RMT Accountants & Business Advisors has appointed deals adviser Michael McCulloch as its new head of corporate finance. He will also be joining the RMT board of directors. Mr McCulloch brings almost two decades’ experience of leading and delivering complex transactions and strategic advice, and will head up RMT’s drive to enhance its corporate finance advisory service.
He trained with PwC in London and Newcastle before specialising in corporate finance. For the past 13 years, he has worked for a leading independent North East practice, advising on a range of Ƶ and cross-border deals in a variety of industries.
He said: “RMT is making a strategic investment in its corporate finance capabilities and it’s an incredibly exciting time for me to be joining the business to lead this growth. Our market approach will focus on supporting existing clients, many of whom are preparing for investment, appraising bolt-on opportunities or looking at succession planning.
“The wider corporate advisory market continues to show strong activity across the North East. RMT is putting itself in a great position to take advantage of this and is assembling a specialist team with extensive deals experience to meet this demand.”
Sunderland’s Business Improvement Districts have appointed Roberta Redecke as head of business services. The addition of a Seafront BID earlier this year means the organisation needed to create new roles to deal with increasing workloads and ambitious future plans. The new senior leadership role will see Ms Redecke, the former marketing and events manager, continue to work alongside CEO Sharon Appleby but with a range of new responsibilities.
She will be involved in income generation strategies that contribute to the general strategic direction of the BID, along with working and strengthening relationships with levy payers and key stakeholders in the city. Ms Redecke, who has worked with the BID since 2016, said: “I am very excited to continue to play an integral part in helping the BID reach its full potential.
“The organisation has grown and changed massively since I first joined and it’s fantastic to see the real benefit it has brought to the city centre and now to the seafront. It is such a pivotal time in Sunderland as the city benefits from widespread investment and the BID has a very important role to play in the continued growth.”
Hannah Thompson has been promoted from senior planner to principal planner at DPP Planning’s Newcastle office. In the two years since Ms Thompson joined DPP, when she relocated to the North East from London, she has led complex projects across a wide range of sectors.
She is also a Developing Consensus Pillar Group committee member and through her networking has secured new clients for the consultancy. Gareth Hooper, CEO of DPP Planning, said of the promotions: “We are proud to be able to announce these promotions at DPP. Our team is growing in numbers, expertise and confidence, and it is showing in the projects we are managing and the business we are winning.
“Our independence is central to our success and continues to attract some of the most promising talent in the business to our graduate schemes. But it is likewise very rewarding to see those who have joined us with more experience also see the benefits of working at a consultancy like DPP and are developing and advancing their careers with us.”
Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has announced several senior promotions across its Ƶ offices, including five new partners in the firm’s Newcastle office. Promoted in the corporate and commercial services team are Oliver Rickett and David Ridley, while Ellen Rutherford, Joe Kelley and Susan Maxey are is promoted in the private wealth team.
Alexander Dickinson, Ƶ Chair at Womble Bond Dickinson, said: “We are thrilled to announce our new partners across the firm. Their diverse expertise and unwavering dedication to client service have been instrumental in driving our growth strategy forward.
“These promotions highlight our commitment to investing in our people and ensuring we have the best talent to meet the evolving needs of our clients. We are confident that they will continue to contribute significantly to the firm’s success and help us achieve our ambitious goals.”
Reward Funding has appointed Martyn Evans as business development director. With 20 years’ experience in sales and over 10 years in business development and lending, Mr Evans has a strong track record of building successful portfolios and long-term relationships.
He will drive new business activity in the region, with a focus on developing key relationships with new brokers, introducers and markets. He will also work closely with commercial networks to promote Reward’s funding solutions.
He said: “Joining Reward felt like the natural next step in my career. The business has a fantastic reputation in the industry for being agile, relationship-led and genuinely committed to supporting SMEs. What really stood out to me was Reward’s determination to back businesses that others overlook, as well as the team’s values around service, speed and delivery.”
