New office and new executive leadership team for Blume
Blume, has announced it will be opening a new office in South Manchester this spring to accommodate continuing growth in employee numbers and client demand. The announcement comes as Blume also unveils a restructured executive leadership team, led by new Chief Executive Officer Alex Kenny.
The move will see the business take 10,500 sq ft, modern office space at Egerton House in Towers Business Park, Didsbury, more than doubling current capacity to help meet future operational requirements. The office, which will open its doors in April, will be home to up to 150 employees currently based in West Didsbury and Manchester city centre.
New CEO Kenny, who was previously Chief Marketing Officer for Fletchers Group, has over 20 years’ experience in the legal sector, much of which has been spent leading marketing and call centre operations. He is also the founder of Patient Claim Line, launched in 2014 and now the most recognised Clinical Negligence consumer brand in the country.
He will be joined by Chief Commercial Officer and experienced Clinical Negligence lawyer Zoe Holland MBE, who will be leading business development and client relations, Lisa Emsley as Chief Operating Officer and Joe Morgan as Finance Director.
Former CEO, Dez Derry, will continue to be a shareholder in Blume but will no longer be part of Blume’s day-to-day operations.
Speaking on his appointment, Kenny says: “I am both excited and humbled to take on the leadership of Blume going forward – it’s a great place to work with an amazing team, fantastic clients, and, crucially, a quality product at its core.
“It’s a privilege to take over the helm from Dez, who has not only grown the business to where it is today but carved a strong reputation in the clinical negligence and personal injury market. The new team and I are focussed on continuing to deliver high-quality work that allows our law firm clients to ‘Blume’, all supported by exceptional client care. Bringing our Blume colleagues under one roof is a really exciting milestone for us, and forms part of a wider ambition for Blume’s growth and evolution.”
Blume’s Chief Operating Officer, Lisa Emsley adds: “We wanted to find a new site that would enable us to bring all our team members together in one place in an environment where colleagues can grow and thrive. Not only does the new space in Towers fulfil that objective, but it is well-connected and offers an environment that supports a better work/life balance. We’re looking forward to creating a new, vibrant and personalised workplace for our hard-working teams to enjoy and thrive in.”
Rodney Hunt of Property Alliance Group, the Landlord at Egerton House, says: “Egerton House is a prestigious office building for established and growing businesses. The quality of the office suites combined with the business park’s onsite facilities – car parking, café and communal spaces, outdoor landscaping and green areas, to name a few – make for an appealing workspace for employers tapping into a local and commuter talent pool. We are delighted to welcome Blume at Egerton House; we hope they will enjoy their new environment.”
Towers Business Park in Didsbury is a growing community with an excellent mix of young businesses and blue-chip companies including John Lewis, British Airways, Regus, Syngenta, Oracle, SPX and Cisco.
