to senior team as distressed property market grows

The national firm of surveyors Naismiths has appointed Kevin Marshall as a director of building consultancy, as part of a strategic expansion.

The firm, which in 2019 achieved annual revenue growth of 26% and expanded its team of chartered surveyors by 37%, is now ramping up its expert witness and dispute resolution capability in response to the rapid growth of the UK’s distressed property market.

Mr Marshall, who is a chartered building surveyor and former board member at Rendall & Rittner, is a well-known and respected figure in the property management sector.

He has an impressive track record of entrepreneurialism that will make him a natural fit at Naismiths. He brings a first-class pedigree in residential block and commercial property management, and has regularly served as an expert witness in both the residential and commercial sectors.

He has particular expertise in building pathology – identifying and assessing the causes of defects – that can play a decisive role in resolving disputes. Working in tandem with fellow Naismiths director Adrian Aston, the duo will now spearhead Naismiths’ expert witness and dispute resolution team.

Gareth Belsham, head of building consultancy at Naismiths, commented:

“These are challenging times for the UK property sector, and as an industry we are being tested like never before. Both developers and lenders are being understandably cautious, but the rapid growth of the distressed end of the market is offering new opportunities.

“Naismiths is strong in part because of the quality of our people, but also because of our agility and diversification. We offer three clearly defined service lines, and by redeploying our talented teams in response to market demand we are able to thrive in good times and bad.

“Kevin’s pedigree and industry contacts are second to none, and we’re delighted to welcome him aboard. His building surveying and pathology expertise will be invaluable as we consolidate our existing strengths and boost our technical expertise and dispute resolution capability.“

July 6, 2020

Leumi UK appoints Sidharth Mishra as head of client operations and services

Sidharth Mishra has joined the London-based subsidiary of Israel’s leading international bank as head of client operations and services. In his new role, he will report directly to recently appointed chief operating officer (COO), George Evans, and will be responsible for helping to streamline and automate Leumi UK’s risk mitigation processes, while ensuring scalability and efficiency.

Sidharth has over 15 years’ experience in IT, process improvements and operations, having started his career at India’s largest private sector bank, ICICI Bank.

During his tenure there, Sidharth led operations in one of the bank’s most active branches before being selected to set up and head retail operations for ICICI Bank UK in 2007. Most recently, he headed operations for Axis Bank UK, where he was responsible for setting up processes for corporate and retail operations along with IT infrastructure.

Commenting on the appointment, George Evans, COO at Leumi UK, says: “Sidharth’s extensive experience in IT and operations provides a boost to our current offering, while ensuring our clientcentric, high-quality service is upheld – we are thrilled to have him on board.”

Sidharth adds: “I am delighted to be joining the exceptional team at Leumi UK and look forward to playing an active role in the optimisation of its operations processes while helping the bank to achieve its ambitious growth objectives. I’m sure it will be an exciting year ahead.”

July 6, 2020

1pm plc promote Joe Ralphs to head of soft asset broker

1pm plc, the AIM-listed independent specialist provider of finance facilities to UK SMEs, is delighted to announce that it has promoted Joe Ralphs to the new role of head of soft asset broker.

Joe steps up to the position having gained over 12 years’ industry experience and built a credible career in the 1pm Group. Joe worked his way up through the ranks by gaining experience as an underwriter and then operations manager before successfully taking on a role that would see him manage broker relations within the organisation. With a wealth of experience in building and maintaining strong relationships with brokers and supporting their clients with asset-based funding solutions, Joe now takes responsibility for managing the new business operation whilst continuing to develop the panel of brokers across the soft asset division.
Speaking of his appointment, Joe said: “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead such a hard-working and dedicated team at 1pm. Stepping up to this new role comes at vital time for our brokers and their clients as we continue to look at new ways to ensure SMEs receive a financial solution that is right for them during these uncertain times. I look forward to working with the team to make a real difference in the Group; striving to deliver a market leading service that will see us well placed to continue our support in the months and years to come.”

Carol Roberts, head of asset finance at 1pm plc, commented: “This is a thoroughly deserved promotion for Joe who has an excellent reputation for developing long-standing relationships with his broker network and delivering creative funding solutions to their clients.

In what is an incredibly challenging time for small businesses, we are doing everything we can to support our brokers and their clients, and Joe is the ideal employee to lead our Soft Asset Broker division in doing so.”

Collectively, the Group provide access to a multi-product range of business finance solutions from asset finance, invoice finance, commercial loans through to vehicle finance. With UK SME’s facing a cash flow crisis, the firm is committed to helping ensure they have the right funding in place to trade through these difficult conditions.

July 3, 2020

Avonhurst boosts practice with two high profile appointments

Avonhurst today announced two new senior appointments, further cementing the rapid growth that has characterised its first year.

Carolyn Conner is a specialist in international financial restructuring who spent over 20 years at magic circle firm Allen & Overy, 13 as partner. Experienced private equity specialist Raymond McKeeve is currently president and chief operating officer at Cingo Global and non-executive director at financial services company Azura (both roles he will retain) and was previously a partner at the London office of Jones Day responsible for their large cap private equity business. Both will join as senior advisors.

Avonhurst is a political strategy and legal advisory firm dedicated to representing sophisticated capital. Since its launch in July 2019, it has attracted a raft of established talent, including six partner hires – mostly from magic circle firms – as well as hiring leading figures from the political, financial and legal sectors as senior advisors, including Lord (Gavin) Barwell, tech entrepreneur Sean West, general, the lord (Nick) Houghton, Blackstone’s Andrew Dowler and Tina Fordham, formerly of Citigroup.

Jonathan Bloom, chief executive of Avonhurst, comments:

“We are delighted to welcome Carolyn and Raymond to the firm as senior advisors. Having worked in the London and New York offices of Allen & Overy, Carolyn brings two decades’ experience in the international financial markets. At a time when many clients will be examining all of their economic options, her specialist expertise in financial restructuring is key in strengthening our already impressive roster of experts.

“An established private equity specialist and former global transactions lawyer, Raymond brings both private practice and in-house experience to our team.

“The arrival of Carolyn and Raymond is further evidence of Avonhurst’s ability to attract the leading national and international talent to the firm, drawn by the strength and originality and relevance of our offering.

When many other firms are retrenching or struggling to articulate their market proposition, we are committed to smart and targeted growth and know how to add value to our clients across multiple disciplines. We have already rapidly established ourselves as trusted advisor to some of the smartest pools of global capital, and as Covid-19 and its aftermath reshapes not just the markets but the future itself, we are ideally placed to steer clients through these unprecedented times.”

July 3, 2020

Unity Trust Bank appoints new chief operating officer

Unity Trust Bank has appointed Mark Clayton as its new chief operating officer, to lead Unity’s customer proposition and support growth.

Mark joins Unity Trust Bank after 23 years at HSBC, having held a number of senior roles. Most recently, Mark was head of premier distribution where he led the strategic growth of the retail premier and international business.

Headquartered in Brindleyplace, Birmingham, Unity Trust Bank supports businesses and organisations that share its philosophy to support economic, community and social change.

In March this year, Unity Trust Bank announced a 30% increase in lending growth over 2019, with over £243m of loans approved to socially responsible businesses.

Mark will lead the Bank’s customer proposition to ensure Unity is well positioned to meet the needs of its existing customers and those businesses seeking change.

Commenting on his appointment, Mark said: “I am delighted to be joining at such an exciting time. Having focused on financial wellbeing and seen first-hand the positive impact it has made, I have a deep understanding of the vital role that banks play in society. Unity’s ambition to deliver sustainable growth and make a positive and lasting change in the communities it serves were key factors in my decision to join the team.

“The last few months have been unprecedented on many levels. Unity has adjusted working arrangements to keep colleagues safe while remaining focused on supporting our customers. Amid this uncertainty I believe that customers will seek out those organisations that provide excellent service, and we have a unique opportunity to demonstrate how banking can be better.”

CEO of Unity Trust Bank, Margaret Willis, added: “Mark’s vast experience will be a hugely valuable addition to the team. These are uncertain times for many businesses and Unity will continue to adapt and respond quickly to their needs, ensuring customers remain central to our thinking.”.

June 29, 2020

B-North appoints seasoned SME banking expert

B-North, the firm building an SME lending bank for the UK, has announced the appointment of Rebecca Owen as its first regional managing director. Rebecca will help to develop and launch the firm’s first ‘lending pod’ – which will be based in Manchester.

Rebecca’s skill set is perfectly suited for the challenges of delivering a new regional SME lending bank, the UK’s first in 150 years, as she has both extensive experience in delivering meaningful SME lending and working at a challenger brand.

Rebecca brings with her more than two decades of business and commercial banking experience – leading teams through demanding environments, such as the global financial crisis, a large scale integration and a following disintegration some time later all while building strong relationships with her team to ensure delivery for her SME customers. Most recently head of origination at a challenger bank for the past 12 months following over 20 years at RBS Group Plc where she spent the majority of her career working with SME’s in various senior positions.

Tapping into the UK SME lending market valued at over £150 billion per year, B-North’s model is built upon the premise of operating regional ‘lending pods’ of underwriters, brokers, and account managers across the UK for faster lending and to build face-to-face relationships with growing businesses. Through its model of rich client relationships and utilisation of cloud banking technology B-North aims to deliver lending up to 10x faster than the market standard.

B-North continues to make strong regulatory, commercial and technical progress and expects to commence lending activities later in 2020.

Rebecca said: “I am excited to start work with the B-North team at what is such a critical and exciting time on their journey to building a truly regional SME lending bank. With the UK economy eager to get moving after what has been a very damaging time both socially and economically, B-North’s vision for personal and fast SME lending has never been more critical. I am looking forward to working with the team as we establish B-North’s first lending pod.”

B-North, which last year appointed the founding chair of the British Business Bank, Ron Emerson CBE as its chairman, is led by a team who have held numerous senior positions at some of the UK’s biggest high-street banks.

B-North CEO and co-founder Jonathan Thompson said: “We are delighted to be adding Rebecca to our talented team – her appointment is another demonstration of B-North attracting top talent to help us in our mission to fuel the county’s vital SME’s. Rebecca’s appointment comes at a vital stage in our journey as we look not just to aid a post-Covid economic recovery, but also to help the rebalancing of the nation’s economy with the provision of financial services across the country.”

June 29, 2020

Aldermore appoints new head of development and specialist property

Aldermore bank has appointed Iain Bryson as its new head of development and specialist property within its commercial real estate team.

Iain has over 35 years’ experience in the commercial real estate sector, most recently working at Europe Arab Bank, part of the Arab Bank group, as head of real estate finance. Prior to working at Europe Arab Bank, Iain held roles at Santander, Deutsche Bank and Bank of Scotland, where he worked for over 20 years.

In his new role, Iain will help strengthen Aldermore’s specialist real estate offering across sectors including hotels, healthcare and student accommodation.

John Carter, commercial director for commercial real estate at Aldermore, said: “It’s great to have someone of Iain’s experience join our real estate team. Iain is well known in the industry for his expertise in emerging sectors and he will help further strengthen our offering to clients. I look forward to working with Iain in supporting our existing customers and growing our franchise.”

Iain Bryson, head of development and specialist property at Aldermore, said: “Having specialised in property finance for most of my career I am delighted to have joined Aldermore. I’m looking forward to expanding the bank’s lending proposition in the development space and supporting businesses right across the UK.”

June 26, 2020

Metro Bank appoints new chief people office

Metro Bank has today announced that Carol Frost has been appointed chief people officer. She joins the bank on 03.08.2020 and will report to the CEO, Daniel Frumkin and join the executive committee .

An experienced HR business leader she has a track record of delivering strategic business transformation programmes and a passion for identifying and developing talent. Carol joins the bank from Centrica Plc, where she was human resources director – Consumer Division. She has also held senior roles at Sequa Petroleum and BG Group Plc.

Commenting on the appointment, Dan Frumkin, Metro Bank CEO says: “I’m delighted Carol has decided to join Metro Bank. She is an experienced HR business leader with a track record of delivering strategic business transformation programmes and a passion for identifying and developing talent. Carol will be responsible for supporting and empowering our colleagues to deliver on the bank’s ambition to be the UK’s best community bank.”

Carol Frost added: “Metro Bank with its fantastic colleagues, strong culture and passion for customers is a dream job for an HR professional. My career has been dedicated to unlocking the potential in people and helping them to navigate a changing landscape. Understanding the impact of Covid-19 on how organisations can thrive, ensuring diversity and inclusion across the bank, protecting mental health and maintaining colleague wellbeing are all high on my agenda. Metro Bank is famous for its people and I can’t wait to be part of the team.”

June 26, 2020

Promotion to senior client account manager for Dan Robertson

Accountancy firm Clear Vision Financial Management has promoted Dan Robertson to senior client account manager.

Dan Robertson joined the Romsey office of Clear Vision Financial Management in September 2017 as a trainee accountant after completing his A Levels at Peter Symonds College.

During his time at Clear Vision Financial Management, Dan has provided accounting services to a wide variety of clients including coding and posting of purchase invoices, raising sales invoices and completing and submitting VAT returns and posting of journals to the ledgers. He is also responsible for running the payroll procedure, which includes auto-enrolment whilst also working alongside the management team to assist with the production of management accounts.

He is currently studying towards the AAT Level 4 qualification and was promoted to client account manager in December 2018. Clear Vision Financial Management will continue to support Dan with further training in the future as he is a valuable member of the team and this promotion to senior client account manager reflects that.

Sean Daniel, managing director said, “Dan has been an integral part of the team since joining Clear Vision Financial Management in 2017. We have supported him with his training and we are looking forward to his continued contributions to the team.”

June 25, 2020

Smartr365 appoints Billy Grimley as chief commercial officer

Smartr365, the end-to-end software platform provider for mortgage businesses, has today announced the appointment of Billy Grimley as its chief commercial officer.

In his new role, Billy will lead the creation of a cohesive and interconnected commercial strategy for Smartr365, focusing on excellent customer success processes to ensure users get maximum value from the platform both during and after their initial purchase. Bringing together his experience in sales, marketing and customer success, Billy will also lead a reorganisation of the commercial side of the business. This will involve streamlining processes and resource allocation, ensuring that Smartr365’s industry-leading team are operating as effectively as possible to deliver value for users.

Billy’s previous roles at companies such as TrustPilot and WeWork have consolidated his knowledge and expertise in integrating SAAS technology into businesses, to disrupt ‘traditional’ sectors. This is something he will continue in his career at Smartr365 as he assists Smartr365 in their objective of bringing sophisticated technology to the famously hesitant mortgage industry.

Billy Grimley, CCO at Smartr365, said:

“The main issue facing the mortgage industry is that the technology has often been overlooked when it comes to innovation and development. I’m excited to be working with a company that focuses on leading these changes and streamlining the mortgage process for brokers and their clients.

“The mortgage market is resting on their laurels and traditional views; it’s time for a shake-up. Smartr365 is well positioned to be the market disrupter and the driving force for change, helping companies grow by harnessing SAAS technology and breaking away from their dated methods. I look forward to working with everyone at Smartr365 and our many industry partners to achieve this.”

Conor Murphy, CEO of Smartr365 said:

“Smartr365 has always been differentiated from the rest of the market by our tech-first approach and our commitment to delivering great customer service for both our users and their clients. It’s essential that every part of our team shares that ethos, and Billy fits the bill perfectly.

“We’re excited to get going. Billy’s extensive experience of SAAS technology and customer success models will be a great asset to Smartr365’s growth as we continue to focus on delivering an unrivalled broker platform”

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