Member Article

This week's North East appointments

Phil Howard, Abby Barnes, Rachel Garnett, Sophie Evans and Hannah Cossins, Owen Wheeler; RSM

RSM, the audit, tax and consulting firm, has announced a raft of new trainee hires at its Newcastle office as it expands its team to 135.

Abby Barnes, Rachel Garnett, Sophie Evans and Hannah Cossins all join as new members of the audit team; Phil Howard joins as part of the financial reporting faculty, while Owen Wheeler joins the tax practice to assist clients across the region.

All the new recruits will undergo an intensive training course and commence study towards professional ACA, AAT, ATT, ACCA or CTA qualifications.

The new recruits are part of a major UK-wide trainee recruitment effort by RSM, which has seen the firm increase its headcount by 10% with the hiring of 350 new trainees.

Steve Railton, office managing partner for RSM in the North East, said: ‘It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to take on so many new starters, reflecting the growth in our North East business.

“We are committed to attracting, developing and retaining the wealth of talent we have in the region across all areas of our business as each trainee will shape our future firm.

“It’s great to welcome all six to our RSM team in the North East and I am sure all our new trainees will make a significant contribution to further strengthening our service offering to our clients.”

Rob Earnshaw, DigitalCity

Young entrepreneur Rob Earnshaw has been appointed as Director at Teesside University-run DigitalCity, the Tees Valley initiative that is aiming to drive the growth of digital and tech in the area.

Rob will be tasked with implementing and carrying out some of DigitalCity’s key priorities, including the digitisation of the manufacturing sector, getting more women in tech and driving economic growth through disruptive technology.

A serial entrepreneur, the 29-year old founded Creative North in 2015 and also works with the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership and sits on advisory boards for the Department of Culture Media, and Sport and Department for Communities and Local Government.

Following his appointment, Rob commented: “The digital industries are the fastest growing sector in the UK economy, and the North East is the fastest growing region in the UK.

“Until recently the UK was the fast growing economy in the developed world and since the industrial revolution our region has not been able to boast this. We are right in the heart of all that at DigitalCity so it’s an extremely exciting time to be coming here.”

Teesside University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise and Business Engagement) Professor Jane Turner, said: “We are delighted to welcome Rob to DigitalCity. As well as a wealth of experience across the digital and creative sectors, he brings an infectious enthusiasm, ambition and focus.

“I am sure he will be a great success in keeping the Tees Valley at the forefront of the digital agenda.”

Terry Hugill, Richard Weddle, Michael Duell, Emma Wilson, Lee Carter, James Logue; CCS

Sunderland-based telecoms and IT company has also unveiled a smattering of new hires this week, with the appointment of six new staff.

The firm, which counts the likes of Nike and Puma among its clients, has strengthened across its business operations following the recruitment of a new UK sales manager.

Microsoft and VMware-qualified Terry Hughill joins the business as ICT technology lead and brings over 18 years’ experience to the role where he’ll be tasked with shaping and developing CCS’ IT department.

Commenting on his appointment, Terry said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to shape an IT department from the ground upwards. CCS is an ambitious company with really exciting plans and I was keen to play my part in contributing towards its future success.”

Meanwhile 39-year-old Richard Weddle joins the firm as technical solutions architect who will work closely with the sales team to develop bespoke IT solutions for clients, ensuring the services provided exactly match individual requirement.

Other hires include marketing executive Michael Duell who joins CSS’ 10-strong marketing team; lead generation executive Emma Wilson and business development managers Lee Carter and James Logue.

Following a busy recruitment period, Chris Lee, Managing Director of CCS, commented: “This is a very exciting time for the business – bringing Kevin on board was the first step in our plan for expansion and our new appointments further strengthen the quality and variety of service we can provide to clients.

“Each of them brings different experience and skills and I’m very proud of the team we now have in place – we’ve got the very best technical and sales talent in the north east and I’m confident there will be further appointments over the coming months.”