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Tecmark appoints new Search Strategy Director

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Sam Whitear

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12/03/2018

Tecmark appoints new Search Strategy Director

Tecmark, the SEO and content marketing agency in Manchester, has recently appointed Tino Triste as their Search Strategy Director, placing him primarily in charge of the agency’s service delivery and strategy. Tino has 12 valuable years of experience in digital marketing and SEO and has spent the last three years helping The Co-operative Group deliver its SEO strategy and major rebrand.

Since 2014 he has worked within the Co-operative’s digital marketing team as its senior SEO manager, main duties involved being in charge of the Group’s search and content optimisation strategies, as well as overseeing and supporting the change of domains and CMS platforms as a result of the Co-op rebrand. Prior to joining the Co-op’s digital team, he has held senior SEO positions at media agencies such as Carat and McCann Manchester.

Tino plans to bring over his extensive knowledge in his field over to Tecmark, where he will place a strong emphasis on the agency’s delivery processes and support the account management team to continue delivering a first-class, personalised service. Tino will be redefining the content and outreach strategies to help clients increase their topical authority in the industries they operate in.

“Tecmark is renowned for being a digital agency with a creative edge. I’m very excited about the opportunity to work with clients in lead generation sectors; to help build a strong business that is passionate about its clients; and for the chance to set strategies that are search and conversion led.” He adds, highlighting his excitement surrounding joining the agency and for what the future holds.

Tecmark is a multi-award winning SEO and Content Marketing agency based in the centre of one of the UK’s leading cities in marketing, Manchester. The agency celebrates a 10 year strong successful business unit and prides themselves in ‘not doing anything unless they believe they can add genuine value’.

Richard Heyes, Managing Director of Tecmark is also pleased about the latest addition to the team: “we had a really strong end to last year, and growth continued into quarter one, this meant we needed to strengthen at senior level”

“Tino has a wealth of experience both in-house and within agencies, he has a track record for delivering strong organic search results, and he shares my vision of how an agency should service clients. I’m confident our clients and other members of the team will benefit from Tino’s experience and enthusiasm for organic search.”

Tino will report to Richard and will have a large proportion of say in the proceedings of the agency moving forward. The organisation that has travelled from strength to strength in the past decade can only expect more of the same following the successful appointment of their newest Search Strategy Director.

APAM agrees strategic partnership and major investment from Catella

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Finance

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12/03/2018

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APAM agrees strategic partnership and major investment from Catella

APAM, the leading independent UK real estate asset and investment manager, announces that it is to become part of the Catella group of companies; completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

Catella is a leading European specialist in property investment, fund management and banking, with operations in 14 countries; it is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm in the mid cap segment. Catella and APAM will have combined assets under management of c. £18 billion.

Under the terms of the transaction, Catella AB through Catella Property Fund Management (CPFM) is acquiring 75% of the share capital of APAM for a total consideration of £18 million, on a debt and cash free basis. APAM’s founder shareholders and executive directors, Simon Cooke and William Powell, will own the remainder of APAM’s equity and are committed to the company for at least another five years.

David Russell, on completion, will step down as a non-executive director and sell his stake in APAM to focus on his business interests in Manchester and the North West.

APAM will continue to pursue its successful UK growth strategy and will be independently run by its current management team, led by Simon and William. The co-operation between Catella and APAM will start immediately. Management from both companies anticipate significant opportunities to strengthen their offering to international investors by leveraging the combined pan-European reach the two companies can provide.

Simon Cooke, founding shareholder and executive director, said: “This transaction brings together two great names in property investment management and Catella AB’s strategic investment provides us with an even stronger platform for growth. Will and I will continue to lead and drive the APAM business – it will be very much ‘business as usual’. We have enjoyed building APAM over the last eight years and look forward to working with Catella AB to leverage the new opportunities that this partnership brings.”

William Powell, founding shareholder and executive director, added: “Joining forces with Catella AB, marks the start of an exciting new chapter in APAM’s development, providing our clients with access to best-in-class advisers across 15 countries and an even more extensive range of services. By combining our strengths, this strategic partnership delivers significant potential to grow our business and our international client base, as well as opportunities for our team.”

Knut Pedersen, CEO of Catella AB, commented: “As a leading company within the strategically important UK market, APAM constitutes a key piece in Catella’s ambition to build a pan-European platform within our Property Investment Management business area, which has been our focus for the last four years.”

Timo Nurminen, Head of Property Investment Management at Catella, said: “Catella Property Investment Management has continuously strengthened its competitive position over the last years. “We are impressed by the strong risk adjusted return APAM generates for its clients and are delighted to expand our offering for our clients in UK. Catella’s clients, in particular our Asian office’s, will be able to expand their pan-European allocation with a significant share allocated to the UK.”

The Real Estate M&A team at PricewaterhouseCoopers led by Simon Hampton and Mark Gunalan acted as financial advisors to APAM Ltd and its shareholders. EY advised Catella AB on the acquisition. Forsters and Reed Smith were legal advisors to the sellers and buyers respectively.

Simon Hampton, Real Estate Deals Leader at PwC, stated: “The acquisition of a majority shareholding in APAM Ltd by Catella AB is of strategic significance to both parties. We (PwC) were able to leverage our network to find Simon Cooke and William Powell, the co-founders and remaining shareholders of APAM a strategic partner in Catella AB to drive the next phase of APAM’s growth priorities. This transaction is an example of the continuing theme of consolidation within the global Real Estate Investment Management industry.”

Local firm becomes founding member of national Police Cyber Security Initiative

Education

Sam Whitear

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12/03/2018

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Local firm becomes founding member of national Police Cyber Security Initiative

North-West based Xcina Ltd. has become one of seven founding members of the UK’s first police-backed digital certification scheme, led by the London Digital Security Centre (LDSC) in partnership with Secured by Design (SBD), the national Police Crime Prevention initiative. The founding members will receive police preferred status if standards and behaviours are met.

The two-part certification scheme, supported by The Metropolitan and City of London Police and The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), will help British businesses navigate the complexity of cyber security. At the heart of the certification is Cyber Essentials, a Government-backed industry-supported scheme to help organisations protect themselves against common online threats.

As part of the London stock exchange listed, digital resilience group, Shearwater Group plc, Xcina Ltd. helps companies protect their critical information assets by preparing them for the increasing legislative and regulatory demands on how data is held and processed and the on-going monitoring, analysis, detection and response to cyber threats.

The certification scheme is divided into two awards. The first award, Secured by Design – Police Preferred Specification, will assess and verify cyber security suppliers to ensure supply chains are resilient.

The second award, Digitally Aware – Secured By Design, is an educational initiative designed to help SBD members improve their protection against cyber crime. Using a risk assessment tool and an award scheme, the LDSC will educate members on implementing basic measures and promoting good security within their organisations.

Kevin Porter, Business Development Director, Xcina, said: “As a provider of digital, operational and regulatory resilience services and solutions, Xcina is delighted to be one of the first to join the Secured By Design (SBD) Police Crime Prevention initiative, as it broadens its focus to include cyber protection and combatting the growing cyber crime threat.

“Xcina was founded with professional behaviours and ethical working practices as core aspects of its values and these values complement those required by the SBD initiative. We are confident that our participation could benefit customers and the communities and partners we work with in creating greater resilience within the secure environments they use to live and work.

Guy Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer, Secured by Design, commented: “Police Crime Prevention initiatives have always responded to developing and emerging crime patterns with innovation and creativity. We are delighted to be working closely with the London Digital Security Centre to develop new techniques that will better support people and businesses online.”

Chris Diogenous, Chief Commercial Officer at the LDSC, added: “Almost half of small businesses in the UK have been the victims of cyber crime in the past 12 months, yet the overwhelming majority of cyber attacks can be prevented using simple measures.

“For the first time, UK businesses can demonstrate that they have taken the necessary measures to protect the data they hold and reduce their overall vulnerability to cyber crime.”

The London Digital Security Centre is a not for profit organisation founded by the Mayor of London as a joint venture with the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police. The Centre works alongside the National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre (ActionFraud) to help prevent businesses being the victims of cyber crime. The London Digital Security Centre provides free impartial advice and support to businesses to help improve their digital security and enable them to work in a secure online environment.

WhiteNoise Media Produce Music Video For Manchester Band Yes Lad

Blog

Sam Whitear

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12/03/2018

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WhiteNoise Media Produce Music Video For Manchester Band Yes Lad

Manchester-based, WhiteNoise Media, has been appointed to produce and direct their second music video for Manchester band Yes Lad, as seen on X Factor 2016. Directed by Lee Holdsworth, the video is for the band’s third single, entitled ‘NADA’.

WhiteNoise also directed the music video for Yes Lad’s previous single, ‘Something More’, which has received over 210,000 YouTube views. Nigel Martin-Smith, manager of Yes Lad and former Take That manager, returned to WhiteNoise following the positive reception of ‘Something More’.

The video was filmed in a run-down Victorian mansion-cum-club in Manchester, creating the notion of a huge, fun house party. Footage was also shot on green screen, with visual effects and bright colour backgrounds added in post. Shots were transformed to look like Super 8 camera footage, paying homage to retro videography. The grade was done in Da Vinci Resolve, enhancing the pink and blue neon colour wash for a very stylised look.

Yes Lad wanted to step away from the ‘boyband’ stereotype, and so WhiteNoise were tasked with producing a creative that didn’t adhere to conventional pop videos. The video features everything from drag queens to a 5 year old rapper, with art direction including antique Greek statues, fake plants and animal heads.

Nigel Martin-Smith, manager of Yes Lad, said: “Yes Lad are getting more and more fans with their uplifting electro dance sound and Nada is going down well on the radio. We wanted a video that would stand out from the rest and I think we have achieved that. I am based in Manchester and I always try to use Northern companies where possible. WhiteNoise have done a great job.”

Lee Holdsworth, CEO of WhiteNoise Media said: “This is the second time we have worked with Nigel and the boys from Yes Lad, they have loads of energy and make the process a lot of fun.”

Students hail pioneering Manchester hotel mentoring scheme

Blog

Sam Whitear

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09/03/2018

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Students hail pioneering Manchester hotel mentoring scheme

Hospitality students have hailed a pioneering scheme that allows them valuable insights into life as a general manager at some of Manchester’s high-profile hotels.

The Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) and Manchester Metropolitan University (Manchester Met) mentor initiative kicked-off towards the end of 2017 has since seen 12 students paired with bosses of some city’s big hotels.

Talented final year BA (Hons) Hospitality Business Management students have been learning a range of direct general manager skills including forecasting, payroll, overview costs, RevPAR and online digital marketing.

Hospitality Business Management student Rosemary Troop has been shadowing Radisson Edwardian boss Stephen Miles.

She said: “I think the scheme is fantastic due to facilitating the theory learnt in our units into a real-life setting. I have been lucky to have a very pro-active and engaged mentor, that has really been open to discussions topics and has worked hard to introduce me to some of his contacts in the industry to widen my network and further my growth.”

MHA Chair Adrian Ellis and Chris Mitchell, Principal Lecturer at Manchester Met, are behind the initiative which they say has been designed to attract students to careers in the hotel industry – but more importantly retain talent.

Adrian, who is also a mentor in his day-to-day role as The Lowry Hotel General Manager, said: “I’ve had some very engaging meetings with final year Manchester Met student Kenneth Smith who is keen to get as much insight into what goes into managing hotel as possible.

“What’s great about this scheme is that general managers can learn from the students too.

“Manchester is a fantastic city that is full of high calibre hotels and the students are working alongside some great general managers.

“While it is challenging for them as they continue with their dissertations and final year study, we introduced this scheme to gain experience and create a pathway into a fantastic career.”

Principal Lecturer at Manchester Met Chris Mitchell described keeping graduates in the hospitality sector as ‘vital’.

“The feedback so far from all 12 students and general managers has been fantastic. We are trying to develop the best possible graduates we can and retain that talent in the industry. It’s about the providing the right quality and level that the industry is looking for. And we need to make sure the programme reflects that – which we believe it does.

“We are also looking for further discussion about how we continue to take this forward and develop the programme.”

Head Resourcing to open Manchester office

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Sam Whitear

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08/03/2018

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Head Resourcing to open Manchester office

Recruitment specialist Head Resourcing is opening a new office in Manchester as part of a national growth strategy to expand the business in England.

Head Resourcing, which is based in Edinburgh and has offices in Glasgow and Leeds, supplies contract and permanent staff within IT, digital and business change to a variety of companies throughout the UK.

The Manchester office, located in the Spinningfields area of the city, will officially open on 5^th March 2018 and will be headed up by Regional Director, Jon Musgrave, who is responsible for driving the company’s growth in the north of England.

Recruitment is underway to initially appoint five new people in Manchester, including a Managing Consultant, a Senior Consultant, two Consultants and an Admin Support.

Head Resourcing already has a growing portfolio of clients and candidates in the Manchester area, and plans are in place to grow the Manchester office headcount over the next two years as the company’s footprint in the north west expands.

The move to Manchester comes within five months of the formation of The Taranata Group, launched by entrepreneur Paul Atkinson. The Taranata Group comprises of four companies: Head Resourcing, Change Recruitment, Head Medical and Atkinson MacLeod. The group is targeting combined revenues of £100 million by 2020, and Head Resourcing’s growth plans form a key part of achieving the target.

Jon Musgrave, Regional Director at Head Resourcing said: “Over the past three years, we have seen a marked increase in our client portfolio, with a number of new clients based in the north west of England. This client demand has driven our decision to open an office in Manchester. Manchester has a great talent pool of professional recruiters, meaning we can grow an expert team here and tap into the wealth of opportunity the local market offers. The city has a booming digital economy and the tech sector has huge growth potential, with more fintech companies choosing the city and surrounding areas as their base.”

Huw Martin, Managing Director at Head Resourcing added: “The new office marks a significant step in our ambitious plans to drive growth across the north of England. This is an incredibly exciting phase for us and we look forward to being part of Manchester’s thriving business community.”

EY launches Global Trade team in the North West

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Sam Whitear

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08/03/2018

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EY launches Global Trade team in the North West

EY has set up a new Global Trade team in the North West, in response to growing demand for support and advice from businesses involved in international trade.

Onelia Angelosanto has re-joined EY as Director in the Global Trade team in Manchester, having previously spent nine years at BDO.

Since December, she has been building her team and is joined by Anthony Drozdowski, Nicole Blyth and most recently Rizwaan Zabar, who joined at the end of January, completing the team of four. All join the firm from BDO.

The new recruits make EY’s one of the largest Global Trade and customs duty teams in the North West, with a wealth of experience in advising and assisting businesses on customs and international trade matters from both a practice and industry perspective. It also extends EY’s UK Global Trade team to more than 20 dedicated professionals.

Onelia Angelosanto said: “With Brexit on the horizon and the implementation of the Union Customs Code duty legislation well underway, customs duty is a hot topic for businesses.

“With only a year to go before the UK exits the EU, businesses are starting to wake up to Brexit and, as such, are starting to consider the potential impact to their supply chain operations.

“In this uncertain environment it is tricky for businesses to develop growth plans based on external factors that are likely to change. However, there is a consensus that planning ahead can give you a competitive advantage.

“We are looking to grow the global trade business regionally and take customs duty as an offering out to the marketplace, focussing on those businesses that are highly active from an international trade perspective.”

There are plans to further grow the Global Trade team in the North and EY is looking to recruit into Leeds, working with Penny Isbecque, who has been part of the national Global Trade team for more than 20 years.

Bob Ward, EY senior partner for the North West, said: “This is the right time for us to be investing in our Global Trade team and Onelia, Anthony, Nicole and Rizwaan are great additions to the team. I’m of course pleased to be able to say we will have their expertise and knowledge easily available to the many successful import and export businesses based in the North.”

NPIF invests £31 million in first year

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Sam Whitear

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08/03/2018

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The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) has invested £31 million in 207 Northern-based SMEs during the first 12 months of operation, as the Fund continues to provide a boost to the Northern economy.

The £400m Fund, which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund, HR Government and the European Investment Bank, was launched by the British Business Bank as a key part of the government’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’ vision to back innovative, fast growing small businesses.

Over the last 12 months, NPIF has worked with the 10 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Combined Authorities, as well as local accountants, fund managers and banks, to provide a mix of debt and equity capital to SMEs in the North West, Yorkshire & Humber and Tees Valley regions.

Appointed fund managers have completed deals between £25k to £2m into businesses across a range of industries, including technology and advanced manufacturing and life sciences. Investments have been completed across all 10 LEP areas and the Fund has also managed to leverage an additional £32m in private sector finance for local businesses.

Recent NPIF investments in the North West region include:

A £150,000 loan from NPIF – FW Capital Debt Finance, managed by FW Capital, into Lancashire-based Inleaf, which provides plant displays and living wall installations to offices, hotels, car dealerships and public spaces.

A £80,000 microfinance loan from NPIF – BFS & MSIF Microfinance, into Liverpool-based Inovus Medical which manufactures medical and training products used by doctors and surgeons across the globe, delivered by the Business Enterprise Fund (BEF).

A £600,000 investment from NPIF – Maven Equity Finance, managed by Maven Capital Partners into Manchester-based Hiring Hub, an innovative online marketplace for independent recruitment agencies.

The additional source of funding has enabled these businesses to meet growth ambitions, launch new products, expand into new markets, and invest in new infrastructure.

Keith Morgan, CEO of British Business Bank, said: “It is fantastic to see NPIF making a genuine impact to businesses in the North of England. The number of significant milestones achieved over the last 12 months, demonstrates the success of the regional funding models and the importance of people on the ground ensuring vital funds are efficiently invested in high-growth businesses.

“I am thoroughly impressed by the collaborative effort demonstrated by our appointed fund managers and the participating LEPs, and I would like to thank them all for helping to deliver a successful model that will now be rolled out in the Midlands as the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF).”

Jake Berry, Northern Powerhouse Minister, said: “What the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund has achieved in such a short space of time is truly remarkable. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund has given businesses across a wide range of industries the funds they need to innovate and grow – whether that be expanding into emerging markets, investing in research and development or hiring new staff to help their company flourish.”

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Access to finance is vital to help small businesses flourish and it’s fantastic to see regional funds such as NPIF making an impact in Greater Manchester and beyond. I have been impressed with the calibre of businesses that have come forward to secure funding and it shows that there’s appetite from entrepreneurs across the region to look beyond traditional means of finance to facilitate growth.”

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund provides microloans, debt and equity investments, ranging from £25,000 to £2m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is delivered by The British Business Bank.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

Bromleys wins law firm of the year accolade

Sam Whitear

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07/03/2018

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Bromleys wins law firm of the year accolade

Tameside law firm Bromleys has won a top honour at the 2018 Manchester Legal Awards.

The practice was named law firm of the year for those with between one and five partners.

Around 650 people attended the ninth annual awards ceremony at Manchester’s Midland Hotel, which attracted a record number of entries.

Mark Hirst, senior partner at Bromleys, which is based in Ashton-under-Lyne, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to win this award.

“It’s tremendous recognition for the all-round strength and excellence of the practice and our commitment to providing a service of the highest quality to our clients.

“Every single person at Bromleys has played a part and can be justly proud of our achievement, and we look forward to building on this success in the coming months and years.”

The award judges praised Bromleys for the way in which the firm combines tradition with a modern approach.

They also highlighted Bromleys’ expertise, commercial approach, strong leadership, commitment to staff welfare and development and involvement in the community.

Bromleys’ accolade follows its triumph at the 2017 Pride of Tameside Business Awards in November, when it won the corporate social responsibility prize.

It crowns a hugely successful 12 months for the firm, during which it has made a string of key appointments to cater for a growing number of instructions across Greater Manchester and beyond, and has been recognised with a series of accreditations, including retaining Investors in People Gold status and the Law Society’s Lexcel quality mark.

White Rabbit Creative multiplies with a trio of appointments

Sam Whitear

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07/03/2018

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White Rabbit Creative multiplies with a trio of appointments

From a springboard of business growth and new client wins, Manchester-based branding and design experts White Rabbit Creative have made three senior level appointments in the last three months.

White Rabbit’s new recruits, Laura Lancaster, Michael Nasralla and Nathan Ball, boost the combined experience of the team to over 60 years in marketing, branding and design. Design duo, Nathan and Michael bring with them a stellar reputation in the packaging industry and add to the team’s international credentials. Laura is tasked with acting as custodian of client experience, having led and successfully grown major accounts in previous roles.

Naz – Michael Nasralla – brings a wealth of experience, having worked closely with start-up brands and as lead creative on global pitch wins. His impressive portfolio spans household names including Next, Nisa, Walmart, Co-op and Sam’s Club account, where he oversaw an international team of designers and led on brand and packaging strategy.

Also working on Co-op and Aldi US & UK, Nathan Ball’s portfolio includes household brands such as Aquafresh, Cadburys and Wrigleys, covering all aspects from strategic brand positioning and design, through to conceptual NPD.

Account Director Laura Lancaster joins White Rabbit from global agency Momentum Worldwide. Laura has worked with clients such as American Express and blu E-Cigarettes – and helped curate effective brand experiences for The London Film Festival, Manchester United and Concha Y Toro Wines.

Creative Director and Partner Michael Senior said: ‘’I’m delighted with our new recruits – it’s vital to Sarah and I that as we grow our team we remain true to our commitment to delivering the highest standards. Everyone in the team shares this outlook and we’re energised by what we’re setting out to achieve in the next twelve months. The investment in our business, alongside strong organic growth has given us a platform to make exciting things happen.’’

Eight new clients have recently joined the White Rabbit roster including NHS Employers; Smartlife wearable technology; Quintessential brands and Boutinot Wines.

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