New partners join PwC Midlands senior leadership team

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New partners join PwC Midlands senior leadership team

PwC Midlands has made changes to its senior leadership team in the region, responsible for driving the local strategy and supporting the wider firm.

From 1 July 2023, Will Dowsett and David Teager will join the Midlands senior leadership team, with Matt Tombs expanding his role within the team.

David Teager

David Teager, audit partner, will join the senior leadership team as central regional leader for audit. Having built a career with PwC since 1998, David has worked across the globe including China and the Middle East, and is currently based at the firm’s Donington Court office. David’s priorities in the leadership role will include working with new and existing clients and growing the financial audit, stakeholder assurance and capital markets businesses.

Will Dowsett will step into the role of central regional leader for tax, covering a variety of offices including Birmingham and Donington Court. Will joined the firm in 2008 and was admitted into the partnership in 2015. Based in the Birmingham office, Will leads a number of the firm’s relationships with some of the biggest private companies and family businesses both in the region and nationally, and will focus on continuing to build the market leading tax practice in his new role.

Matt Tombs, deals partner, is expanding his role on the senior leadership team as the new industrial manufacturing & services industry leader for deals. Matt has over 26 years’ experience with the firm, most of which has been spent in the Midlands region. Matt is committed to building on the strength and depth of the Deals team, both locally and nationally, to support clients in the Industrials and Business Services industry sector.

Matt Tombs

Matthew Hammond, PwC UK Midlands regional market leader & Birmingham senior partner, said: “It’s fantastic to see both David and Will appointed to lead our Audit and Tax businesses across the Midlands, West and Wales. They both bring fantastic experience and international perspectives to our clients.

“Matt’s industry specialism reflects our Deals business focus through industry and sector lenses to ensure we bring the best specialist insights to our clients. With over 50% of PwC’s people based outside London, these appointments reflect the ability of talented team members to develop into senior practitioners and leaders through developing their careers in UK regional markets.”

Ideagen appoints chief customer officer

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Ideagen appoints chief customer officer
Nottingham-headquartered Ideagen, a technology company providing software solutions to high-compliance and regulated industries, has appointed Michael Dowthwaite as chief customer officer. Michael brings over 23 years’ experience in customer success, sales, and marketing and will be responsible for driving the growth and success by focusing on delivering world-class customer experiences. “I’m thrilled to be joining Ideagen, a company that has a remarkable reputation in providing class-leading software solutions to its customers,” said Michael. “After meeting Ben and the leadership team it was an easy decision to jump on board. The opportunity to lead and scale the Customer Success function and enhance our support and delivery services is extremely exciting. “I look forward to working with the talented team at Ideagen and supporting them to deliver more value to customers and stakeholders.” In this new role, Michael will be responsible for driving customer satisfaction and loyalty globally, working closely with the company’s marketing, sales, and customer success teams to develop strategies that enable the company to provide the best possible customer experience. Ben Dorks, Ideagen CEO, said: “We have always had a strong focus on supporting and championing our customers, who every day make decisions that keep the world around us safe and protected. It was therefore important that our executive team reflected this. “Michael’s extensive experience combined with his customer-first mindset, will be instrumental in driving value and enhanced outcomes for those using Ideagen solutions. We’re delighted to have him on board.” Michael joins from Salesforce where he helped define, grow and lead the customer success business model and then remained at the forefront of customer success innovation. During his time at Salesforce, Michael held UK, European, International and Global leadership roles, always in Customer Success and always driving high performing, high impact teams.

Developer wins appeal following refusal of major Beeston mixed-use scheme

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Developer wins appeal following refusal of major Beeston mixed-use scheme
Proposals for a major mixed-use scheme of student accommodation and commercial space in Beeston are set to go ahead, after being refused last year, thanks to a successful appeal. The initial decision to block the eight storey scheme in July 2022 came despite recommendations for approval by the planning officer. Detailing why the plans were refused, the planning committee noted that there was “concern about the amenity of students living in the accommodation because the rooms were very small, and the intensity of occupation was too high for the size of the site.” It was also highlighted that there would be an impact on neighbour amenity because of the lack of car parking provided on the site and because the students would only be in occupation for part of the year. The design of the building was also considered to be “unimaginative and inappropriate as a gateway building to Beeston.” The refusal of the controversial development was praised by Beeston Civic Society, who, in response to the appeal, set up a petition to uphold the decision. The 419-student bed space scheme from Midlands-based developer Cassidy Group, planned for Station Road, next to the Arc Cinema, is now set to go ahead. Cassidy previously said that the scheme at the edge of Beeston town centre would breathe new life into a derelict site and bring increased footfall and economic benefit to local retailers. They added that it would also free up much-needed housing in the town, currently occupied by students, for family homes.

Plans in to bring new life to college site with residential scheme

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Plans in to bring new life to college site with residential scheme
Plans to bring new life to a former college site in Nottingham have been submitted to the city council. 55 homes would be created on the Castle College site on Carlton Road, with Keepmoat Homes behind the proposals.
The new scheme would include detached and semi detached houses, and up to four storey apartment blocks. Eight one bed, 24 two bed, and 23 three bed homes would be provided. The college was demolished around 2009 and the site allocated for residential development. Previously the land held a brick works and clay pit. A planning statement says: “The proposal includes the redevelopment of the site with a scheme for 55 dwellings including demolition of the existing building and hardstanding, upgrading the existing access, new drainage and highways infrastructure, substation and open space.
“The proposals will provide much needed homes including family homes on an underused, previously developed site that will support the Government’s objective of significantly boosting the supply of housing. “The proposals have been informed by a full range of supporting technical reports, which confirm that there are no significant adverse impacts that cannot be mitigated.”

Kind-hearted colleagues swap creature comforts for concrete floors to support homeless charity

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Kind-hearted colleagues swap creature comforts for concrete floors to support homeless charity
Kind-hearted colleagues from PA Housing raised more than £2,000 after giving up their beds for a night in support of a campaign to help homeless people in Leicestershire. Six charity champions from the social housing provider swapped their creature comforts for the concrete floors of Leicester City Football Club’s King Power Stadium as part of YMCA Leicestershire’s first ever Sleep Easy initiative. Simon Hatchman, executive director of resources, Emma Macnish, director of people, Erica Myers, HR operations manager, Charlene Curtis, income team manager, Josh Ingram, internal recruiter, and Marco Cardoni, junior communications officer, joined 50 other fundraisers who participated in the event. They smashed their original target to raise £250, collecting an impressive £2,281 in sponsorship. All the money raised through the event will benefit local young people and adults who are experiencing homelessness, enabling YMCA Leicestershire to continue to run and, importantly, expand its vital services. This includes providing safe supported housing for homeless young people aged 16-25, as well as mental health support, and personalised skills sessions to help them to move forward positively with their lives. The charity also offers a safe and welcoming environment at YASC for rough sleepers of all ages, providing them with home comforts such as a cup of tea, breakfast and clean clothes, as well as advice on finding suitable accommodation and support for issues such as poor mental health, unemployment, and loneliness. Emma Macnish, director of people at PA Housing, said: “The Sleep Easy event was an extremely humbling experience for all of us and one that will stay in our memories for a long time. “Although we knew that giving up our beds for one night wouldn’t replicate the harsh reality experienced by people who sleep rough across the county, we really wanted to play a part in helping to improve the lives of those who face that challenge on a nightly basis. “At PA Housing we are passionate about our community, so it was great to be able to extend our commitment to helping those in need beyond the working day and support the incredible work carried out by YMCA Leicestershire.” Emma Knight, fundraising and communications manager at YMCA Leicestershire, added: “The PA Housing team showed great camaraderie sleeping outside at the stadium and generating an incredible level of donations, which will make a big difference to people experiencing homelessness. “They genuinely care about their local community and we couldn’t have wished for a better bunch of people to help make our first ever Sleep Easy such a buzzing success.” Since its launch in 2010, 7,000 people across the country have taken part in YMCA’s national Sleep Easy campaign, raising over £1.5 million to fund local YMCA services.

Inflation remains at historically high levels

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Inflation remains at historically high levels
After falling in April, inflation in the 12 months to May 2023 was unchanged at 8.7%, as current cost and price pressures persist, with households and businesses feeling the pinch. Inflation had been expected to decline to 8.4% year on year, but now, to bring it under control a further interest rate rise from the Bank of England is expected by many. Higher prices for air travel and recreational goods and services were a key contributor to inflation over the month, while this was offset by a fall in the cost of petrol and food prices not rising quite as quickly as they have been. ONS Chief Economist, Grant Fitzner, said: “After last month’s fall, annual inflation was little changed in May and remains at a historically high level. “The cost of airfares rose by more than a year ago and is at a higher level than usual for May. Rising prices for second-hand cars, live music events and computer games also contributed to inflation remaining high. “These were offset by a fall in the cost of petrol. Food price inflation remains high, but the rate has eased slightly this month with costs rising more slowly than this time last year.” Meanwhile core inflation – which takes out of consideration volatile items like energy and food costs – disappointingly rose in May to 7.1% from 6.8%, the highest reading since 1992.

Raise your business’s profile at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023

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Raise your business’s profile at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023
Raise the profile of your business by submitting an entry for Business Link’s prestigious East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023! Celebrating the region’s property and construction industry, its people, and outstanding developments, the annual awards attract leaders from across the region and are the perfect way for businesses to promote the work they are completing and create more buzz. Award categories include: most active estate agent, commercial development of the year, responsible business of the year, residential development of the year, developer of the year, deal of the year, architects of the year, excellence in design, sustainable development of the year, contractor of the year, and overall winner. A highlight in the business calendar, winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 28 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening that will also provide plenty of opportunities to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region. Nominations for the event are open, and now is the perfect time to make your submissions, ahead of the deadline (Thursday 31 August). To nominate your (or another) business/development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023, please click on a category link below or visit this page:
After winning the Deal of the Year award at last year’s event, Trevor Wells, director at Wells McFarlane, said: “For Wells McFarlane, the Broadnook Garden Village deal involved more than a decade of work, requiring extensive collaboration and detailed local knowledge to navigate its numerous complexities. The sale completed in July [2022] and will allow for the creation of an entirely new community comprising homes, businesses, a primary school, leisure facilities and natural open space. It’s fantastic news that our years of hard work are now recognised as the East Midlands’ most significant deal of 2022. We would also like to thank East Midlands Business Link for organising such a successful and well-attended event.”
Find out who last year’s winners were here.

Book your tickets now

Tickets can now be booked for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on Thursday 28 September 2023 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region, and hear from Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council, our keynote speaker. Dress code is standard business attire. Thanks to our sponsors:                                                             To be held at:

New future beckons for County Hall as alternative uses sought

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New future beckons for County Hall as alternative uses sought
Ideas for alternative uses for Derbyshire County Council’s headquarters are being sought, as it looks to make the most of the historic building to bring a new lease of life for Matlock and the surrounding area. The County Council have asked a team of advisors to seek expressions of interest from developers, hotel operators and others for their ideas on options for the future of the historic complex of buildings. The over-riding objective is to deliver the best outcome for the long-term use of the complex so that it contributes to the vitality of the town of Matlock and makes a significant ongoing contribution to the economy of the area. Deputy leader, councillor Simon Spencer, said: “We want to give County Hall a new lease of life that will capitalise on the special nature of the historic buildings and the uniqueness of Matlock being on the fringe of one of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions – the Peak District. “We are asking for ideas from investors, developers and business operators, but we are at the start of a journey. Nothing is going to change overnight, and if we do find a new future for the building then we will enter into a period of consultation, including needing to seek planning approval. “We are just not using the building to its full potential, particularly post pandemic, when many of our employees are working from home for several days a week. This does give us a once in a lifetime opportunity to make the most of this wonderful building. “Our vision for County Hall involves transforming the current buildings, and the fabulous landscaped setting into a world class hotel and venue coupled with spaces for local businesses, new homes for local people, a revitalised Winter Garden, and opportunities for the community to hold events, meet formally, or simply just to convene.”   Every option suggested by businesses and developers for the future of the building will be considered, and they could include:
  • hotel, conferencing and associated facilities to attract short and long stay visitors, to support events, and cater for the business community across Derbyshire, the East Midlands and beyond
  • flexible office space in new and/or refurbished space on site for the council
  • additional office facilities to support, for example, local public sector partners
  • residential units to meet local demand
  • co-working space and studios for the creative sector
  • facilities for the local community
Councillor Spencer added: “Our long-standing commitment to the town will remain. Our vision for County Hall includes the council remaining on site in either a new, low energy building on a much smaller footprint, or a dedicated space within the existing buildings that can be repurposed to meet current and future needs. Or potentially a combination of both options. The scale of the current County Hall complex allows many, mutually supportive uses to co-exist without compromise.”   An expression of interest document has been circulated and anyone interested is asked to contact either David Couch, email david.couch@realestate.bnpparibas or Harry Douglass, harry.douglass@realestate.bnpparibas by 21 July 2023. Engagement with the market will provide important information about the viability of alternative uses of County Hall. Before any decisions are made on the future of County Hall, a full consultation will be held and any potential changes will also need planning approval.

National business award success for Leicester school

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National business award success for Leicester school

New College Leicester’s business development manager, Wayne Allsopp, has scooped an award at the prestigious Education Business Awards.

Wayne was named as Business Development Manager of the Year at the awards ceremony, which took place in London on Wednesday 14 June. Wayne was presented with his award by former Team GB Athlete Donna Fraser.

It was a case of double success for New College on the night. In addition to Wayne Allsopp winning his award, New College Leicester was also named as a finalist in the ‘School Sports Award’ category. This is in recognition of its excellent sports provision, including its facilities, external partnerships, and its focus on making sport accessible for all.

Wayne is the driving force behind New College’s sports provision and commercial strategy and everyone at New College is delighted that his tireless work in raising standards of provision and outcomes for children at the school has been recognised by his industry peers.

Set in New Parks in Leicester, an area of above average levels of social deprivation, New College Leicester places itself at the heart of the local community through sport. Following significant investment and established community partnerships, more than 2,500 people now use its outstanding sports facilities weekly. This includes one of the best gymnastics facilities in the UK, a purpose-built outdoor cycle track, gym, sports halls and a café that is open to the public.

The school also recognises that health and wellbeing are essential if students are to do well at school. Given that negative health outcomes are prevalent for many in New Parks, the school has placed sports, health, and wellbeing at the core of its strategy to help provide a rounded education and improve the lives of its students.

It is this commitment to getting the New Parks community active, both its students and local people, that led to New College being named as a finalist and Wayne winning his category.

The School Business Manager Award is given to an individual whose business leadership skills and commercial outlook have had a positive impact on the school’s budgeting and strategic decision making.

Wayne’s ability to realise the link between a strong sports offering, its benefits to local people and the positive commercial impact this brings to the school is one of the reasons he has been shortlisted.

Wayne says: “I am thrilled to have won the award and that the hard work the team at New College has put into improving our school has been recognised. We are proud of New College and what we are achieving for the New Parks community, so its fantastic to know our work is considered to be amongst the best in the UK and something others may look to replicate to improve outcomes for children.

“We are extremely proud of our asset-based community development approach to sport. Working in partnership to develop excellent sporting facilities that drive benefits for both the community and school is delivering tangible results for thousands of people.

“For the vast majority of people who can only dream of participating in an Olympics or a World Cup the school is working hard to make sport accessible for all of them. What Loughborough University is doing for elite sport, New College Leicester is doing for school and community sport, and we are proud to have been recognised for that at a national level.”

Liz Kendall MP, who supported the school’s application, says: “The school serves a community that faces significant levels of social disadvantage, deprivation and child poverty.

“Staff work tirelessly to overcome these barriers and the use of sport has been a particularly effective tool to boost aspiration, promote healthier lifestyles and encouraging parents and the wider community to get involved in the activities of the school. Sport is used to help unleash children’s wider talents, showing them if they work hard they can be successful.

“In other words, it acts as a hook, inspiring students to achieve better results in other subjects. The links New College have created with local primary schools enable this work to begin early, which is crucial to improving the life chance of children in this part of my constituency.

“I fully endorse New College Leicester’s nomination for these awards. It sends a strong message to the many unsung heroes, both at the school and in the community, who rightly deserve recognition for their tireless effort.”

This is the second time in as many months that New College Leicester has enjoyed award success. In May, Edwina Maguire, the school’s English as an Additional Language and Teaching and Learning Lead, was named as a finalist in the prestigious Times Educational Supplement (TES) Awards.

Eventful times for business

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Eventful times for business
Companies the length and breadth of the UK are becoming increasingly brow-beaten by a seemingly relentless deluge of gloomy economic news. Leadership teams grappling with rising costs, will be drawing up efficiency plans in a bid to identify how they can achieve more with less. When it comes to increasing effectiveness there are a selection of obvious business levers to pull, but there are also some simple yet deceptively powerful principles that can help make big impacts to bottom lines. Improving customer retention can contribute to impressive increases in revenues of between 25% and 95%. Keeping staff is another way for businesses to make gains, as reducing staff turnover means less hiring costs, increased productivity, and delivers a better customer experience. Achieving retention takes creativity particularly given that quiet-quitting, rapidly diminishing attention spans and time poor audiences are growingly prevalent considerations. As well as the more obvious choices of reward and recognition, delivering great customer service, loyalty, referral incentives and so on. A good old-fashioned face to face can be incredibly powerful when it comes to both winning and keeping clients or staff. The pandemic was a catalyst for change and served as a reminder that there really isn’t any substitute for human contact no matter how high-tech a virtual setting may be. Karis Hildred is an events specialist who manages an award-winning venue and events operation, she shared some insights saying: “We were honoured most recently with a bronze award from the M&IT which has been a superb stamp of approval for our venue. “The last few years have been eventful to say the least with most people adapting roles and rapidly upskilling to take events online through the pandemic. Now, in a post Covid world, like many, we are bracing ourselves. “We’re holding on to the hope that our industry won’t be affected again on such a massive scale as we enter a potential economic crisis. But we’ve found that organisations are still focusing on planning events and their priority is ensuring that every one of their guests gets maximum value from attending. Clients are looking for the wow factor that simply cannot be delivered online. “We’ve seen a huge increase in full day event bookings which incorporate experiences. Our venue and events centre is housed in a beautiful 200 year old building owned by a fourth generation family of coffee roasters, Stokes Tea & Coffee. This is fantastic for us as we can include tours of the onsite coffee roastery followed by tastings or ‘have a go at latte art’ classes at the Barista Academy located in the same building. “These dynamic elements allow the event organisers to interact with their guests in exciting and informal ways. Being able to provide such a wide range of unique options as well as a full range of events and venue services is valuable to our clients. “Shared experiences allows them to break down barriers and interact with their clients, along with having the right facilities to do the important stuff and deliver those key messages. Attendees want to walk away with something extra that cannot be delivered through a screen. Clients want to see, smell and taste an event and organisers stepping into this new field want to deliver these experiences with exceptional customer service.” Debbie Connelly, Head of Awards and Conferences Operations, Northstar Meetings Group, organisers of M&IT Awards, said: “From galvanising workforces to spreading knowledge and inspiring innovation, the meetings and events industry has played a crucial role in rebuilding economies in the aftermath of the pandemic. “Our latest research shows that, while business remains challenging, optimism about the continued return of in-person events continues to grow. That’s because, ultimately, you can’t replicate the in-person experience online – the special buzz you get when people are in the same room. At a time when hybrid working has become the norm, events like the M&IT Awards play an even more crucial role in bringing people together and celebrating success.” Budgets are tightening and the competitive environment is hotting up, so finding ways to cut through the noise and stand out from the crowd is crucial. The newfound popularity of in-person conferences is not just a result of people missing these interactions but rather that businesses are seeing real benefits. Businesses are using events to elevate their company brand, convert sales opportunities more rapidly, build contact lists and data, strengthen existing relationships to realise greater potential and value, build a collaborative approach to a collective problem or challenge, generate new leads and so much more. Putting on an event or arranging a conference doesn’t have to be costly, complicated or cumbersome. Using professional organisers and setting clear objectives is a focused way of achieving real results. The next 12 to 18 months look set to be far from plain sailing for all businesses everywhere. But resisting the urge to batten down the hatches and using ingenuity to reach the people that count in personal ways can make all the difference. Karis’ Top Tips For Event Success: 1. Have clear objectives – share these with your event organiser to achieve concrete outcomes. 2. Do something different – choosing the best venue with great facilities is a good start but consider what else is on offer to make your event unique and memorable. 3. Make it worth it – budgets need a pay back and so do your attendees – consider what’s the value for both. 4. Plan ahead – it may seem obvious but allowing enough lead-time will take your event from good to great. 5. Share the load – choose an organiser and venue with the solid facilities, expertise and the flexibility to make your event unique to elevate your brand and be remembered long after the car park is cleared. Find out more at: Wedding Venue | The Lawn | England (lawnlincoln.com)
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