Private equity investor LDC has appointed Peyman Atapour as an investment manager to support its activity in the North East and Scotland.
Mr Atapour is a chartered account and CTA qualified tax advisor and joins LDC after seven years at KPMG where he supported businesses in equity deals, including advising the shareholders of Hessle-based wind power specialist Boston Energy on its investment from LDC in 2023. He will now support the seven-strong LDC team across the North East and Scotland with originating, executing and managing portfolio investments.
Gareth Marshall, partner and head of North East and Scotland, said: "The North East and Scotland are home to many innovative and fast-growth businesses and Peyman’s appointment reflects our commitment to furthering our investment in both regional markets. Looking to the year ahead, greater clarity over government policy means more businesses will now be in a better position to move forward with their growth plans, and where businesses are coming to market, we’re already seeing strong appetite for partnering with private equity.
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"Our team’s skill and experience, on-the-ground presence and national sector expertise means we’re perfectly positioned to provide the investment and support local management teams will be looking for."
Professional services giant KPMG 海角视频 has appointed David Mitchell as head of audit for the North East, following his promotion to partner.
Mr Mitchell has spent 17 years at KPMG, where he has worked across the North East and Yorkshire to support privately owned firms. KPMG has also promoted six people into senior or assistant manager roles within the North East audit team and has made several external hires.
David Mitchell, head of audit for the North East at KPMG 海角视频, said: “It’s a privilege to head up the North East’s audit team at what is an important moment of change for the audit world. With AI and other new technologies playing a key role in the development and delivery of our specialist services across the region, I’m excited to be leading a team made up of trained auditors of the future who are ready to embrace new tech.”
Michael Downes, office senior partner for KPMG in Newcastle, added: “Our recent Private Enterprise Barometer found that 96% of private firms in the North East were confident about their growth prospects heading into 2025. With David’s appointment and our recent promotions, our highly skilled regional audit team is in a strong position to deliver the services that businesses need to pursue growth ambitions.”
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Property consultancy Knight Frank has appointed a new senior professional to its Newcastle office.
Janet Young has joined the firm as an associate and will work in the property asset management team which is headed by partner Jason Wall. She has more than 35 years' experience in surveying and managing properties for private and public sector clients having worked at GFW, Johnson Tucker and BNP Paribas Real Estate.
Ms Young will be managing industrial estates, multi-let offices, business parks and shopping centres, including Wellington Square Shopping Centre in Stockton and 2 St James’ Gate in Newcastle.
She said: “This opportunity arose, and I had heard good things about Knight Frank as an organisation and employer. The property asset management team in Newcastle is changing and growing so I hope to be able to pass on some of my knowledge to other team members to support that expansion.”
Northumberland-based environmental consultancy Biodiverse Consulting has made three appointments having launched a "match-making" service for developers and landowners.
Biodiverse Brokering is led by Harry Reed, and supported by new team members Jacqui Kennedy and Francesca Oakley in Northumberland and Liam Mattingley in the firm's Kent office.
Vicki Mordue, founder and director of Biodiverse Consulting, said: "Over the past two years, a market has emerged in trading Biodiversity and Nutrient Units. This activity has been driven by new legislation that requires developments to positively impact nature.
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“As these Units of improvement cannot always be delivered on the development site, there are opportunities for them to be gained off-site by transforming areas of land into Habitat Banks. This requires connections to be made between developers and landowners. And that’s where we come in.”
Newcastle-based business growth specialist 360 Growth Partners has appointed business development specialist, Justine Joisce, as an associate.
Ms Joisce has more than 30 years of marketing and business development experience in senior roles within national and regional consultancy and professional services organisations, including Addleshaw Goddard, life sciences marketing agency ramarketing and Ward Hadaway.
She said: "Where marketing focuses on building brand awareness and generating leads, business development nurtures these leads into long-term partnerships and profitable business opportunities. Combining my skills with the experienced marketing associates here at 360 Growth Partners offers a powerful mix. In my experience, SMEs that merge business development with marketing and focus on the entire customer lifecycle, from client acquisition to loyal customer, move beyond transactional relationships to long-lasting partnerships.
"I’ve seen great success with teams that have enabled a ‘business development mindset’ at every level within their organisation. It’s not always about hiring a sales team, it’s about unlocking the potential in your existing workforce and creating ambassadors within your organisation by giving them robust training, support and the tools they need to develop their skills."
Constructing Excellence North East has announced Andy Ray as the new chair of its Innovation Group.
Mr Ray, who is group operations director at construction group Applebridge Family, will be supported in the role by vice-chair Simon Rennison-Rae, partner at GSS Architecture.
The group, which includes believe housing, Castle, Low Carbon Materials, NavVis, Northumbria University, Northumbrian Water and Sir Robert McAlpine, brings together representatives to promote, showcase and support the development and implementation of innovative ways of working across the construction sector.
Mr Ray, said: “I have been a member of the Innovation Group since it was established in 2021, working alongside a very ambitious and supportive group of professionals. I would like to thank my predecessor, Mark Gardham, regional director at Sir Robert McAlpine, for his leadership of the group and I am looking forward to building on his strong foundations.
"We have a busy year ahead and our aim is to raise the profile of the group, highlighting innovative products and processes being developed and used by organisations, not just within our region but nationally and internationally."