people – thames valley
Movers and risers
Award-winning solicitors, Gardner Leader, has appointed Marie Verney as a senior associate to its fast-growing firm – its 22nd newly created position this year. In just six years, staff numbers at Gardner Leader have now doubled to 125 including 15 partners, while turnover is approaching £7 million by the end of 2017, double that of 2011-12. Based at Gardner Leader’s Newbury and Thatcham offices, Verney has joined the firm’s inheritance protection team where she will advise clients on all aspects of inheritance tax planning, Will drafting, asset protection, probate, powers of attorney and trust administration. The appointment comes as a return to Gardner Leader for Verney. After originally completing her first legal training with the firm she then joined another local firm gaining a further 15 years’ further experience, most recently as a senior associate. She is a full member of STEP, the Society for Trust and Estate Practitioners. She lives locally in Newbury and is also involved in a number of local charities.
The FSE Group, the Camberley-based fund management company, has announced the appointment of Dean Mayer as its new chief executive. Mayer began his career in the banking & capital markets group at KPMG in London and is a qualified chartered accountant and corporate treasurer and holds the diploma in corporate finance and certificate in investment management from the Securities Institute. He has also previously held various senior investment roles at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC Private Equity. Prior to joining the FSE Group, Mayer co- founded Fidelitas Capital and has advised various listed and unlisted SMEs on raising debt facilities.
Reading UK has appointed two new members to its board of directors from major companies based in Reading. Angela Haygarth, associate director of Grant Thornton UK LLP, and Daniel Lampard, senior director of Lichfields, will be bringing their huge experience to the benefit of Reading. Reading UK exists to boost business in Reading and enhance visitor experiences in a way that improves the quality of life of all in the region. Its board of directors represents key stakeholders across Reading. With more than 19 years of experience in the industry, Haygarth has previously worked with BDO and Nortons Group. Besides sitting on the board, she will join the board’s finance and reporting committee. Lampard is an experienced planning consultant who leads Lichfields’ Thames Valley office. As well as being a board member of Reading UK, he also chairs the organisation’s business, growth and skills group.
KPMG is establishing a legal services hub in in the Thames Valley. Emma Gibson, who joins from Shoosmiths where she was national head of corporate, has been appointed to establish the hub out of the Reading office to target the southern region. The new office will complement KPMG’s existing UK legal practices across London, the Midlands and the north. Gibson’s hire comes after investment in KPMG’s deal advisory capability in the Thames Valley, with the appointment of corporate finance director Sami Fairris earlier in the year. Gibson has been ‘recommended’ in both The Legal 500 and Chambers UK and is well regarded, particularly in the Thames Valley market. Gibson will work across the firm’s five south regional offices – Thames Valley, Cardiff, South Coast, Bristol, and Plymouth.
A Berkshire sales
manager who is only able to move his eyes refuses to let motor neurone disease stop him from working. Steve Dimond from Newbury, who was diagnosed in August
last year, is determined to defy the cruel condition and continues to offer ideas on how to move his company forward. Thanks to eye-gaze technology the 55-year-old is able to keep working for software company DMT Development Systems (UK) in Bracknell. He uses an eye-operated communication and control system that empowers people with disabilities to communicate and interact with the world. Dimond’s wife Karen said losing the use of his legs and arms had been particularly
‘devastating’ for her husband as he was a keen runner. He had previously run the London Marathon three times, raising money for Alzheimer’s Society and prostate cancer charities. Dimond and DMT are now fundraising for his local MND Association Reading and West Berkshire branch with donations of £1,785 to date. There were many money raising activities in the run-up to Christmas. His colleagues also posted a video on YouTube for the charity’s Silence Speaks campaign.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
businessmag.co.uk
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