Mitchell Charlesworth, Magenta Living and Acumen Financial are all reporting internal progression and new people coming in to their businesses

Liverpool accountancy firm Mitchell Charlesworth has strengthened its audit and accounts team with four promotions and a new appointment.

Louise Casey, Ramon McKenna and Heather Townsend have all been promoted to associate, Amy Taylor has been promoted to manager and John Davies has joined the team as a manager.

Paul Wainwright, managing partner at Mitchell Charlesworth, said: “It is extremely important to us to invest in and help develop our people. The individuals promoted are valued team members who have made a strong contribution to the growth of Mitchell Charlesworth and consistently demonstrated outstanding work for their clients.”

And on the appointment of John Davies, he added: ““John brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and will play a key role in delivering audit and accounts services to our client base in Widnes.”

A leading UK expert in consumer research has been appointed head of research at Liverpool communications agency Influential.

 Duncan Swan, a specialist in fast-moving consumer goods and customer insight research, was most recently a director of full service market research company, Vision One.

Influential is expanding its Insight team to meet demand for market research services. Sitting alongside the agency’s existing marketing services, the Insights specialisms include concept tests, strategic market surveys, consultations, brand health studies and customer satisfaction surveys.

North West housing provider, Magenta Living has  promoted former income officer, Lauren Huggon to trainee project manager, along with Annette Westwater, who was previously a development assistant.

Louise Edwards, previously a project manager in the team, has been promoted to senior project manager. The internal appointments have been complemented by the recruitment of Carole Dowd who was previously with Your Housing Group and has also taken up a senior project manager role.

The new influx of people will support Magenta Living in delivering its current development programme, which will see it build more than 650 new homes in locations across the Wirral and wider North West by 2022.

West Lancashire financial advisory firm Acumen Financial has appointed a new senior adviser to cover the Merseyside region.  Helen Whiting, from Heswall in Wirral, brings almost 20 years’ experience as a qualified adviser to the Burscough-based firm, where she will specialise in pensions and investments. 

Having joined Lloyds Banking Group in 2000, Helen later worked for wealth management firms FMG in Liverpool and Gee & Watson in Wirral.