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Reward Funding has further strengthened its UK growth plans by appointing Adrian Stalley as its first head of partnerships. In the newly created role, Adrian will drive forward the alternative lender’s sales and marketing strategy at a national level, by working closely with the regional directors and business development teams across its six UK offices. Adrian will also be focused on expanding Reward’s extensive network of introducers and commercial finance brokers, to ensure its overall sales strategy is closely aligned with its wider business growth aims. Adrian’s career spans over 30 years working in senior director and management roles in sectors ranging from telecoms and utilities to insurance and property. In the last six years he has focused on growing strategic partnerships and driving national business development opportunities in the commercial finance space. Adrian Stalley, head of partnerships for Reward Funding, commented: “With Reward having recently unveiled its new brand identity and strategic direction, it feels like the perfect time to be part of its continued growth success across the UK. I feel we’re really at the forefront of the lending market and filling the void left by traditional funders, by helping ambitious entrepreneurs and businesses thrive across so many sectors." “I’m looking forward to collaborating with the teams across our six offices, exploring new business development opportunities and channels, and as an ambassador of the business to further help expand our national network of introducers.” Adrian will be working alongside Sharon Ellis, Reward’s strategy and programme director, who added: “The appointment of Adrian and the wealth of sector experience and strategic insight he brings to the business, really illustrates the scale of our growth ambitions across the UK moving forwards. I know our regional directors and business development teams are really excited and energised by his arrival and are looking forward to working with him to further bolster our market presence.”

The Birmingham office market is poised for sustained growth in 2025, driven by a focus on office quality, lease flexibility and sustainability credentials, believes a regional office market expert. Carole Taylor, regional managing partner (Midlands and North) at Birmingham property consultancy Vail Williams, says the positive office trends monitored throughout 2024, which was an exceptional year for office take-up in Birmingham, are continuing. She added: “With an expanding base of diverse occupiers and investment in innovation districts, the city will cement its role as a competitive and resilient destination for businesses." “As the market evolves, both traditional and serviced office spaces will remain pivotal in meeting the demands of modern occupiers." “The emphasis for landlords has to be on delivery of low-carbon, sustainable designs which are aligned with Birmingham's net-zero goals. New developments will need to meet this design premium if they are to attract quality occupiers such as more blue-chip organisations.” “Prime rents in Birmingham are now between £40-£45 per sq ft for premium office space in the city and features like energy efficiency, wellness spaces, and cutting-edge facilities are now on the essential list for occupiers.” Carole, who has more than 30 years’ property experience across the Midlands, said 2024 marked a turning point for the Birmingham office market, which saw take-up in the city exceed 843,000 sq ft, a 20% increase on 2023 figures. Companies cemented their post-pandemic office decisions and by the end of Q3 2024, the number of office transactions totalled 71 – the highest take-up for that stage of the year since 2015, according to trade body the Birmingham Office Market Forum. Indeed, Q3 alone saw a record-breaking take-up of approximately 337,236 sq ft across 23 transactions, a 156% increase on 2023 figures and the highest take-up per quarter recorded since the pandemic. And whilst there were 12% fewer deals in 2024 (96), more space was actually let, showing a desire to lease more space once again, driven by the nationwide return to the workplace that mostly remains on a hybrid basis. Carole said this demand was being driven by a number of sectors, including education, innovation, technology, media and telecommunications (TMT), professional services and the serviced office market. A standout performer in 2024, the education sector accounted for 42% of total take-up in Birmingham, including one university deal for 189,503 sq ft, which helped reaffirm the city’s appeal as a hub for education and innovation. Innovation districts such as the Knowledge Quarter, Health Innovation Campus and Enterprise Wharf, denoted significant growth and helped Birmingham to continue to attract science, technology, and healthcare firms and establish the city as a tech and innovation hub. The TMT sector was in the driving seat of leasing activity in 2024, with several notable transactions, and Colmore Business District remains a hotspot for legal and professional services, further strengthening the city’s position as a leading commercial centre. Carole added: “The serviced office market in Birmingham also thrived alongside more traditional office space in 2024, with ongoing demand for short-term flexible leasing options. “This is down to hybrid work models remaining in place for a lot of businesses, but sectors such as education have also leveraged its versatility for administrative and teaching purposes, as we saw across several transactions last year." “We are expecting even more activity in 2025 as the drive back into the workplace continues, which bodes well for the regional office market and the businesses based here.” Vail Williams has been based in the Midlands for nearly 15 years, during which time its team in Birmingham has tripled in size, including the recent appointment of property agent, Joshua Laurence from Macguire Jackson. The firm also has a presence in Leeds, with a client base which extends across the North – from Birmingham to Nottingham, on up to Leeds and Newcastle and back down to Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent. Vail Williams’ full-service property advice includes commercial agency, investment and development advice, building consultancy, property valuation, planning, lease advisory, property asset management, business rates and occupier consultancy.

The global ecommerce market is on a trajectory of rapid expansion, set to reach $11 trillion in 2028, driven by technological advancements, seamless delivery services, and rising internet penetration. With China and the US dominating the landscape, companies must continuously innovate to meet evolving consumer expectations, embrace ESG compliance, and leverage data-driven strategies to maintain competitiveness in an increasingly dynamic sector, says GlobalData , a leading data and analytics company. GlobalData’s latest Strategic Intelligence report, “Ecommerce,” reveals that the global value of transactions for the ecommerce market is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1% between 2023 and 2028, driven by improved technology and delivery services and wider internet adoption. Aisha U-K Umaru, Strategic Intelligence Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The global ecommerce industry is dominated by China and the US, with market shares in 2023 of 33% and 30%, respectively." "These countries are home to some of the world’s biggest tech companies, including Alibaba and Amazon, which benefit from the huge troves of data generated by user activity on their platforms.” Subscription-based services are a growing ecommerce segment. Beauty brands like Estrid and Harry’s started with subscription services and have enjoyed great success. Both are now available in physical stores, further boosting sales. Harry’s filed for an IPO in March 2024 after reaching nearly $1 billion in revenue. However, some subscription services have struggled after a rapid rise. Once valued at almost $2 billion, meal-kit subscription service Blue Apron was bought for about $100 million by food delivery company Wonder in 2023. Umaru continues: “Consumers are also concerned with the social and governance factors of ESG. As a result, it remains high on the agenda for ecommerce companies, both to comply with relevant regulations and to meet consumer demands. ESG regulations such as the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities are also a method of clamping down on greenwashing, the practice of inflating a company’s ESG performance for marketing purposes.” Other terms such as carbon neutral, green, and environmentally friendly are being regulated, and ecommerce companies must ensure they comply with relevant guidelines to mitigate the risk of litigation. Umaru concludes: “Initiatives like the Fifteen Percent Pledge, which urges US retailers to allocate at least 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses, highlight the increasing emphasis on social equity within the ecommerce sector." "Additionally, issues such as supply chain transparency and diversity remain critical, as brands strive to align with the evolving ESG priorities of Gen Z and Millennial consumers.”

UK-listed companies with a Defined Benefit (DB) pension scheme issued 81 profit warnings in 2024, the highest annual volume since the pandemic in 2020 (249 warnings), according to EY-Parthenon’s latest Profit Warnings report. In total, nearly one-in-four (24%) UK-listed firms with DB sponsors issued a profit warning last year. The number of warnings issued by UK-listed companies with a DB pension scheme in 2024 made up almost a third (30%) of the 274 total from all UK-listed companies – the highest annual proportion since 2020 (43%). Highest quarterly volume of warnings since same period of 2020 In the final quarter of 2024, 28 profit warnings were issued by UK-listed companies with a DB pension scheme, a year-on-year increase of six warnings and the highest quarterly total since Q4 2020. UK-listed Household Goods and Home Construction firms behind the most warnings, with contract issues the leading cause Companies with a DB pension scheme in the FTSE Household Goods and Home Construction sector issued the highest volume of warnings during 2024 (15), followed by FTSE Industrial Support Services (12) and FTSE Retailers (seven). Rising costs (28%), contract issues and spending delays (26%) and credit tightening (11%) were cited as the main reasons for warnings from UK-listed companies with a DB pension scheme. Karina Brookes, UK Pensions Covenant Advisory Leader and EY-Parthenon Partner, said: “The latest profit warnings data demonstrates the ongoing impact of external challenges such as global geopolitical uncertainty and policy upheaval on companies’ forecasting abilities. In this environment, strategies for companies with a DB sponsor need to respond to both short-term policy changes and deeper structural issues, whilst being mindful of the changing pensions regulation including the new DB Funding Code." “All valuations from September 2024 will now fall under the new code, which emphasises the importance of covenant and the requirement to fund the scheme as soon as cash flows allow. For companies that are issuing a profit warning, there is a delicate balance between investing cash back into the business to improve longer term prospects and, if it is needed, using the cash available to fund the scheme in accordance with the guidance." “At the same time, companies issuing profit warnings that have well-funded schemes may consider whether they are able to use scheme surpluses as a source of cash support, provided there is the right support structure and agreement with the trustees in place to extract the surplus.” Paul Kitson, UK Pensions Consulting Leader at EY, added: “While average DB funding remained robust throughout 2024, the high number of profit warnings from listed UK firms with a DB pension scheme suggests not all schemes are out of the woods yet. At the same time, many trustees and companies are still digesting the Government’s recent surplus return proposals, so balancing the funding level, covenant strength and potential use of surplus will be a delicate balance." "As ever, it is critical for both trustees and companies to work together to understand their scheme, its employer covenant, and their best path forward – whether that be aiming to run-on with additional contributions, run-on with surplus release, or buy-out.”

The RFU is pleased to announce a new multi-year deal with leading global electronics innovator, LG Electronics, which will deliver world-class fan experiences and grassroots growth in 2025 and beyond. LG Electronics is now the Official TV Partner to the Red Roses as well as Official Screens Partner of Allianz Stadium – the home of English rugby. Despite increases in women’s sport content over the past few years, coverage for women’s sport remains at only 8% across key UK channels [1]. 2024 was the most watched year for women’s sport in the UK with significant momentum for women’s rugby. With 2025 set to be a momentous year for women’s sport, LG will use its “Let’s Go” sponsorship platform in collaboration with the RFU on various soon to be announced campaigns to amplify the growth of the sport. Together with the Red Roses, LG hopes to inspire and enable more women and girls to watch and engage in women’s sport. 2025 is set to be a huge year for women’s sport in the UK with the Women’s Rugby World Cup coming to England in August and September featuring all the home nations, plus the UEFA European Women's Championship taking place in Switzerland in July with both England and Wales set to take part. LG will also support the RFU’s grassroots development plan as well as supply key improvements to Allianz Stadium – in a year in which it will host the blockbuster final round of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations clash with France and the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup Final. LG UK is a long-term sponsor of The FA, having worked with the national football body since 2019 on campaigns including various major international tournaments, and now adds the new RFU deal to its existing roster of sporting partners. LG’s partnership with the RFU will not only invite more viewers into the sport but also encourage a new generation of players with grants that support English community rugby clubs. What’s more, LG will provide cut-rate technology solutions and products to provide grassroots players a great experience and give clubs the opportunity to reduce their environmental impact too. LG has also become the Official Screens Partner of Allianz Stadium and will support discussions as the RFU start their multi-million pound masterplan to improve the iconic stadium. New and improved LED big screens and TVs around the stadium and hotel at Allianz Stadium will be upgraded in 2025, to deliver a new level of fan experience in the ground. Speaking on the announcement, Daniel Michelson, head of marketing at LG UK, said: “2025 will be another monumental year for women’s sport around the world. In recent years we have seen the women’s game take periodic steps forward in popularity, reach and fan engagement around key tournaments and this year should be no different. The “Let’s Go” platform, represents the desire to create change, using innovation, design and creativity to captivate fans and elevate outcomes." “At LG we’ve been lucky to be part of these incredible moments for women’s sport via our work with The FA and now we are proud to work with the RFU to continue our support. This multi-year deal, will help to improve fan experience and reduce the stadium’s carbon footprint moving forward. Myself, the team, and the whole global business is excited to get to work on this new partnership.” Claudio Borges, Executive Director Commercial & Marketing, comments: “We are delighted to announce LG as England Rugby’s Official TV Partner to Red Roses, as well as Official Screens Partner of Allianz Stadium." “LG’s support in amplifying the work of the Red Roses and the amazing personalities in the team as they build into an important year will be of huge value, as will enhancements to our multiple screens around the stadium that are so critical to the matchday experience of our fans.”

Leading European plant and tool hire company BOELS Rental has placed its biggest ever order with JCB as it invests in a new machine fleet worth £65 million (€78 million). Netherlands-based BOELS Rental has ordered more than 700 machines including tracked and wheeled excavators, wheeled loading shovels, Loadall telescopic handlers, rotating telescopic handlers, electric scissor lifts and electric site dumpers. The deal includes the introduction to the BOELS’ fleet of a large volume of the recently launched 145XR X Series tracked excavators. Delivery of the machines will be completed in the next few months. The order also marks a huge milestone for JCB which has now supplied a total of more than 3,000 machines to BOELS Rental since the first was sold in 2012. All the excavators and wheeled loading shovels purchased in the latest deal are largely destined for use in central Europe, particularly in Germany, to support BOELS’ focus on the contractor sector. JCB Global Major Accounts MD, Claudio Fiorentini, said: “We are delighted to secure this major order from one of Europe’s leading plant and tool hire companies, particularly as the deal represents one of the biggest in JCB’s history for excavators and wheeled loaders." "BOELS Rental has been a valued customer of JCB’s for many years and it’s testament to the quality of JCB’s machines, as well as our world-class service back-up, that we’ve secured another valuable order.” Boels Group Chief Procurement Officer, Guy Cremer, said: "BOELS Rental is one of Europe’s leading rental companies and our annual growth is driven by investing in the best machines available. JCB’s range is tailored exactly to the needs of the rental sector which makes them our machine of choice. The high standard of service back up we receive across Europe was also key to our purchasing decision.” Established in 1977, Boels Rental is one of Europe’s leading machinery, tools, modular accommodation, and event equipment rental companies. It operates in 27 countries and has more than 830 branches.

Budding DJs at Ferndown Middle School have taken to the wheels of steel with such aplomb they are now training their teachers. Head of Music, Scott Welcomme, managed to secure the loan of some high-tech turntables for the benefit of the school. The youngsters took to it at once and are now able to create their own music on the decks and add effects at ‘DJ Club’. Furthermore, they are lined up to DJ at up-coming school discos and the enthusiasm has led to other classes and year groups using the equipment. The youngsters enjoy mixing and are in the process of compiling their own setlists. Not only do they learn to DJ during the sessions, they explore the art of turntablism too. Scott said "We were able to obtain the turntables from the Dorset Music Hub – now the Octagon Music Hub – through its Music Area Lead, Pili Lopez. It 's much more than clicking play on the decks. To nudge and get an exact beat match - while the tracks are playing - is the art of turntablism." “The children are lined up to DJ at school discos and the enthusiasm has led to other pupils using the decks in class and at lunchtimes. It is all digital and enables the children to create their own music and work together to come up with new sounds." “The group is held during the morning and has proved hugely popular.” Scott also used resources provided by DJ School UK to get started and has been updating co-founder Jim Reiss with the pupils' progress so far, and he is excited for future developments. DJ Dom from Year 6 said: “Music is my life because it calms people. It brings out different emotions while you are doing it. The music has really inspired me and I love it.” DJ Isla, Year 6, said: “It has really given me confidence and makes me want to come to school. It’s really fun and cool – there are loads of songs and you have the power to control them." DJ Poppy said: “It’s fun and I love playing around with songs and it makes me enjoy learning.” Headteacher Amber Barter said: “Extra-curricular activities are really important across the trust. This DJ Club is superb and has not only taught them about music, but provided many other lessons too.”

The LTA and HSBC have entered into a four-year partnership through until 2028 that will see the bank become the title sponsor of the HSBC Championships - an exciting new two-week proposition of world-class women’s and men’s tennis at The Queen’s Club, taking place from 7-22 June 2025. The partnership comes following the announcement last year Opens in new window that 2025 will see the launch of a new calendar for the grass-court tennis season. The calendar includes The Queen’s Club hosting two consecutive weeks of world class tennis, as the LTA stages a women’s Tour-level event (WTA 500) in London for the first time in more than 50 years. The existing men’s (ATP 500) event was recently named by ATP players as tournament of the year for the third consecutive year. The partnership was recently agreed following a very competitive tender process involving a number of potential partners. The HSBC Championships will undergo a comprehensive rebrand and refresh that will fully complement its new status as both a women’s and men’s tournament. LTA Chief Executive, Scott Lloyd said: “We are delighted to welcome HSBC to our LTA family of partners, becoming the title sponsor of the HSBC Championships of our ATP and WTA 500 events in June. The LTA’s goal is to increase the visibility and accessibility of tennis, particularly of the women’s game, with HSBC helping us reach new audiences. The HSBC Championships will mean fans can enjoy the tradition of world class tennis in a unique setting and be part of the return of women’s tour-level tennis to London for the first time in more than half a century. We can’t wait to get started.” HSBC UK Chief Executive, Ian Stuart said, “Tennis has the power to unite and inspire, and we are incredibly excited to partner with the prestigious LTA and sponsor the new HSBC Championships starting this June." “As the tournament grows to showcase some of the best in women’s and men’s tennis, we are looking forward to helping bring this exceptional event to an even broader global audience. Our ambition is to create a phenomenal experience for athletes and fans – including exclusive benefits for our customers – that serves up passion, perseverance and opportunity both on and off the court.” HSBC has a long-standing commitment to world class sport, including its brand ambassador partnerships with former British No.1 Tim Henman and 2021 US Open Champion Emma Raducanu. Their position as the UK’s leading international bank with an ambition to open up a world of opportunity makes them a perfect fit as the new title partner of this new two-week event. The addition of HSBC to the LTA’s growing partnership roster is in tandem with the newly revamped grass court season for 2025, which sees both genders play in new tournaments at The Queen’s Club and Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham complementing the pre-existing combined men’s and women’s events at Eastbourne, Nottingham and Ilkley. For the first time, all the LTA’s grass court events will feature both male and female players. LTA Advantage Fan+ and Compete members will have exclusive early access to buy tickets for the new WTA 500 event at the HSBC Championships from 10:00am on Tuesday 11 February. By signing up to LTA AdvantageOpens in new window now fans can be first in line to see the world’s biggest stars at The Queen’s Club this summer. General sale will open from 10:00am on Tuesday 18 February.

Early years pupils at a Staffordshire Moorlands village school were treated to a very special visitor as part of a project to learn about farming in the local community. A JCB Fastrac tractor made the short journey from the JCB Landpower factory at Cheadle to be put through its paces on the playground of Hutchinson Memorial C of E First School, Checkley. JCB Agriculture Product and Marketing Manager David Timmis took along the machine and invited children from the school’s Early Years Owls class to sit at the wheel of the revolutionary machine along with a question and answer session with the youngsters. The 12 children, aged between three and five were eager to learn more about the role of farmers in the local community as part of their Understanding the World curriculum. Teacher Gemma Grady explained: “As a rural school many of the children come from farming backgrounds and a number of our children’s parents work at JCB so this visit really brought the children’s learning to life and made it real for them." “They heard about the JCB Farm and learned about what the machines do on the farm then each of them got to sit in the Fastrac and see it in action, which they loved.” JCB Agriculture Product and Marketing Manager David Timmis added: “We were delighted to be invited to the school to talk about the importance of farming, explain where food comes from and the part we play in the world of agriculture. The children were very knowledgeable and had lots of great questions about the Fastrac and our Backing British Farmers campaign." “It was fantastic to explain to the children world famous tractors are made just down the road, show them the machine and give them the chance to sit in the driving seat too.”

Lidl has announced a market-leading pay increase for 28,000 hourly-paid colleagues, with new rates coming into effect in March 2025. Entry-level pay will rise to £12.75 nationally, up from £12.40 and increasing to £13.65 with length of service. Meanwhile, in London, new starters will see pay rates go up to £14.00, increasing to £14.35 over time. These new hourly rates come in ahead of the government’s updated National Living Wage (NLW) in April, exceeding it by over 50p. They will also be higher than the Living Wage Foundation’s new Real Living Wage, which is being implemented in April. The discounter’s latest investment into pay totals almost £15 million, including increases for salaried colleagues across the business. In the last 12 months alone, Lidl GB’s investment in pay totals over £54 million. Stephanie Rogers, Chief People Officer at Lidl GB, commented: “More households than ever before are choosing to shop with us, making Lidl the fastest growing bricks-and-mortar supermarket for well over a year. This success is largely due to our hard-working colleagues, who each play an incredibly important role in delivering quality, affordable products to communities across the country. This pay increase is just one part of our commitment to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued." “We’re proud to offer leading pay rates in the sector, while fostering a culture of opportunity and inclusion that helps our teams thrive. As we continue to grow, investing in our people remains at the heart of what we do, ensuring Lidl is not only a great place to shop but also a great place to work and grow a career.” This update comes as Lidl GB is named one of the top employers in the country by the Top Employers Institute for the fourth consecutive year. Globally, Lidl was also awarded the "X-Large Enterprise" for the first time and secured "Top Employer Europe" for the eighth time. Those interested in joining Lidl can explore opportunities on its careers website. Alongside competitive pay, colleagues enjoy a wide range of market-leading benefits.

According to a new report, UK businesses encountered more than 753,341 malicious attempts each to breach their online and IT systems in 2024. This was four percent higher than in 2023 (720,252 attacks), with businesses encountering an online threat every 42 seconds. This makes 2024 the worst year for attempted cyberattacks. The attack rate did decline in the final quarter of 2024- this is the first time since 2021 that Q4 was not the most prolific time of year for cyberattacks. Despite the reduction this is only the third quarter on record that cyberattacks experienced by businesses exceeded 2,000 per day. Cybercriminals Targeting Remote IoT Devices In 2024, devices connected to the Internet of Things (loT) were the most frequently attacked by cybercriminals. Business firewalls also received more than 161 daily attacks targeting building control systems, security cameras, networked printers, remote monitoring, and industrial automation systems. Cybercriminals also frequently targeted web applications, remote desktop software, and company databases. Typically, businesses attracted more than 20 individual attacks daily for each of these systems in 2024. China Identified As A Hacker Hotspot The report also found that cybercriminals are using more than a million IP addresses to launch attacks on businesses in the UK in 2024, with almost a quarter (241,019) of these being traced to areas in China. India has also been identified as an area where a significant and increasing volume of cyberattacks have appeared, with 87,144 attacking IP addresses. This is in comparison to 81,112 attacking IP addresses in the USA in 2024. AJ Thompson, CCO at Northdoor plc , explains: “loT devices can be compromised by cybercriminals in several different ways and quite often this is done remotely. In many cases there is a lack of sufficient protection even though you would expect that loT, as a modern technology, would have adequate in-built protection." “Often there is a lack of user awareness around the technology, with easily guessed passwords that are almost never changed. Many also fail to implement updates with unpatched vulnerabilities leaving devices open to cyber threats. Late updates also pose a significant threat. Seen as an inconvenience, they are almost always put off until a cybersecurity issue occurs." “IoT connected devices need to be configured securely, which can be a daunting task for many. This lengthy process has multiple considerations, which can be onerous and time-consuming for in-house IT teams. With budgets being cut and manpower stretched, understanding which IoT devices exist, what they do, how they are configured and most importantly how they should be protected, can seem like an impossible task. “Turning to experienced third-party IT consultancies to help relieve the pressure will be crucial in 2025 and beyond. These consultancies can provide IoT and cybersecurity expertise that in-house teams struggle with. By monitoring systems as well as educating teams about the latest threats, consultancies are in a better position to keep cybercriminals out,” concluded Thompson.

A family and employee-owned insurance broker in Cumbria has expanded with the appointment of an experienced commercial insurance broker. Kelly McCartney has relocated to Cumbria from Dumfries, where she previously worked for James Hallam insurance brokers, to join TL Dallas. The nine-strong team at TL Dallas is based at Lakeland Business Park in Cockermouth and provides independent insurance broking and risk management services to a wide range of commercial and agricultural clients. The close-knit team has quickly grown since TL Dallas expanded into Cumbria with just two people in May 2023. Emma Irving, Lynne Taylor, Philip Jackson, Heather Wood, Karen Coombe, Tracy Hickman and Anna Jones were all former colleagues before they joined TL Dallas alongside apprentice, Talia Frazer. Emma Irving said: “We are in a privileged position to have more than 200 years combined industry experience between us, and we work for a fabulous range of clients who value our expertise and guidance. Through personal recommendations and connections, we have quickly grown in Cumbria and were keen to recruit another experienced and reliable commercial broker to help manage our ever-growing client base.” Kelly said: “I wanted to join TL Dallas as it’s an independent business, with a real client focus and an in-house claims team and I really liked its ethos and commitment to delivering a personal service from 15 regional offices." “Having worked in an account handler role within the schemes division at my last firm, I’ve had clients that operate in varying industry sectors and helped them with every aspect of insurance, from buildings insurance to cyber insurance and everything in between! I’m an Acturis software superuser, so I know the system inside out and am very organised and love working in a busy and friendly environment.” Polly Staveley, managing director at TL Dallas, said: “Our Cockermouth office is a real success story, and it showcases why our commitment to regional offices is important." "Clients like to meet face to face, and deal with people they trust, and we are pleased to welcome Kelly to the team.”