Member Article

This week’s North East appointments

Russell Hall, Muckle LLP

North East law firm has appointed expert Russell Hall as partner and head of registered providers team.

Russell will lead the firm-wide team as it continues to build upon its already well-established services to the housing sector.

He brings with him 15 years of experience working with both regional and national housing providers including Gentoo, Home Group, Isos, Bernicia Group, Four Housing, Thirteen and Places for People.

After graduating, Russell started his career at Newcastle City Council before moving on to Bond Dickinson, where he became an integral part of the social housing team.

His areas of specialist expertise in the registered providers sector are in non-contentious housing law and practice, governance and regulatory work.

He said: “Muckle LLP has a brilliant reputation for engaging with the North East community and this is something which aligns perfectly with the social housing sector.

“The region’s registered providers place investment into their communities and the people who live in them at the heart of their business. Joining Muckle LLP, which mirrors that community engagement ethos, represents a fantastic opportunity for me.”

Rob Storey, Advanced Industrial Solutions (AIS)

Advanced Industrial Solutions (AIS) has appointed education expert Rob Storey to grow its links with local schools, colleges, universities and skills bodies.

Rob from Felling takes up the position of group skills and education manager at AIS, where he will be responsible for engaging with the local education sector to develop new training opportunities for young people.

Rob has held senior-level positions in both the public and private sector, most recently as business development manager at Newcastle College. .

Prior to that Rob has worked for several industry bodies including the Engineering Services National Training Organisation (ESTTL), The Building and Engineering Services Association (B&ES) and The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), as well as Gateshead Council.

Rob Storey said: “It’s great to be able to bring my knowledge and extensive network of contacts to such an ambitious and forward-thinking company.

“AIS is keen to work closely with the skills and education sector to develop unique and innovative energy learning programmes that meet future industry needs.

“My priority in spearheading these exciting developments is to ensure that AIS becomes recognised as the trusted and valued industrial partner of choice for the region’s education providers.”

Hugh Lang, CES Group

Hugh Lang has been appointed as chief executive at the CES Group, which operates the Stockton GoWarm scheme.

Mr Lang has spent most of his career running airports, taking over as MD at Teesside Airport in 2001.

His remit was then extended to looking after Liverpool and Doncaster airports, going on to set up his own aviation consultancy.

He was appointed as a non-executive director of South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust in July 2010 and was also Chair of Tees Valley Unlimited between 2007 and 2010.

He joined the Board of CES in 2013, taking over as interim Chief Executive before being appointed to the post full time recently.

“GoWarm has got a superb track record for delivering area based schemes,” said Mr Lang.

“And that’s despite the fact we are operating in a very volatile market. My plan is to build on our existing strengths and to maximise our flexibility, which means we can take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

“We have a fantastic team in place with really good, experienced people who have an enviable track record in delivering area-based schemes with great results. I look forward to helping the company build on its already successful reputation.”

Chris McCourt, Tait Walker

Chris McCourt (left), the former chief operating officer at the North East Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed as associate partner of Tait Walker’s Corporate Finance team.

Chris brings with him over 10 years’ experience in corporate finance, working with a wide range of businesses in the region on a variety of transactions.

Chris, who is originally from County Durham, said: “Tait Walker is setting the pace for the North East accountancy industry – growth is high on the firm’s agenda whilst maintaining its personable reputation built over the years.

“I’m looking forward to helping regional businesses to explore the opportunities available to them, whilst working with some of the best people in the industry and contributing to the next phase of Tait Walker’s growth.”

Michael Smith, corporate finance partner at Tait Walker, said: “It has been a meeting of minds for us in terms of Chris’ future aspirations and those of the firm – we are on the same page with our objectives to help the region’s businesses.”

Lisa Wood, Atom

Atom, the firm applying to be the UK’s first bank designed for digital, has appointed Lisa Wood, formerly head of marketing at first direct.

Lisa will be taking up the position of chief marketing officer, responsible for marketing, PR and product and proposition development.

Lisa joins from first direct where she was responsible for the refresh of the brand by bringing in stronger use of social media channels to engage a younger audience.

Lisa said: “Rarely in your career do you get to combine all the knowledge and experience you’ve gained along the way in creating something you really believe in, a better bank being built from the bottom up around what customers really want and value.

“Having a clean sheet of paper, building a brand from scratch and with a group of people who are passionate about what they’re doing was too good an opportunity to miss!”

David Morgan, Hargreaves Services

David Morgan has been appointed as deputy chairman at Hargreaves Services with effect from the conclusion of the 2014 AGM, which took place this morning.

Tim Ross has served as Chairman for nearly nine years and has accordingly decided to step down as Chairman and from the Board prior to the 2015 AGM.

It is intended that Mr Morgan will succeed Mr Ross as Chairman with effect from the commencement of the 2015 AGM.

Hargreaves’ chairman Tim Ross said: “I am delighted that the Board has appointed David Morgan as Deputy Chairman with a view to his succeeding me in 2015.

“He has an impressive track record and I am sure that he is the right person to take over from me as Chairman.”

Dean Clark, Eleanor Marley-Lawson, Naylors Building Consultancy

Naylors Chartered Surveyors have expanded their Building Consultancy team with the appointment of two new building surveyors.

Dean Clark, who previously worked for RNJ Construction Consultants and JLL, has joined the team as a chartered building surveyor to assist in dilapidations, contract administration and building & acquisition surveys.

Eleanor Marley-Lawson joins the team as a graduate building surveyor having recently completed a BSc(Hons) degree in Building Surveying at Northumbria University.

Jason Carr, director of Building Consultancy at Naylors said: ’We are delighted that Dean & Eleanor have joined our busy and expanding team.

“Due to a sustained increase in demand for our services we needed to take on an experienced Building Surveyor who could immediately assist us in continuing to provide a high level of service to our expanding portfolio of clients.

“We are always on the look-out for good people and currently also have another opportunity for a Graduate to support the senior members of the team with professional

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .