CONFERENCE and business accommodation booking firm ExecSpace has hired its first regional account director as part of plans to make a bigger push into Glasgow.

The appointment of Natalie Maynard comes after the business recently received a six-figure investment from venture capital firm Bradenham Partners.

Edinburgh-based ExecSpace, founded in 2008, books meeting and event space for a number of blue chip clients including Aggreko, Edrington Group, WL Gore and Standard Life.

However, founder Emma Little believes the company could do more in Scotland's biggest city.

Ms Maynard was most recently sales director at restaurant and eating out site 5pm.co.uk.

Prior to that she was regional business development director at the Malmaison and Hotel du Vin at One Devonshire Gardens.

She also spent four years as sales manager at City Inn in Glasgow, where she had responsibility for accounts worth more than £1 million.

Ms Maynard's main responsibility at ExecSpace will be to expand its presence in the

west of Scotland. She said: "The business has a clear growth strategy in place and I am delighted to be part of that as we expand into Glasgow and beyond."

Ms Little, a former Vodafone sales executive who started the company with her savings, said Ms Maynard had a strong track record in driving growth and working with clients.

The funding from Bradenham is also being used to extend ExecSpace's presence in accommodation booking for customers.

Experienced financier Paul Mason, founder of Lomond Advisory and formerly of Brewin Dolphin and Quayle Munro, introduced Buckinghamshire based Bradenham to ExecSpace. When the funding deal was announced in May it was confirmed Mr Mason was becoming a non-executive director at ExecSpace while Bradenham founder Keith Wilson was appointed chairman.

Bradenham also has a stake in Edinburgh based environmentally friendly packaging and cutlery company Vegware.

Annual revenues at ExecSpace are said to be more than £4m and expected to rise substantially in 2013.