Commercial property management and building consultancy firm, Workman, has made 57 promotions across the business, including seven new partners, one of which is in its Manchester office.
The promotions span all 11 UK offices and cover a broad range of service lines from property management, including retail & leisure, to building consultancy, client accounts, sustainability, compliance, and HR.
Among the partner appointments is Michelle Barker, who joined Workman in 2012 as a property administrator, and has built her career in property management in the Manchester office.
Managing partner, Matthew Pateman, said: “We’re a property firm, but we’re really a people business. These 57 promotions are the clearest sign of that.”
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Charlie Alcroft
Muse has appointed Charlie Alcroft as development manager.
Charlie, who brings with him over eight years’ experience in strategic regeneration, joins the team from Placefirst where he worked on a range of high-profile local authority placemaking projects across the UK.
Charlie spent over six years with Savills and will be drawing on his experience, where he advised on both public and private sector developments as he joins the team looking after the £2.5bn Masterplan with an initial focus on the refurbishment of Faraday House and the area around The Crescent.
Being delivered by ECF (a joint venture between Muse, L&G and Homes England), Salford City Council and the University of Salford, the masterplan brings together the public and private sectors to create real, lasting change across the city.
Commenting on his switch to Muse, Charlie said: “I’m thrilled to join the Muse north west team at such an exciting time for delivery across the region. The work the team are doing in placemaking and regeneration across Salford as part of the Crescent Masterplan will transform the area and I’m looking forward to playing a part in that.”
Max Bentham, director of development management north west at Muse, said: “Charlie’s proven track record across placemaking partnerships between the public and private sectors across Greater Manchester will be invaluable as we continue to progress the Crescent Masterplan in Salford.”
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Dirk Pittaway
Regional contractor, Stepnell, has reinforced its commitment to the North West market with the appointment of Dirk Pittaway as regional director, alongside securing significant positions on the latest Procure Partnerships North West and Rise Construction frameworks.
Dirk will lead Stepnell’s Liverpool office, bringing more than 30 years of industry experience and a proven track record in delivering major public sector projects.
Following an eight-year tenure as regional managing director for Robertson Group, Dirk’s appointment aims to strategically align Stepnell’s collaborative culture with the growing demand for high quality public sector procurement in the region.
He said: “I’m joining Stepnell at a pivotal moment where we can truly influence the built environment in the North West. What drew me to the business was its sustainable approach and a ‘team-first’ culture that is genuinely agile enough to respond to regional needs.”
Director, Tom Sewell, said: “Dirk brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the North West landscape. His track record in public sector delivery makes him instrumental in our long term regional growth strategy.
“We are building a powerful pipeline in the North West supported by our 159-year heritage as a complete construction partner.”
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Matt Grant
Independent strategic land company, Wain Estates, has strengthened its planning team with the appointment of Matt Grant (35) as senior planning manager.
Matt, who has a MSc in town planning, brings 12 years’ experience across both public and private sectors, including in-house and consultancy roles. He joins Wain Estates from a national housebuilder, where he spent four years as a planning manager.
Based at Wain Estates’ headquarters in Birchwood, Matt will oversee a diverse portfolio of strategic land sites across the UK.
He said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the team at Wain Estates during what is an extremely exciting period in the strategic land world. The Government’s reforms to national planning policy have provided what may well be a once in a generation opportunity to boost housing delivery on sustainable sites across the country. I’m looking forward to assisting the business in taking advantage of this opportunity and delivering on its growth targets.”
Planning director, Neil Lewis, said: “Matt’s experience strengthens the team as we continue to grow our strategic land portfolio across the UK. With a strong planning team in place, we’re well positioned to respond to changes in planning policy and work closely with landowners to secure permissions and maximise land value.”
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Miles Sinclair
Addleshaw Goddard has bolstered its Manchester Real Estate practice with Miles Sinclair joining the firm as a partner.
He is the team’s third partner hire in the city in recent months, following the arrival of Kirsty Black and Kirsty Chalkey earlier this year.
Miles joins from DWF, where he trained and progressed rapidly, becoming partner in January 2024 with just eight years’ post-qualification experience. He has built a substantial and well balanced practice advising on high value investment and development transactions, acting for institutional investors, developers, pension funds and major occupiers.
Iain Hindhaugh, head of transactional real estate at Addleshaw Goddard, said: “Miles’s arrival is a fantastic addition to our Manchester Real Estate team and reflects our continued focus on building strength in key regional markets. He brings deep technical expertise and a strong commercial mindset, particularly across development and investment work in high growth sectors, and will play an important role as we continue to grow and support our clients on increasingly complex transactions.”
Miles Sinclair said: “It is an absolute honour to be joining Addleshaw Goddard, a firm with a peerless reputation for quality and a clear ambition for growth. It is such an exciting time for the firm, which continues to go from strength to strength.”
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Elaine Field
Law firm Clarke Willmott has added a new partner to its national planning and environment team.
Elaine Field brings more than 20 years of experience in both private practice and in-house roles within local government.
Her appointment signals further growth for the firm’s Manchester office, where Elaine will be based, as well as for its planning team which advises on the full spectrum of planning matters for developers, local authorities, landowners and commercial organisations.
Ed Foulkes, head of Clarke Willmott’s Manchester office, said: “It’s great to welcome Elaine to our office and to our fast growing and nationally recognised planning and environment team. Elaine is known for her practical, solutions‑focused approach and for providing clear, commercially grounded advice.”
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Justine and Simon
Property and regeneration communication professional, Justine McGuinn, has joined the Manchester office of SEC Newgate.
Marking the end of an era at Just PR & Marketing, Justine will now support clients and growth at SEC Newgate’s Northern office in Manchester.
The move recognises Justine’s desire to work as part of a bigger team with the resource and reach required by larger clients.
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Oliver Howarth, Niamh Hunter, Hassan Ajmal
Sancus UK has appointed Oliver Howarth, Hassan Ajmal and Niamh Hunter as the business continues to scale its lending operations across the UK. All three roles will be based at the company’s head office in Manchester.
Oliver Howarth joins Sancus UK as Treasury Analyst, working alongside Paul Wood following his appointment in November 2025. Oliver joins from NatWest and will play an important role in supporting day-to-day cash management and loan book funding operations, while also helping to expand the company’s UK-based treasury operations function.
Hassan Ajmal joins the business as Senior Portfolio Manager, from Close Brothers Property Finance, bringing extensive experience in portfolio management and the wider lending sector.
Niamh Hunter joins as Office Support Executive, where she will run the Manchester office and help enhance operational efficiency and allow the wider team to remain focused on delivering for clients.
Andrew Charnley, Managing Director of Sancus UK, said: “These appointments reflect our continued investment in people as we scale the business across the UK.
“Following the publication of the Group’s full-year 2025 results last month, the UK business has delivered a strong Q1 2026 performance despite challenging market conditions, with £27.53 million in new lending across bridging and residential development and loan book facilities of £190 million.
“These new roles are essential in ensuring we have the right infrastructure, expertise and support in place to continue growing the business in the months and years ahead.”