Lori Hoinkes will succeed Shaun Hinds as chief executive of Manchester Central Convention Centre.
She was most recently the Chief Growth Officer at Montgomery Group, in the events and exhibitions sector and before that worked alongside the Mayor of London on the capital’s largest regeneration project, leading strategy and delivery for the Park Royal Industrial Area as part of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC).
Hoinkes will join Manchester Central in May to build the events programme and oversee the development of the new Junction restaurant, cafe, bar and social workspace due to open later this year.
She said: “My immediate goal is to build on the solid foundation laid by my predecessor, ensuring a smooth transition that maintains our commitment to excellence in hosting world-class events.
“We are at a critical juncture as we look to not only continue welcoming visitors from across the globe but also to innovate and set new benchmarks for the industry. I am eager to work with the team, our partners, and the community to propel Manchester Central to even greater heights.”
Shaun Hinds is leaving to join Newbury Racecourse as chief executive.
::
Sarah King and Ella Redden
Hello Earth, the Liverpool-based performance-driven digital agency that specialises in serving socially responsible brands, has made two new appointments to its digital marketing and social teams.The first new starter is Sarah King who has joined the company as a digital account manager. Sarah has more than six years’ experience in the sector and has previously worked at Seventy7 Group and McCann Manchester. Her clients have included Aldi, Yodel, Delta Capita and PartyLite.
Sarah said: “I am excited to now be part of the team and am looking forward to adding value to the business and the brands we collaborate with.”
Joining Sarah is Ella Redden who is Hello Earth’s newest social media and content manager. She has joined the business from Seventy7 where she worked for two and half years. She has also worked at Inc & Co, in-house for London Lash Pro and been a freelance project manager with a focus on organising nightlife event in Manchester.
Ella said: “I’ve long admired Hello Earth so I am excited to be working on some fantastic clients that I am confident I share the same values with.”
Stephanie Fisher, founder and CEO, said: “The past 12 months has been a transformational period for the agency and has seen rapid growth in both our client roster and team. Hello Earth’s success is solely based on the talents and expertise of its people and I’m sure Sarah and Ella will play an instrumental part in our ongoing delivery and growth.”
::
Paul Rawson
Marmalade Marketing has appointed Paul Rawson as Sales and Operations Director. This move is a merger of Paul’s marketing consultancy solutions into Marmalade’s expanding service portfolio.
Jo Perrotta, founder and Managing Director of Altrincham-based Marmalade Marketing, said: “Paul’s appointment marks a pivotal chapter in our journey. His industry expertise and visionary leadership are exactly what we need to propel our strategic ambitions and continue delivering exceptional value to our clients.”
Jo added: “We are thrilled to welcome Paul to our leadership team.
“His arrival is not just a win for us but for our clients who will benefit massively from his insights and approaches. As we celebrate seven years of success, we are more motivated than ever to embark on this next phase of growth and innovation.”
::
Jill Benbow
Legal firm, Butcher & Barlow, has appointed Jill Benbow to its Property and Commercial Dispute Resolution team.
With more than 30 years of experience in the legal field, Jill Benbow brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Butcher & Barlow. Previously at Keystone Law for 10 years and latterly PDA Law, for two years, Jill established herself as a respected professional in property dispute resolution.
Jill said: “I am thrilled to join Butcher & Barlow and be part of such a reputable firm. I’m looking forward to leveraging my experience to provide expert legal solutions for our clients.”
Senior Partner, Jonathan Aldersley, welcomed Jill, saying: “Her wealth of experience and dedication to delivering exceptional service align perfectly with the values we have at Butcher & Barlow.”
Jill will play a vital role in the Property Dispute Resolution team, further strengthening the firm’s position.
::
From left: Laura Mashiter, Lucy Moore, Libby Zbaraska
PR and comms agency, Refresh, has promoted two key members of its team into strategic roles as the agency evolves its structure to prepare for more growth and expansion in the next 12 months.
Lucy Moore, previously associate director, is now director of strategy and partnerships, a role that will see her focused on setting campaign strategies for existing and new clients. The role will see her based out of Refresh’s Manchester office, but with plenty of getting out and about across the UK.
Libby Zbaraska, who heads up Refresh’s London office, has been promoted to client services director.
Laura Mashiter, managing director at Refresh, said: “Our growing team takes pride in delivering work that leaves a true impact for clients. But more than that, we’re a team with a real connection to our clients that makes our working day – and theirs – that much more enjoyable.
“Lucy and Libby have been a core part of growing Refresh for years – they know the agency and our clients inside out, and they are the right people to step into these roles.”
::
From left: Andy Herricks, Ryan Browne, Rafia Faruk, Joshua Beattie
Bury and Bolton law firm, Clough & Willis, has promoted Andy Herricks to partner and Ryan Browne to associate solicitor.
The company has also announced that Joshua Beattie and Rafia Faruk have now qualified after completing their respective training contracts and will be staying on as solicitors.
Andy joined Clough & Willis in October last year as Head of the Corporate team. He has more than 20 years’ experience working as a corporate and commercial lawyer advising entrepreneurs and owner-managed clients across the North West.
Ryan Browne was appointed to the Private Client team in September 2022. Since his arrival, Ryan has focused on the drafting of wills and estate administration, grant applications, inheritance tax returns, deputyships and Lasting Powers of Attorney.
Joshua Beattie joined Clough & Willis as a paralegal in 2020. He started his training contract in 2022 and will now be developing his career in the Litigation team where he will provide expert legal counsel and dispute resolution services.
Rafia Faruk also joined as a paralegal and started her training contract at the same time as Joshua. She will remain in the Private Client team and will be working on a range of services including the drafting of LPAs and wills as well as estate administration.
Managing partner, Lee Marston, said: “Since arriving at Clough & Wilis, Andy has really made his mark. His unwavering ambition to grow the Corporate team stands out so inviting him to become a partner was an easy decision. Myself and the rest of the partnership are looking forward to seeing him develop and further expand our corporate client base across the region.”
He added: “I’d also like to praise Ryan, Joshua and Rafia who are all highly talented solicitors. Their tenacity and determination shine out as is their commitment to adding value – both to their teams and to their clients.”
::
From left: Michael Oates, Charlotte Massey, Oliver Brett, Kevin Duffy, Paul Marcroft, Kate Aitchison
RSM UK has announced 10 new partners across its audit, tax, consulting and core function teams, including five in the North West.
The five partner promotions in the North West include personal tax specialist Kate Aitchison (Manchester), tax investigations expert Paul Marcroft (Preston), alongside Charlotte Massey (Manchester) and Michael Oates (Preston) from the audit team. Oliver Brett (Preston) has also been promoted in the firm’s national finance function.
In addition, the recent appointment of Keeley Lund as audit quality director in Preston has further bolstered RSM’s national audit team. Keeley joins the firm with more than 25 years’ experience in audit.
In 2023, the firm’s North West region also took on a record 129 new trainees, up by 14% on its 2022 intake, followed by an additional 31 trainees joining in January 2024. The new recruits are spread across RSM’s Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Chester, Stoke and Crewe offices.
Kevin Duffy, regional managing partner for RSM UK in the North West, said: “I’m very proud to welcome Kate, Paul, Charlotte, Michael and Oliver to the partnership. Since joining the firm, they have all excelled in their careers and played key roles in supporting our middle market clients and providing a premium service.
“Their promotions reflect their hard work and talent, as well as RSM’s commitment to the North West and supporting people by investing in their development and empowering them to shape their careers.”
Rob Donaldson, CEO at RSM UK, said: “Each one of our new cohort of partners bring a unique skill to their role, their team and the firm as a whole. This breadth of experience, expertise and knowledge will help shape the future of our firm and support our middle market clients in navigating opportunities and succeeding in an everchanging business environment.”
