Appointments: New recruits boost brand of public relations agency with a wide portfolio of accounts

Account director Liz Dimitrijevic joins along with account manager, Lisa McGauley, to manage the agency's growing business-to-business, consumer and property client portfolio which includes law firm Gordons and White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds.

Ms Dimitrijevic held a number of senior positions including head of PR at Colbear Advertising in Doncaster and PR manager at Leeds United whilst Ms McGauley joins after seven years at Otley agency, Imagen.

European engineering consultancy, Grontmij has appointed Blair Mitchell as operations director and profit centre manager for the Leeds Water team.

Mr Mitchell joins the Leeds-based firm from Scottish Water, where he held the role of head of delivery, playing a leading role in the delivery of their capital investment programme and the development of a new joint venture to deliver part of Scottish Water's future capital investment programme.

Grant Thornton has bolstered its VAT expertise, recruiting Steve Kitching as a senior VAT manager for the Leeds office.

Mr Kitching brings 20 years' experience as a senior financial accountant with the Royal Mail.

Barclays Corporate has appointed Ian Ball as relationship director in the Northern region real estate team. He will be responsible for larger corporate clients with a turnover in excess of 5m.

A qualified chartered surveyor, Ian has held a number of real estate roles having previously worked with JP Morgan and private equity fund Doughty Hanson, and most recently with the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank Corporate and Structured Finance has appointed Graham Cunning to the newly-created role of national director for acquisition finance.

Mr Cunning, who was previously regional director for corporate and structured finance in Scotland, will now take on a strategic role to further develop the bank's acquisition finance business throughout the UK.