People: Raworths; Sniffers Pet Care; Genuit; and more

Rachel Mainwaring-Taylor has been appointed as a partner in Harrogate-based Raworths’ Trusts, Wills and Estates team.

She joins from Farrer & Co in London having developed a broad range of expertise, advising individuals, families and trustees on issues including succession, wealth structuring and governance with a particular interest in cross-border succession planning and estate administration.

She advises on all aspects of succession planning including agricultural, business and heritage assets, domicile and tax residence, philanthropy and mental capacity and has extensive experience in dealing with complex estates and international probate as well as the creation, administration and governance of trusts.

Mainwaring-Taylor is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and an officer of the Private Client Tax Committee of the International Bar Association. She also sits as a judge in the First-Tier Tribunal (Tax).

Rachel Tunnicliffe, senior partner and head of private client services, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have attracted someone of Rachel’s calibre, contributing further to the strategic growth of our specialist teams across the firm.

“As families become more international, Rachel’s cross-border experience will be a particularly valuable addition to the support which we already offer to our clients.”

Mainwaring-Taylor said: “I am thrilled to be returning to my Yorkshire roots and joining a firm with such a strong private client offering and impressive reputation where I can continue to deliver high quality bespoke solutions to clients.”

The Trusts, Wills and Estates team at Raworths continues to expand, with five new recruits this year bringing the team up to 24 including the six partners.

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Pet food manufacturer, Sniffers Pet Care, has appointed a new chief financial officer to support its growth.

Elland-based Sniffers, which manufactures natural pet treats for customers including Pets at Home and Jollyes and hundreds of independent retailers, has recruited Peter Harrison to head its finance department.

It follows a £1.75m investment the company secured last September from Yorkshire-based private equity house Traditum to support the rollout of new brands and product ranges, as well as invest in manufacturing and distribution roles at its site.

Harrison brings with him over 15 years of FMCG and manufacturing industry experience, having held senior positions with Morrisons, Asda and Victoria Plum.

He joins from Aviva Bus where he was head of commercial finance. His experience of both Plc retail and private equity backed firms will help scale Sniffers and its own recently launched natural dog food brand, NAW.

His responsibilities will include strategic and financial planning, working across all areas of the business to provide financial and commercial support to help the business build on its established position and continue its growth.

Harrison said: “After spending several years in large corporations, I am excited to apply my knowledge and expertise in food retail to a high growth, PE-backed SME once again.

“The UK pet food sector is an exciting place to be right now, and Sniffers is ideally placed to achieve significant growth and deliver new product propositions.”

Simon Brown, CEO, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Peter on board as our new chief financial officer.

“With the calibre of his financial and commercial experience, coupled with his deep understanding of the FMCG and retail industry, we believe he will help us propel forward our vision to become one of the UK’s leading natural pet treat manufacturers.”

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Leeds-headquartered manufacturer, Genuit Group, a provider of sustainable water and climate management solutions for the built environment, has appointed Bronagh Kennedy as a non-executive director with effect from 3 July 2023.

She will also be a member of the Audit, Nomination, and Remuneration Committees.

Kennedy was the group general counsel and company secretary of Severn Trent Plc from 2011 to 2022, and as part of her role she was also responsible for compliance and regulatory assurance and the group’s corporate sustainability programme.

During her career she has worked across several sectors including finance, leisure and hospitality and she has a broad range of corporate experience, including as HR director of Mitchells & Butlers plc.

She has previously been a non-executive director of Wolseley (Ferguson plc carve-out prior to its disposal), and is currently a non-executive director and chair of the Remuneration Committee of Treatt plc.

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Leeds-based audio first content agency, This Is Distorted, has expand with two new roles.

These roles are designed to further strengthen the agency’s capabilities so it can continue delivering exceptional services to its expanding client base.

Alex Healey joins from the BBC and will take on the role of studio manager & producer.

He has spent the last seven years at 5 Live and the World Service, alongside producing a number of high-profile podcasts.

James Medina has taken on the role of executive producer for Music Programmes.

He has worked with the agency in a freelance capacity since 2014 and has been instrumental in launching some of Distorted’s biggest music programmes and projects.

As head of the music production team he’ll be overseeing the sound and quality of over 70 programmes from some of the world’s biggest music artists and brands.

Alex Jungius, Distorted director, said: “The audio industry is thriving, with a significant surge in demand for both podcast content and radio programs at both regional and global levels.

“Since the launch of our state-of-the-art podcast studio in Leeds earlier this year, we have been inundated with requests, which has led us to create two additional creative roles based in Yorkshire.

“We are happy to expand our team and contribute to the growth of the industry in the region.”