Sean Riley, Samantha Nugent, Jennifer Hunter, Janice Oxley and Doug Dickie – Langleys.

LAW firm Langleys has expanded its insurance division at York with five new recruits.

Doug Dickie, Jennifer Hunter and Samantha Nugent have joined the firm’s motor unit while Janice Oxley is working within the public sector unit and Sean Riley joins the casualty unit.

Doug has nearly 40 years’ experience working in the insurance industry, with Guardian Insurance and NFU Mutual, while Janice was based in the Brisbane office of DLA Piper and Zurich Insurance’s Leeds office.

Jennifer has worked in several Yorkshire law firms. Both Sean and Samantha have relocated from Liverpool to join Langleys’ York office.

Ann Chadwick – Cicada Communications

Cicada Communications, the Harrogate PR agency, has appointed Ann Chadwick as account manager to work across a range of clients.

Ann joins the firm after a diverse career in journalism and copywriting, working as editor of the Alderney Journal in the Channel Islands, and as a feature writer at the Guernsey Press and Lancashire Telegraph.

She also freelances as a copywriter for the Harrogate International Festivals and Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

Simon Leonard – Acceleris Marketing Communications

Award-winning Acceleris Marketing Communications of Harrogate has appointed Simon Leonard as senior account director to focus on the strategic development of major national accounts within the agency.

Formerly head of communications at Wakefield and District Housing, a registered provider managing more than 30,000 houses in the area, Simon built up and led a 15- strong team.

Before that he spent four years in a senior PR role within the planning and new stores team at ASDA.

Christine Towel – Raisthorpe Manor Fine Foods

Raisthorpe Manor Fine Foods, based on the Medforth family estate at Wharram, near Malton, has appointed Christine Towell from Thornton le Dale as a sales executive.

Christine, who has worked for Mars and Walkers crisps, has been recruited to seek out new business opportunities for the firm which is known for its range of premium fruit based liqueurs, preserves and confectionery that are made using Wolds grown fruit wherever possible.

She has already made a good start by opening up new accounts including the Fauconberg Arms at Coxwold and The Fruit Basket in Boroughbridge.

James Cresswell – Begbies Traynor

Having achieved outstanding results in his professional exams, James Cresswell has become the third insolvency practitioner at the York office of business rescue and recovery specialist Begbies Traynor.

James, 29, who sat the JIEB exams to become a licensed insolvency practitioner in November, achieved the third highest results in the country and has won the Leonard Curtis prize. He has also been awarded the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants prize for being the highest-scoring ACCA member.

A graduate of the University of York, James joined David Horner & Co in 2004 which later became Begbies Traynor. He is a chartered certified accountant and is based at the firm’s Clifton Moor office.

Nick Scull – Garbutt & Elliott

Nick Scull, head of tax at York-based accountants Garbutt & Elliott, has been appointed chairman of the UK Tax Working Party of global accountancy organisation Praxity. Nick, pictured, has been a director of Garbutt & Elliott, since 2007, and his appointment completes a hat-trick of Praxity chairmanships for Garbutt & Elliott, with directors Craig Manson and David Dickson heading up the Family Business and Business Development working parties respectively.

Praxity, based in Belgium, is a global alliance of independent European accountancy firms. Nick’s chairmanship comes at the same time that he has been appointed as a director on the board of the York Professionals.