Minster Law announces new executive team

Minster Law is to overhaul its executive team through a series of internal promotions.

Shirley Woolham will become chief operating officer, Martin Hume will be director of finance, and Mazella Heaton will become head of programmes. Rachel Di Clemente has been promoted to director complex claims and Sarah Atkin, another internal candidate, is to be the new head of legal practice.

Helen Chamberlain (the current director of finance) and Jonathan Doughty (director of complex claims) are due to leave Minster Law during the next few months. Charles Layfield, head of legal, will also leave his current position, but will remain on the board of Minster Law as a non-executive director.

Michael Warren, Minster Law’s managing director, explained his decision to create a new executive team from within as “the fruits of our investment in our own people, as we seek to create an enduring and successful business.”

“I’d like to thank Helen, Jonathan and Charles for their contribution to the business over the past three years,” said Warren.

“Their dedication and commitment has been outstanding. I’m delighted that we will continue to count on the support of Charles Layfield, who is also closely involved with the campaign to encourage the government to give due consideration to genuinely injured customers as part of its personal injury agenda.”

Warren said that after the business separated from BGL in 2016, the executive team had worked hard to re-shape and simplify the operating model to deliver more efficiency and improve client servicing, as well as opening up new opportunities for internal promotion.

“The scale of that transformation has been vast, and it has involved colleagues from all across the business, in areas from the customer journey through to creation of new MI and data analysis, training and development across the business as well as further improving our relationship with the SRA.

“Now, the structure is fit for the next stage of our development, and I am delighted to announce a new executive team to help me deliver our long term vision for Minster Law.”

Warren added that the fact that the executive team no had more women than men was a testament to Minster Law’s determination to break out of the “stale, male environment” which he said characterises leadership teams in many UK law firms.

“There is an enormous amount of change descending on the sector and it’s important not to avoid it,” he added.

“Instead, with the new structure and leadership we intend to get ourselves ahead of the game and build a stronger, high growth business for the benefit of our clients, our shareholders and our colleagues.”

Mark Dugdale