Member Article

This week’s North East appointments

A roundup of the latest appointments from across the region.

Jane Meikle, Sintons

Law firm Sintons has made a senior appointment in its specialist banking and finance team.

Jane Meikle joins the Newcastle firm as a Senior Associate after ten years with Bond Dickinson. With more than 15 years’ experience in the sector, Jane specialises in debt finance transactions and acts for a range of lenders and borrowers in areas including acquisition finance, development and project finance.

Jane said: “Sintons has an enviable reputation for its work in banking and finance and its strong capability and wide network in the sector.

“I am very pleased to join the team and to move to a law firm which is held in such high esteem across all its practice areas.”

Matt Collen, Partner in the banking and finance team at Sintons, said: “Jane is another very high calibre addition to our team. She is widely regarded as being among the leading finance lawyers in Newcastle and we are delighted to welcome her to the firm.

“We are well known and very highly regarded for our banking and finance specialism at Sintons, and the addition of Jane strengthens this even further.”

Nancy Doyle, Virgin Money Foundation

The Board of Trustees of the Virgin Money Foundation has announced the appointment of Nancy Doyle as Executive Director.

Reporting to the Board, Nancy will lead the Foundation and be responsible for the execution of its mission to create sustainable regeneration in economically and socially deprived communities.

Currently Chief Executive of Oasis Aquila Housing, Nancy is expected to join the Foundation in the Summer. Nancy is also Vice Chair of VONNE (Voluntary Organisations Network North East) and will continue in that role.

Edward Wakefield, Chairman of the Virgin Money Foundation, said: “We are delighted that Nancy will become Executive Director of the Virgin Money Foundation. Nancy has a passion for community regeneration, with the experience and knowledge required to make a huge success of the role.

“Her leadership and energy will be vital in expanding the Foundation’s reach and accelerating its ability to help people in the communities that need it most. We are really looking forward to working with her.

Terry Harvey, re:heat

Northumberland biomass energy specialist re:heat has made a key appointment to lead the servicing arm of its business.

Terry Harvey is the firm’s new biomass engineer, having previously worked closely with re:heat while running his own heating business from Morpeth.

re:heat helps customers identify and buy the right biomass boilers for their needs and also works in designing systems, fuel supply logistics, fault-finding and problem resolution.

Terry’s appointment is part of the Alnwick-based company’s overall expansion plans and recruitment drive over the next 12 months – a move that will see additional biomass heating experts join the existing team of six.

Terry, who will cover an area across the North of England and throughout Scotland, said: “Part of my portfolio is to expand the servicing area of the business.

“I’m looking forward to building our new customer base, as well as developing the servicing side for both domestic and commercial customers who find themselves with a biomass boiler but without an experienced engineer who can provide servicing support.”

Adam Heather, DWF

Legal business DWF has appointed partner Adam Heather as Executive Partner for the firm’s Newcastle office.

Adam is a leading real estate partner in the Newcastle market, with over 20 years’ experience acting for landowners, property companies, developers and public sector bodies across all sectors.

In the executive partner role, he will be responsible for driving forward DWF’s strategic business objectives in Newcastle through effective business development, employee engagement and client service delivery, whilst championing DWF’s charitable and pro bono work in the firm’s local communities.

In Newcastle, DWF employs approximately 70 people and has 5 partners delivering the full range of commercial legal services across a range of sectors.

DWF’s Managing Partner & CEO Andrew Leaitherland, said: “DWF’s executive partners play a pivotal role in shaping a strategy for each office to ensure we continue to effectively support our clients and people in each region, and Adam has the leadership skills and collaborative approach that will help to deliver our business goals in Newcastle.”

Darren Williams, Westray Recruitment Consultants

Darren Williams has joined Westray Recruitment Consultants as the firm’s new Executive Director.

Darren’s background, which spans over 2 decades, has focussed on the delivery of high value recruitment campaigns on behalf of businesses looking to appoint Directors and Senior Executives.

Commenting on the appointment Maureen Wright, Managing Director, said: “We have been looking for someone to drive our Professional Division forward for quite some time, but wanted to wait until the right person became available.

“Darren is a much welcomed addition to Westray, the aim now is quite simply to utilise his exceptional range of skills and expertise, as well as his extensive network of contacts, to drive the division and existing team forward”.

Beth Brook, Nuffield Health Newcastle Hospital

Nuffield Health Newcastle Hospital has appointed Beth Brook to the new position with the aim of building links with more GP practices in the region and increasing the number of referrals from GPs to the hospital.

Beth joins Nuffield Health following a 15-year sales career within the hospitality industry which saw her working at a number of luxury hotels, including most recently Malmaison, Newcastle.

Her role will focus on raising awareness among local GPs of the services Nuffield Health Newcastle Hospital offers and the referral process so that doctors can inform their patients of the options available to them.

Beth said: “My role will be very much about relationship building, bridging the gap between GP surgeries and the hospital and also explaining more about the services we provide and how the referral system works.

“Many GPs and practice managers may not be aware of the variety of procedures we offer and their patients may not realise that they do not have to be covered by private health insurance to be treated at Nuffield Health Newcastle Hospital.

“It will be a challenge but one I am looking forward to and I can’t wait to get out and about meeting GPs from across the North East.”

Graeme Matthews, Fore

Graeme Matthews has joined Leeds-based transport consultancy Fore as an Associate in the firm’s Newcastle office.

With 15 years’ transport planning experience, Graeme has worked with a range of public and private clients offering comprehensive highways advice from initial scheme conception and feasibility studies through to production of Transport Assessments and Travel Plans to accompany planning applications.

Fore now has a team of three professionals permanently based in Newcastle and is able to offer a tailored service to a range of existing public and private sector clients.

Graeme, who joins the firm from Mayer Brown Ltd, said: “Fore is a dynamic consultancy working on some of the North’s most exciting transport and development projects.

“I am delighted to be joining the team, particularly at a time when the opportunities for development across the North are increasing through devolution of funding and the Northern Powerhouse agenda.”

Adam Vaughan, Jane Darbyshire and David Kendall (JDDK) Ltd

Adam Vaughan, previously an Associate, has joined the board of Directors at Newcastle architects, Jane Darbyshire and David Kendall (JDDK) Ltd.

Adam’s first experience of Architecture was a Site Engineer prior to studying Architecture at Sheffield University, completing his first degree in 1995.

A year working in Paris followed before returning to Sheffield where he completed his Diploma in 1998 and extended his dissertation to gain an MA.

After work in Ireland, Adam returned to his native Newcastle to join JDDK in 2005 where his work has been in a number of development sectors.

JDDK Director, Kevin Turnbull, commented, “The existing Directors of Nicky Watson, myself and Mura Mullan are delighted that Adam is joining us as a Director of JDDK.

“Our clients as well as the whole team here will benefit from the considerable skills, experience and enthusiasm that he brings to the role.”

Laura Dean, UNW

UNW has appointed senior recruitment specialist Laura Dean to its Strategic Talent team, a service in the North East to help businesses appoint the right people and develop their senior management teams.

Laura joins consultants Peter Neal and Dave Bowman, creating a team with more than 35 years’ combined experience of supporting companies to recruit senior talent.

The Strategic Talent division, launched last year, has already worked with clients in the public and private sectors to fill key roles including financial director, financial controller and head of risk and assurance positions.

Laura is originally from County Durham and returned to the North East in 2007 after studying and working in Edinburgh. She has 10 years’ experience as a senior financial recruitment specialist and has worked at Reed Finance, Nigel Wright – alongside Peter and David – and NRG. She joins UNW from NRG, where she led and managed the finance recruitment team, and had personal responsibility for senior financial appointments.

Laura said: “I enjoyed working with Peter and always kept in touch so the opportunity to join them again at UNW really appealed.

“Having supplied UNW with recruitment services in the past I was aware of its excellent reputation in the market. It’s great to be part of something new and ambitious; there are no other North East accountancy and advisory firms offering this service to clients, so it’s unique.

“Since its introduction the Strategic Talent team has had a really positive response. Everyone seems really receptive to the idea and I’m looking forward to building on the excellent foundations laid in the last few months.”

Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors

The North East region of the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors has recently announced it has launched a new forum team, which is being headed up by chairman Chris Jude, of Newcastle- based Building Surveyors Ltd.

The aim of the forum, which was launched this month at its inaugural meeting, is to support regional awareness and promote education relating to the particularly specialised field of party wall matters.

In 1997 the Government introduced party wall legislation across the whole of England & Wales in the form of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

It was recognised by a number of experienced practitioners that the shortage of surveyors available to administer this legislation had to be addressed and the Faculty was born out of this national need for education and support for surveyors but also to enhance awareness and provide advice and guidance to the general public.

Speaking about the forum, Chris, who is supported in his new role by Gavin Stewart (secretary), Colin Bell (treasurer) and Neil Cunningham (regional director) said: “The objective of the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors is to promote the highest standards of professional practice in this field of expertise and to expand the knowledge and study of all matters to do with party walls, to encourage the exchange of information and ideas amongst its Members.

“I am delighted to take up the position of chair and look forward to hosting quarterly forum meetings and sharing knowledge and industry updates with our members.”