The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 40: Dec/Jan 2018/19 | Page 6
BUSINESS NEWS
MBO AND NEW HEAD OF LEGAL
The groundbreaking Swindon-based firm Optimum Professional Services – the first in the area to
combine accountancy and legal services – has been the subject of a management buyout by CEO Richard
Mathews from its parent company RFS Holdings. And in another positive move for the company,
a new head of the legal team has been appointed.
Solicitor Iain Mason has taken over from Mary
Hoffman, who has retired after a long and successful
career in conveyancing, wills and probate. Richard
said Iain’s arrival, swiftly followed by the MBO, were
good news for Optimum and its many clients.
“The management buyout puts Optimum in
an excellent position to support SMEs and owner
managed businesses,” said Richard. “Ours was the
first company in the area offering both legal and
accountancy services, which gives not only convenience
to our clients but is more cost-effective, as everything
they need is under one roof. At the same time, we extend
a warm welcome to Iain, who has a wealth of experience
as a commercial property solicitor and is already
proving to be a big asset to the team.”
Iain, who joins the team from Thrings, will oversee
the legal team at Optimum, which deals in all areas
of property law, wills and probate. He said he relished
the prospect of working with Optimum, which breaks
the mould of traditional professional services firms by
offering a range of services under one roof, including
business development, accountancy, payroll and
bookkeeping, as well as law.
“There are so many businesses in Swindon and
the wider area which are owner managed and SMEs,”
he said. “We can offer them a really great service,
Expansion for Swindon’s
Niche Recruitment
Richard Mathews (left) with Iain Mason (right)
where our expertise is all in one place – the business
advice, the accountancy, the commercial property
legal advice. And businesses are based on people,
so we can help with personal property and personal
tax too.”
Iain began his legal career in 1999. Specialising in
property law since then, he has worked with a range
of clients across the South West and the UK, from
large corporates to individuals and renewable energy
providers. He was also part of the legal team working
with the Homes and Communities Agency, helping
with the regeneration of Swindon’s town centre.
For more information about Optimum,
visit: www.optps.co.uk, email: [email protected]
or call 01793 538 198.
INNOVATIVE CHANGE MANAGEMENT
FIRM LAUNCHES ONLINE
A new digital company that helps
business professionals, leaders and
decision makers to create effective
change in the workplace has been
launched in Wiltshire.
Changetoolbox has been
setup by Jessica Bailey who
has a wealth of knowledge and
experience working with blue-chip
companies and major brands.
Her expertise lies in people-lead
change consultancy, change
management, employee relations
and project management. Jessica
said: “In my experience I recognise
that many businesses and SMEs
don’t necessarily have the budget
available to bring in the right
resources. I understand that
change within any business can
be confusing, overwhelming and
often difficult to navigate and so
I’ve developed Changetoolbox to
overcome these pain-points.” The
new online-based Changetoolbox
offers companies the opportunity to
successfully navigate their change
journey, with the guidance of cost-
effective services and tools. 2019
will see the launch of new services,
tools and exclusive memberships
and benefits. A new innovative live
Change Community platform is
also on its way, where members
can explore and network with other
thought leaders and like-minded
business professionals.
If your business has concerns
on how to implement change and
wants to be kept up to date with
the latest hot topics and business
insights visit: changetoolbox.com
Independent recruitment consultants,
Niche Recruitment have enjoyed rapid
growth in 2018.
After another successful year and
a steadily growing team, Niche
is expanding into an even bigger
space, after outgrowing their
Basepoint Swindon office. Niche’s
new home will be Callow Hill
Business Park set overlooking the
green lansdscape of Brinkworth.
Niche was set up by Michelle
Graham and Nick Wimshurst in
June 2015, driven by their passion
and commitment to finding
and recruiting the best talent.
Specialising in marketing & digital,
project & programme management
and head office operation sectors,
Niche is committed to providing a
high-quality, professional service to
both candidates and clients.
Director Michelle said:“It’s an
exciting time for Niche Recruitment
and a real milestone for the
business. We’re welcoming more
and more people to the Niche family
and we’ve invested in a beautiful
office space to inspire our growing
team. We are delighted to be based
in Callow Hill Business Park and
we’re looking forward to our future
here.”
Niche has set itself apart from
other recruitment agencies by
incorporating emotional intelligence
profiling in their selection process.
Co-director Nick added: “After
partnering with a leading business
psychology consultancy, it’s led
Niche down an exciting path. In a
talent-short market the need to
attract and find talent is becoming
more and more difficult. As a team
we’re passionate about highlighting
candidates’ positive personality
attributes instead of placing them
purely on skillset. We want to match
our talent more effectively to focus
on their personal and interpersonal
ability that can be utilised in the
workplace.”
To find out more about Niche
Recruitment and their use of
emotional intelligence within the
recruitment process, turn to pg 17.
Niche is still looking to recruit.
They’re currently looking for
motivated individuals to join their
award-winning team. If you’re
interested in joining them, call
01793 230469 or email
[email protected]
For more info:
www.nicherecruitment.co.uk
Award winning venue in an idyllic location
- Conference facilities, meetings and events
01249 400 014
[email protected]
wellingtonbarn.co.uk
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THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2018