This week’s North West appointments

Guy Bagshaw and John Clarke, LDC

Private equity firm LDC has appointed Guy Bagshaw and John Clarke as investment directors in its Manchester team.

Guy has joined from Rothschild, where he originated and delivered debt advisory mandates across the North. He has over 13 years’ experience in corporate finance.

Joining LDC from Clearwater International, where he served as a director, John has over 10 years’ M&A advisory experience and has advised entrepreneurs, private equity investors and their portfolio businesses, and PLCs.

The head of LDC in the North West, director Jonathan Bell, said: “We’ve not only had a strong start to 2017 with our investments in Fishawack and ChargePoint, but we’ve continued to support the ambitions of some of the region’s most exciting businesses.

“Having invested more than £250m and completing 13 new transactions out of the Manchester office alone in the last three years it’s clear that the region offers a number of quality investment opportunities, and it’s vital that we have the right people on board to help us support management teams looking for growth.”

In their new roles, both Guy and John will work to identify potential investment opportunities, lead transactions and support LDC’s portfolio businesses.

John Osborne, Harrison Drury

North West law firm Harrison Drury has promoted lawyer John Osborne as its new head of family law.

John has worked with the Preston-headquartered company since January 2016. He will take over from Damian Baron, who is remaining with the firm and will continue to advise clients.

Specialising in all legal matters relating to family breakdown, John has particular expertise in financial matters over divorce and complex child-related cases.

John said: “Damian is regarded as one of the foremost family lawyers in the region. He put Harrison Drury’s family law offering on the map in the last five years and we now have one of the most experienced family law teams in Lancashire and Cumbria.

“I look forward to building on this success as head of the service.”

Damian commented: “John is hugely experienced and it’s a privilege to hand over the reins to him.

“The team is successful because we’ve had a focus on resolving family disputes in an amicable way wherever possible.”

He added: “As a fully qualified collaborative family lawyer, this ethos will continue under John’s leadership.”

Harrison Drury MD John Chesworth hailed Damian as an “excellent ambassador for the firm” and a “great asset” to clients during his time at the helm of the family team.

He continued: “While he is stepping down as a director, I’m pleased to say he will remain actively involved in client matters.”

Basil leRoux, Berwick Partners

Executive search company Berwick Partners has added to its Manchester team with the appointment a new partner to head up its UK-wide HR practice.

In his new role, which follows six years as as the managing director of Michael Page Japan, Basil leRoux will focus on recruiting for senior-level HR positions.

He said: “With the politically-charged employment landscape demanding increased agility, now more than ever it’s vital that leading firms focus on securing top HR talent.

“Within this role at Berwick my aim is to build and maintain long-term relationships with clients and candidates alike, nurturing connections that will allow us to spot trends in their infancy and react to changing market conditions.”

Berwick Partners MD Richard Love commented: “Basil’s experience, perspective and approach make him an excellent addition to our senior team.

“His style and values resonate closely with ours. We’re confident that he will have an integral role to play as we cement our status as a leading retained search firm.”

He added: “This appointment underlines our commitment to the North West and the HR market.”

Dr Andy Round, MSIF

MSIF, the Liverpool-based business funding provider, has welcomed a new investment director to its team.

Dr Andy Round joined the company’s the senior investment team to oversee equity, early stage and larger loan investments made through MSIF’s various investing funds.

Prior to his appointment, Andy was a director of SPARK Impact, which managed investments for the £30m North West Fund for Biomedical. He has created more than 30 public and private sector spin-outs and raised and invested over £40m in his career to date.

Andy, who has a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Leeds, said: “MSIF are a well-respected, ambitious and growing fund manager in the North West region with significant funds to invest in local businesses.

“They’ve got a great team and I’m very excited to be joining them.”

He added: “The North West deals market is very active at the moment and with lots of new funding available, there are lots of opportunities for the region’s businesses to invest and grow.”

Lisa Greenhalgh, chief executive of MSIF, commented: “We are delighted to have Andy on board. He’s got a fantastic track record in investing and fundraising.

“Through the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund there is a remit for us to invest in early stage technology companies and Andy’s expertise in this area will be a great asset to us.”

She continued: “We’re in the final stages of securing another new fund which we hope to launch later in the spring so we needed to strengthen our investment teams. We’ve grown considerably recently; Andy is the fourth new recruit during the last 12 months.

“As well as raising external new funds and managing third party funds we also have MSIF’s own fund which will also invest around £60m over the next 10 years.”

Ben Williams, ACC Liverpool

The ACC Liverpool Group, which incorporates the Echo Arena, BT Convention Centre, Exhibition Centre Liverpool and ticketing agency TicketQuarter, has appointed a new commercial director.

Ben Williams has joined ACC Liverpool from the Leeds-based First Direct Arena, where he worked as general manager and led the team that launched the venue four years ago.

He was also previously commercial and marketing director of Manchester Arena.

Ben said: “Having worked in the events industry for many years, I am aware of the incredible journey that The ACC Liverpool Group has been on since it opened in 2008.

“I look forward to bringing my experience of working in large venues and contributing to the continued development of the organisation.”

ACC Liverpool chief exec Bob Prattey commented: “This is an exciting time for The ACC Liverpool Group with two new senior appointments.

“Ben brings with him a wealth of industry experience and we have no doubt that he will be an integral part of our organisation across our portfolio of markets – international and national conferences, entertainment and sport, exhibitions and ticketing.”

He added: “Next year marks a decade since we opened our doors and we are confident that Ben will be a welcome addition to our talented team.”

Suzy Bhaker, Clough & Willis

Law firm Clough & Willis, which has offices in Bury and Bolton, has strengthened its private client team.

The company has appointed solicitor Suzy Bhaker, who previously worked for West Yorkshire law firm Brearleys Solicitors.

At Clough & Willis, Suzy will focus on a range of core work, including wealth and succession planning, inheritance tax advice, wills, trusts and estate administration.

She will work from the firm’s Manchester Road HQ and report to Sally Cook, head of the private client department.

Sally said: “We are delighted to welcome Suzy to the team. She has some fantastic experience and is already adding value to our clients and the wider firm.”

Suzy commented: “I was ready for my next challenge and Clough & Willis seemed like the perfect fit due to its reputation, its focus on delivering for clients and its ambitions to grow the Private Client department.”

Charlie Ross and Matt Jacobs (pictured), Livingbridge

Livingbridge, the mid-market private equity firm, has strengthened its investment team in Manchester with two new additions.

Charlie Ross previously worked for the corporate finance team at PwC, where he was assistant director.

During his four years with PwC, Charlie was involved in various high-profile deals in the North West and advised on a combination of buy and sell-side transactions.

Matthew Jacobs, meanwhile, has transferred to Livingbridge’s Manchester team from its office in London, having previously worked on a number of transactions involving North West businesses.

Pete Clarke, partner at Livingbridge, said: “Our Manchester office has been a significant contributor to the success of Livingbridge in the last 12 months, working on half of all deals completed by the firm right across the country.

“It is imperative that we continue to invest in our team, enabling us to support and expand our existing portfolio, as well as adding new and exciting entrepreneurial businesses.”

He continued: “Both Charlie and Matthew have experience working on big-ticket deals, as well as building relationships with management teams to boost growth and make acquisitions, so are ideally placed to help us invest a further £1bn across the UK in the next five years.”

Peter Gaunt, Business Growth Hub

Business Growth Hub has appointed Peter Gaunt in the role of relationship manager.

Working at the Hub, Peter will lead the development of the organisation’s partner offer and long-term strategic relationships with its key local stakeholders.

Peter joined the Hub from business consultancy Innovas, where he was director for training and development.

He commented: “I’m passionate about the success of local SMEs. Most entrepreneurs want to network, knowledge share, and to learn about other businesses goals. Building mutually beneficial relationships and encouraging collaboration will continue to have a huge influence on the success of business in Greater Manchester.

“I’m looking forward to making a difference to ambitious businesses through developing the Hub’s extensive network of partners and ensuring that businesses have access to the skills and talents they need to prosper.”

Business Growth Hub director Richard Jeffery said: “Our partner base is one of the Hub’s key strengths and is integral in providing a market-leading service for the businesses that seek our support.”

“We’re currently working with over 170 leading partners which are involved with a wide range of growth companies, in a diverse range of sectors.

He added: “We are very excited to have Peter on board, and to see our network of partners grow and strengthen, demonstrating our continued commitment to providing world class expertise to our clients.”