People: Yorkshire Finance; Saffery; Lupton Fawcett; and more

Yorkshire Treasury has appointed Nigel Ward as its new chairman.

Ward replaces James Newman, who has served as chairman of Finance Yorkshire since its inception in 2009.

Ward joined Finance Yorkshire as a non-executive director in 2021. He was a partner at PWC and has advised businesses across a range of industry sectors for over 30 years.

He will oversee investment from a new Finance Yorkshire fund which is set to provide more than £50m to small and medium-sized businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber over five years.

The fund was created using the legacy of Finance Yorkshire’s previous investment support for regional businesses through the Jeremie Fund.

Newman was the founding Chairman of the Sheffield City Region and Hull and East Riding LEPs and has held many other prestigious and influential positions at national and Yorkshire level in business, academia and charity.

In 2009 he was awarded the title of Master Cutler and in 2017 he was awarded the OBE for services to business, the economy and charity in Yorkshire.

As Chairman of Finance Yorkshire, Newman oversaw the implementation of the original Jeremie Fund and the Extension Fund, which invested £113m in over 500 businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber.

These investments have created and protected over 16,000 jobs, helped businesses increase their turnover by a total of £474 million and raised a further £374 million from private sources.

Newman said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my role as Chairman of Finance Yorkshire, overseeing the development of the brand and the delivery of investments that have had a real impact on individual businesses and the wider economy of Yorkshire and the Humber.

“It has been a privilege to lead such a committed board and I look forward to seeing Finance Yorkshire continue to achieve success under Nigel’s leadership.”

Ward said: “I am delighted to be taking on the role of Chairman of Finance Yorkshire. Finance Yorkshire has an excellent reputation for supporting the SME community in the region, led by a board of directors who will continue to lead the organisation as we continue to deliver further investment for businesses.”

Alex McWhirter, Chief Executive of Finance Yorkshire, added: “James has led the business since its establishment in 2009 and has played a key role in the successful delivery of our previous investment funds and its key objectives of creating jobs and growing businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber.

“His leadership has not only left a legacy we are proud of, but has also delivered investment returns that allow us to continue to support SMEs.

“Since joining the board, Nigel has closely supervised Finance Yorkshire’s investment activities.

“I look forward to working with Nigel to ensure Finance Yorkshire continues to invest in SMEs that will make a difference and bring positive benefits to the regional economy in the future.”

:::

David Bussey has been promoted to partner at one of the UK’s longest-established chartered accountancy and business advisory firms.

He works for Saffery’s land and rural property group in Yorkshire and has worked for the company for 24 years.

With a wealth of experience in providing accountancy and tax advice to landlords, families and owner-operated businesses, in his new role he manages a team of over 20 people, overseeing clients across Yorkshire and the North of England.

He said: “Joining Saffery as a trainee in 2000 turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made, although I didn’t know it at the time.

“At that time it was a smaller firm but it had an excellent reputation. After qualifying I looked after estates and trusts as well as a number of family businesses.

“The company has grown since then, but has never lost sight of the importance of building long-term relationships and constantly planning for the future. I still work with many of my clients from the beginning, which is a testament to that.

“A large part of my job now involves advising rural landowners, helping clients navigate what are often difficult and complex situations and being a trusted advisor at a time of increasing uncertainty for the sector.

“Our focus is typically on succession planning and ensuring that clients’ financial affairs are organised in a way that is both tax-efficient and commercially appropriate, but always takes into account the needs of the family and their long-term strategy.

“Similar themes recur in my work with family businesses, even though their activities are often very different.”

Saffery partner and head of the Yorkshire office, Jonathan Davis, explained: “David plays a key role within our rural land and property group and his promotion reflects our commitment to offering a partnership-based approach to every client.”

Bussey is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners (STEP).

He participates in the internal Property Discussion Group and Agribusiness Group at Saffery and is also a member of the firm’s Valuation Forum.

:::

Yorkshire law firm Lupton Fawcett has hired a new partner to help it grow its commercial offering.

Julie Evans will take up a leadership role within the firm’s commercial real estate team.

Her role will encompass all areas of expertise related to commercial real estate, including representing small and medium-sized businesses and individuals in landlord and tenant matters.

She said: “I am keen to play a key role in overseeing the junior members of the department, as well as working with the management team to develop the commercial property department.

“Before I joined the business I was invited to spend some time with the team so we could get to know each other before my official start date – I thought that was a really positive approach and a really warm welcome to Lupton Fawcett.”

Evans, who has more than 20 years’ experience and previously worked at Clarion, will be based at Lupton Fawcett’s Leeds office.

James Richardson, Managing Partner, said: “We are delighted to welcome Julie to the team. She has a wealth of experience and a proven track record across all aspects of commercial real estate.

“Having someone with her knowledge and skills join the team is a huge boost in taking our Commercial Property department to the next level. Her uncompromising approach to serving our clients without compromise perfectly complements our ethos.”

:::

Regional construction company Harron Homes has promoted Jonathan Edwards to the role of technical director for the Yorkshire region.

The 36-year-old from Leeds has worked at Harron for almost 10 years, joining in 2014 as an architectural technician.

In 2018, he briefly worked elsewhere as a technical lead but soon returned to the company as an architecture lead.

He said: “I have been striving for this promotion since I started working at the architectural firm where I gained my professional experience in school.”

Edwards studied architecture at Leeds Beckett University and after four years working in residential architecture firms, he moved into housebuilding.

He added: “Knowing that I have had a lasting impact on the environment around me is incredibly rewarding; spotting a development on Google Streetview that I have helped to create will always be a highlight of my career.”

“Thanks to my experience and successes in the company, I am confident that I understand how the company operates and can have a positive impact on the way the team works.

“This is a great opportunity to make changes and improve the way we work.

“My new role will require more strategy as it involves the architectural, planning and engineering teams. Every day is different; from managing the pre-design process, preparing land bids and working on planning applications.

James Poynor, Group Managing Director, added: “Jonathan is a real asset to the Harron team and we are delighted that he has taken on the role of Technical Director.

“We are confident he will achieve great success in developing the Harron offer across Yorkshire.”