Walker Foster have appointed Maxine Heppenstall as their new Managing Director.

She has taken over from Keith Hardington, who after many years as both Managing Partner and Managing Director, felt it was an excellent time to step back from the role thanks to the strength of the business and its Leadership Team.

Keith remains as one of the Company Directors, and also Senior Solicitor in the Business and Commercial team.

Maxine qualified as a Solicitor in 2002 and joined Walker Foster in 2006. She soon became a Director of the business, and for many years has also been Head of the Private Client department.

Community is incredibly important to Maxine and she values the time she is able to spend building relationships with local businesses, such as accountants, Wealth Managers, estate agents and care homes – supporting them in dealing with their own clients at a time when they are faced with dealing with the loss of a loved one or requiring estate planning advice.

With the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility in mind, Maxine has forged excellent relationships with charities such as the Alzheimer’s Society and Yorkshire Air Ambulance and she has been instrumental in raising awareness and donations for the charities that Walker Foster supports.

Maxine is a keen speaker and has delivered relevant and thought-provoking presentations at events such as the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and the ‘Let’s Talk about it’ Ilkley event as part of the Dying Matters campaign week, the U3A group meeting in Ilkley and Carers Resource in both Harrogate and Skipton.

Maxine was responsible for implementing Dementia Friends status to the firm which included carrying out a programme of training to ensure staff were aware of the best way to deal with clients with dementia and ensuring all our offices offered a Dementia-friendly environment for clients to visit.

Maxine lives in Skipton with her husband and two children, and enjoys family walks in the Dales and surrounding areas.

Speaking of her new appointment:

“I am delighted to accept the Managing Director role and would like to thank Keith for his hard work and dedication throughout his time as MD. The business is going from strength to strength, including opening three new offices since 2020, and I am extremely fortunate to be surrounded by a fantastic team who are committed to helping clients at important times and building lifelong relationships in our communities.”