Lesley takes the hot seat  at Mazars after 30+ years with the firm

Mazars has appointed Lesley Fox as Office Managing Partner in Poole.

The international tax, audit and advisory firm has also made a major investment in its future growth by hiring ten new entry level trainees in 2021.

Lara Brennan, also based in Poole, has been appointed to the national role of UK Head of SME.

Lesley has been with Mazars for more than 30 years.

She has spent her career to date working with growing and established businesses across a wide range of sectors, both regionally and across the UK and Europe.

As Office Managing Partner (OMP), Lesley will be responsible for leading the development of the firm’s business strategy in Poole.

After five years as OMP, Stephen Mills continues to be a key part of the Poole leadership team, alongside Lesley and Lara.

He will focus on his responsibilities as the Chief Operating Officer of Mazars’ UK audit business, a critical national role during a pivotal period in an audit market facing wholesale reform.

Mazars’ ten new entry level trainees, from school leavers to graduates, are local hires from Dorset and the south west.

They will receive Mazars’ comprehensive training and development programmes as they build their careers at the firm, and will work across a range of service lines including audit, tax, accounting, and financial planning.

In the newly created role of UK Head of SME, Lara will be responsible for setting, leading and implementing the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) strategy for Mazars in the UK and will join the international SME leadership group.

She will work closely with a diverse range of clients and lead a national team which operates from five key regions including Glasgow, East Midlands, Birmingham, Poole, and Leeds/Manchester.

Lesley said: “I’m very proud to lead our exceptional team in Poole, which is such an important part of Mazars’ business in the UK.

“This year we have reinforced our long-term commitment to the region, which has resulted in a growth from 50 to 77 people over the last five years, and are proud that Stephen and Lara have taken critical national roles to support the firm’s growth.

“We will continue to invest in, and develop, our people and provide a supportive environment where team members from all backgrounds can thrive.

“Our team is ideally positioned to support and grow alongside our valued clients – both in Dorset and across the UK.”

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Innovative photography start-up receives Innovate UK funding

Technology start-up All Axis Studio has received significant funding to develop its groundbreaking interactive three-dimensional photos.

The five-figure grant, provided by Innovate UK, is awarded to help ambitious, creative businesses develop innovative products and services.

Poole-based All Axis has gained significant interest in a few months.

With 30 brands signed up, the grant will help scale up its service ready for the mass market and help fast track its development over the next six months.

All Axis 3D photos are fully interactive photos allowing a user to see a product from any angle.

Brands implementing the technology have seen their online conversion rates double and user session durations increase by 50 per cent.

As reported on Dorset Biz News, ethical footwear producer Baabuk was the first to use the new technology.

Its Sky Wooler shoe has since become its most purchased item.

All Axis brings a fresh approach to 3D viewers, using only photography to create a 3D view of a product.

Marc Adamson, pictured with fellow Co-Founder Tim Flynn, said: “We found traditional 3D product views fell short of showing a true to life image.

“Through photography, we can create a perfectly faithful depiction of the product.”

To create the Interactive photo, All Axis use over 600 photos.

Despite a large number of photos, through their own developed compression algorithms, there is no impact on page load and is instantly interactive.

Marc said “3D viewers usually fall down in one of three ways; imperfect depiction, slow loading times or not fully interactive.

“At All Axis, we’ve been able to overcome each of these.

“As a result, it will lead to the service becoming more and more common when shopping online.”

All Axis has ambitious plans for the next 12 months.

It is currently in discussions with New Balance about adopting the technology.

Since the pandemic, many brands have switched their focus to creating an immersive online experience.

Recently the UK brand Hotter turned its fortunes around by transforming their digital experience.

90 per cent of its new customers have been acquired through digital channels and enhanced online offerings away from traditional shop fronts.

• allaxisstudio.com

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Free seminar is designed to take businesses to the next level

Around 40 businesses are set to attend a free ‘6 Steps to a Successful Business’ seminar at Dorset Museum in Dorchester tomorrow, Friday.

The event, from 1pm to 5pm, is designed to take businesses to the next level with the final hour reserved for networking.

Staged by ActionCOACH, coaches James Gentle and Lorna Smith will walk through the six steps including:

•  How to increase your profits by 61 per cent.
•  Get more done in less time
•  7 keys to a winning team

Simon Ellson, Senior Partner, ActionCOACH West Dorset, pictured left, said: “It will be two and a half hours of proven methodology, marketing concepts, sales promotions and business building strategies.

“A wonderful afternoon of valuable learnings, networking and building business relationships with a host of local business owners.”

For more details about ActionCOACH West Dorset, and future events, go to westdorset.actioncoach.co.uk