Member Article

This week’s North East appointments

Mark Docherty, Bonbar

Newcastle’s Bonbar has appointed a new head chef, Mark Docherty. Mark leads a team of eight and joins Bonbar and The Assembly Rooms as the former head chef of city centre eatery The City Tavern. With over 10 years’ experience in the industry, the 29-year-old has worked with some of the region’s top chefs at prestigious North East restaurants including Peace and Loaf.

Mark said: “Cooking isn’t just a job for me, it’s my passion. I want to make Bonbar a renowned destination in Newcastle for its high-quality food offering. The summer presents the perfect opportunity to showcase our talents as a dining destination and an excuse for people in the city to sample our extensive offering.”

Nicola Johnson and Lindsay Capeling, North East BIC

The North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) continues to grow with the appointment of two new employees.

Lindsay Capeling and Nicola Johnson, both from Washington, have joined the BIC as business space administrators. They will be based at the BIC’s newest centre, The Hub in Washington. Lindsay and Nicola will facilitate bookings of the meeting rooms, giving businesses tours of the space available as well as welcoming visitors to reception.

Paul McEldon, chief executive of the BIC, said: “The BIC is an enterprise agency and we are constantly innovating and evolving. It is testament to our staff and the service that we have provided for over 20 years that we now have locations in Darlington and Washington in addition to our headquarters here in Sunderland. I look forward to seeing Lindsay and Nicola and indeed the Hub develop over the coming months.”

David Garlinge, Houndgate Townhouse

David Garlinge, originally from the North-East, is the latest key player to join the team at Houndgate Townhouse in Darlington.

New Head Chef David has ten years experience in the restaurant industry, working for notable chefs Gordon Ramsey and Jason Atherton at Maze and Pollen Street Social in London, as well as at local foodie favourites The Raby Hunt and The Orangery at Rockliffe Hall. He was also a Semi-Finalist in MasterChef: The Professionals 2013.

He commented: “The exterior of Houndgate Townhouse grabbed me. That blast of refinement stood out in a place I didn’t expect it to be in. I want my food to reflect that, simple and elegant, refined and recognisable.”

Laura Richards, Northstar Ventures

Regional venture capital firm Northstar Ventures has appointed Laura Richards as its new Marketing Executive.

Laura, from Whitley Bay, recently returned to the North East following two years working overseas in marketing and communications roles. With a background in broadcast media, she brings a wide range of skills and experience to the company.

Director Alasdair Greig said: “Laura is a great addition to our team and we are very lucky to have recruited someone with such a depth of experience in both business and social enterprise”.

Laura said: “It’s an amazing opportunity to be joining a company with not only such a dynamic portfolio, but also with a strong focus on regional development and social investment.”

“As someone who graduated in the North East I’ve seen first-hand the long term impact Northstar Venture’s investments have had on the region. It’s very exciting to now be part of the team.”

Andrew Lowdon and Michail Tzouvelekis, Dräger

Dräger, an international leader in the fields of safety and medical technology, has appointed a new marketing manager for the impairment and sales channel partner sectors.Andrew Lowdon brings a wealth of experience having worked in the fields of inward investment, logistics and commercial analysis for more than 15 years.

In his new role at Dräger, Andrew has responsibility for UK product portfolio management and internal training on products and services for drug and alcohol testing, as well as coordinating joint marketing activity between Dräger and the 32 selected Sales Channel Partners.

He will be based in the UK, spending time between Dräger’s Blyth and Hemel Hempstead sites, as well as out in the field meeting customers. Andrew first joined Dräger in 2013, as a Business Development Manager working on projects to enhance the company’s existing business and exploring new opportunities with existing and new products across Dräger’s broad range of capabilities and technical applications.

Andrew said: “For me, this is a fantastic opportunity to take a hands-on role to develop what could potentially be one of Dräger’s fastest growing sectors. Impairment screening is becoming increasingly important across a range of industries and as an international safety specialist, Dräger, is well placed to serve most possible scenarios with its high quality technology.”

Dräger has strengthened its North Sea team with the appointment of Michail Tzouvelekis as Regional Segment Manager, Oil & Gas for the Europe North region.

In this position, he will be working closely with the sales and marketing teams in the UK, the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark, which support the company’s Marine and Offshore clients.

Michail studied Corporate Communication at the Robert Gordon University and Strategic Studies at the University of Aberdeen. Prior to joining Dräger, he held senior positions at various prominent oil and gas players, and brings a wealth of marketing and business development experience to the role.

Speaking of his appointment, Michail said: “I feel very excited to have joined Dräger, a family owned company with a 125-year history of innovation and a great brand.”