Appointments: Lloyds TSB Commercial name Kendrick as the new area director for Yorkshire

Based in Leeds, he will head up 89 relationship managers across nine teams, which provide banking services to businesses with annual turnovers of up to £15m across the country. He was previously area director for Lloyds in the North-East and Cumbria.

DLA Piper has recruited Tim Evans to its litigation and regulatory practice in Sheffield. He joins from the London office of Baker & McKenzie where he specialised in competition and international trade law.

His appointment boosts the firm’s international trade team in Yorkshire, increasing the competition and import expertise within the group.

PwC has promoted four new directors: Richard Jarvis, David Sparke, Nick Cook and Gemma Clark. The appointments further strengthen the team in Leeds across assurance, tax and advisory.

Thorite, pneumatic products and process systems distributor, has appointed Mike Armstrong to the position of national accounts manager. He previously spent eight years at the Bradford-based firm, rising to become operations manager, before leaving two years ago to join Easilift Loading Systems as service operations manager.

Louise Oliver has been appointed chairman of the Inspiring Women Forum. The forum was launched to represent the businesswomen of the Sheffield City Region and is run by a steering committee.

Creative agency Manifest Communications has appointed Rachel Mayer as business development manager ahead of the firm’s move from Huddersfield to Leeds.

She was previously contract co-ordinator at Wesco Aircraft where she managed multi-million pound UK aerospace contracts.

Planning consultancy DPP has made a series of team promotions in its Leeds office.

Mark Lane becomes salaried partner, Matthew Brooke senior planner and Emma Gomersal and Rachel Ford are promoted to planners.

In addition, the firm has appointed Alison Richardson and Peter Hilldrup as assistant planners and Susannah Goddard as senior sustainability consultant.

Yorkshire Bank’s York-based North Yorkshire Financial Solutions Centre (FSC) has expanded its team with the appointment of an independent financial adviser.

Joanne Miller first joined Yorkshire Bank in Sheffield in 1992, and has specialist expertise in the agricultural sector as well as dealing with all aspects of financial planning and pensions, life insurance, savings and investments.

Law firm McCormicks has promoted Helena Jones following her qualification as a solicitor.

Ms Jones, who works in the firm’s private client department, joined McCormicks in 2009.