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This month’s South East and London appointments

Martin McCourt, VentureFounders

London-based equity investment platform, VentureFounders, has appointed former CEO of Dyson, Martin McCourt, as Chairman of its Board.

The appointment comes after the company raised £1.8m in a fundraising effort which is to be used to fuel further growth and assist in its efforts to make venture capital and angel-style investing more accessible.

James Coding, Co-Founder and Managing Director of VentureFoudners, said: “This injection of capital will allow us to realise our expansion plans and we are thrilled to appoint Martin as Chairman. He has been a fantastic supporter of the business and brings considerable leadership skills to the table.

“The business has grown substantially over the past year and we are confident of further growth. Our handpicked, expertly vetted, high growth investment opportunities are resonating with investors especially when backed by leading VCs and Angels.”

David I’Anson, BDO

Accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO LLP, has expanded its audit team with the addition of David I’Anson as a new audit partner to its growing Southampton office.

David, who counts PwC and Mazars as former employers, has over 20 years’ experience in audit with a specialism in privately owned businesses and private equity backed firms in the technology, manufacturing and service sectors.

Commeting on his appointment, David said: “The quality and experience of partners and staff at BDO in Southampton, along with the firm’s national reputation and impressive breadth of services is what primarily drew me to this opportunity.

“There is a great focus on delivering excellent client service here. I will concentrate on working with the entrepreneurial, fast-growth mid-market companies of tomorrow who have already found their niche, have the right skills and expertise, but now need help to grow in a successful way.”

Diane Yarrow, Gardner Leader

Berkshire law firm Gardner Leader has recruited corporate lawyer Diane Yarrow as Partner.

Diane has 14 years experience in corporate and commercial law and will join the firm’s seven-strong corporate and commercial team based in Newbury, Thatcham and Maidenhead.

Diane said: “It is an exciting time for the area as regeneration is attracting more businesses and commuters to Berkshire. Moving to Gardner Leader is an opportunity to challenge myself in new ways.

“I am delighted to become a key part of this rapidly growing team and look forward to working with Richard to maximise the opportunity that this regeneration and business growth presents.”

Richard Buckeridge, Partner at Gardner Leader, added: “Much like Maidenhead itself, Gardner Leader is going through an exciting time of growth, with the development of legal services provided by the team in Maidenhead being a strategic focus for the firm.

“We are delighted to have Diane on board to help spearhead our expansion and to benefit from her wealth of knowledge and success in corporate and commercial law.”

Matt Macri-Waller, SalaryFinance

London’s SalaryFinance has added Benefex Founder and CEO, Matt Macri-Waller, to its advisory board.

The employee benefit company, which launched in 2015, offers UK businesses a financial benefit which allows their staff to consolidate their personal debts and repay them via a low interest, fixed-rate loan.

Macri-Waller joins SalaryFinance’s founders, Asesh Sarkar, Chief Executive Officer; Dan Cobley, Google UK’s former managing director; and entrepreneur Daniel Shakhani.

Matt Macri-Waller said: “I’m really delighted to join SalaryFinance. Financial health is an increasingly important area in employee benefits and SalaryFinance has a very innovative and effective solution. The business has the potential to make a very positive difference to the lives of many hard working employees.”

Will Wyley, Evolution5

Construction consultancy Evolution5 has appointed Will Wyley to the position of Senior Project Manager.

Will has worked on a diverse range of prestige projects such as the City of Westminster Courts, Surrey Sports Park for the University of Surrey, and was technical advisor for a number of projects within Surrey County Council’s secondary school programme.

Along with 13 years’ project management experience his specialisms include, amongst others, project planning, project monitoring, programme management and risk management.

Samantha Herod, Lloyd’s Bank Commercial Banking

Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking has strengthened its hotels team in London with the appointment of Samantha Herod as Mid Markets Relationship Manager.

Samantha has been with Lloyds Bank since 2005, when she joined as part of their fast-track training programme. Her decade of corporate banking experience has seen her assume responsibility for helping hotels in the capital grow as the economic recovery gathers pace.

Sam previously worked as a business partner within Lloyds Bank’s Corporate Real Estate Business Support Unit and now joins a five strong hotels team, headed up by business development director Diane Scott, and relationship director Tony Burnell that is dedicated to helping hoteliers within the M25.

Samantha said: “Whether for business or leisure travellers, London has always been a popular place to stay and, as the economic picture looks brighter, a lot of hotel groups are now looking to build their presence in the city and its surrounding areas.

“From creating new hotels or renovating and improving existing businesses, it’s a competitive and exciting time for the sector and one where hoteliers need the best quality support in order to take advantage of the opportunities that are there for them.”

William McKee CBE, Newcourt Residential

Newcourt Residential is continuing the expansion of its specialist team with the appointment of the former Chairman of Tilfen Land, William McKee CBE, to the Board of Directors.

William has over 30 years of experience in the public and private sector and joins the company development company as a non-executive director.

Karl Elkhadraoui, Managing Director, at Newcourt Residential comments: “William has a wealth of experience in the planning industry and has held many high profile positions over the last 30 years.

“We strongly believe he will be able to help us to grow our brand and build our reputation in the markets in which we want to deliver. He has an unrivalled understanding of the UK planning system, which will be invaluable as we look to acquire more sites and continue to expand our development pipeline.”

Jason Richey, LivaNova

Global medical technology company LivaNova has appointed Jason Richey as President of its Neuromodulation Business Unit and as a member of the Executive Leadership Team. He replaces Rohan Hoare who is stepping down.

Richey had previously held the role of Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for Neuromodulation at the London-headquartered firm, and has been with Cyberonics, Inc., the company’s predecessor, since 2001.

Commenting on the appointment, LivaNova’s Chief Executive Officer, André-Michel Ballester said: “Jason’s many years of experience and deep knowledge of the global Neuromodulation market will be essential in ensuring that LivaNova takes full advantage of the growth opportunity presented by the AspireSR generator in particular, and across all geographies.”

Ballester added: “I’d like to thank Rohan Hoare, who will step down from the leadership of the Neuromodulation Business Unit, for his many contributions to the Neuromodulation business. In his time as a leader, Rohan helped lay the groundwork to sustain the success of the business.”