Member Article

This week's North East appointments

Begin your working week with a look at the latest appointments from across the North East.

Martin Such, Tharsus

North East development and manufacturing leader Tharsus has appointed former Quantum Pharma Finance Director Martin Such as its new CFO.

Working with the other Board members, Martin will be tasked with scaling the business as Tharsus Group, which comprises Tharsus Vision, Tharsus Direct and Tharsus Engineering, embarks on its ambitious global growth plans.

Martin said: “The engineering business in particular has been a traditional metal working business and certainly seems to have good prospects for growth, so it’s not all about Vision.

“The two arms of the business seem to complement each other very well. Tharsus Vision clearly has an opportunity to be at the forefront of robotics design and manufacture.”

Martin, whose background is in management accounting, has worked at prominent North East firms including positions at British Engines and Tanfield Group, and more recently at Durham-based Quantum Pharma, which saw him play a key role in guiding the company to a £125m IPO.

Martin continued: “There were a few things that attracted me to Tharsus. Firstly, it suits my skillset which is managing a business that needs a certain amount of professionalizing in certain areas and embarking on a steep growth curve.

“So it suited my skills, but more importantly, I got the impression that people enjoy working here. It’s got a really good culture and I think the product markets that we’re entering into, particularly the robotics space, are incredibly exciting.”

Brian Palmer, CEO, added: “Martin’s exceptional career and extensive experience in nurturing mid-sized businesses makes him an invaluable asset to the expanding Tharsus team.

“We’ve got ambitious growth plans, and I’m sure that Martin’s astute mind for business will help to steer us through the inevitable challenges of entering new global markets.”

Sarah Hall, CIPR

North East PR consultant Sarah Hall has been elected 2017 President-Elect of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).

The role involves a three year tenure, during which Sarah will become the Institute’s President in 2018, the CIPR’s seventieth anniversary year.

The president’s duties include acting as chairperson for the CIPR and as the representative of the public relations industry within the UK.

Sarah will continue throughout as managing director of Sarah Hall Consulting Ltd, the PR and marketing consultancy she runs in North Tyneside, which employs a team of ten.

The agency’s client base includes the North East LEP, Invest North East England, Health Education England and JK Property Consultants among many others.

Sarah’s success in the CIPR elections follows closely behind the publication of her second crowdsourced book, #FuturePRoof: Edition Two, aimed at demonstrating the value of public relations as a strategic management discipline.

A best practice guide for anyone in the communications business, drawing together over 40 practitioners at the top of their game from around the world, the book has already been ranked variously in the top ten on Amazon Kindle under PR, management and business.

Sarah said: “I founded and edited the #FuturePRoof community and books because I’m passionate about public relations and its professionalisation, as well as educating employers about how this strategic management discipline should be used.

“To have been elected as 2018 President of the CIPR is a real privilege, especially as my time at the helm will mark seventy years for the Institute.

“There is a lot to celebrate; the industry is worth £12.9 billion, comprises 83,000 practitioners and is growing around 10% annually, according to the latest PR Census.

“However, there are also issues that still need addressing and I have pledged to address the gender pay gap in public relations, to build the industry’s reputation and widen the membership offer.

“Today PR extends to SEO, video production, audience insight and planning, paid promotion and much more and we need to ensure our membership comprises those operating within these areas too.”

Fran Mulhall, ARLA

Fran Mulhall, Regional Operations Manager at North East property specialists GFW Letting, has been appointed as the North East and Cumbria representative for the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).

Her role will involve promoting the benefits of being part of a regulatory body that’s recognised industry-wide. A main objective of being an ARLA representative is to represent the North East and Cumbria letting market on a national level and also be the point of contact for local ARLA members who wish to discuss key market trends or issues.

Talking about her ARLA role, Fran said: “It’s a huge honour to be appointed as the ARLA representative for the region.

“My role will primarily focus on running regional meetings to discuss the current and ongoing issues affecting the industry and how letting agents can work together better and serve landlords and tenants more effectively region wide.

“I am really looking forward to getting stuck in and can’t wait to build new relationships and develop existing ones with those working across the industry.”

John Paul, a Board member for ARLA North of England, added: “We’re really pleased Fran is the regional representative for the North East and Cumbria.

“She is a great addition to ARLA and is a great choice in the ‘go to’ person for local members who wish to discuss their experiences and current happenings in the ever-changing letting market.”

Tait Walker

Tait Walker is bringing in the new season by introducing four new recruits to its Gosforth office.

The Business Services Department has welcomed Luke Holland as a chartered trainee, after he graduated from Leeds University this summer with a BSc in Mathematics and Economics (International). His main role within the team will be working in accounts and supporting the audit work.

Stuart Gardiner has joined the company from a local accountancy firm, where he worked for 13 years on a wide variety of audits, including both small and medium companies, several groups and numerous charities.

He joins Tait Walker as an audit senior, working alongside the 45-strong audit and accounts team.

Joining the Wealth Management Team, is Laura Mitchinson, 36, who previously worked as an executive assistant at Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement. In her new role, she will be dealing with employee benefits and auto enrolment.

The fourth recruit is Emily Vasey, who will be studying and working with the Business Services Team as a graduate trainee. After achieving a First in her accountancy degree at Northumbria University, she went on to work at Proctor & Gamble in their Finance Department, before joining Tait Walker.

Mark Parkinson, HR partner at Tait Walker, said: “It’s been great to welcome Laura, Emily, Stuart and Luke to the Tait Walker team.

“We take great pride in our recruitment process and bringing the best talent that the North East has to offer in to the business. This is certainly reflected in our latest intake of staff and we’re looking forward to working with them all.”

Squires Barnett

Newcastle-based architects Squires Barnett has announced a new-look management team with two promotions and the appointment of a new Partner.

Based in Plummer Tower in the City Centre, Squires Barnett Architects is pleased to announce George Musson and Nathan Sanders as Associates and the return to family duties of Mark Squires, the former Chief Executive of Benfield Motor Group, as a new Partner.

Louise Squires, Partner and Co-Founder, said: “I’m delighted to announce our new-look management team following our recent successes and our future growth plans.

“George and Nathan have been working for the business for a number of years and have both shown they are very capable of taking on greater responsibilities and developing further within Squires Barnett Architects.

“I am of course delighted to welcome my husband Mark into the family based practice who will bring a wealth of business management experience and contacts to our business.

Deloitte

Business advisory firm Deloittehas made two key appointments to its Newcastle-based tax team.

Jackie Ward joins as a senior manager, specialising in private clients, while Newcastle University graduate David Young has joined Deloitte as an assistant manager.

Jackie – who is married with one son – has more than 30 years’ experience in tax, including as an inspector with HMRC, as well as more than 25 years combined with both Grant Thornton and EY. She qualified as a chartered tax adviser in 1992.

As a senior manager within the private clients team, Jackie will work with high net worth individuals, entrepreneurs and partnerships, advising on issues such as income and capital gains tax, as well as inheritance tax planning.

“The tax environment for individuals and partnerships is complex and ever-changing, so I am looking forward to helping Deloitte’s private clients in the North East and Yorkshire with their personal and business tax requirements,” said Jackie.

David Young worked at EY for five years after graduating from Newcastle University and qualified as a chartered tax adviser in 2014. He is a keen footballer and hiker, and will be making a charity climb of Mount Kilimanjaro later this year.

In his role as an assistant manager within the tax team, David will focus largely on entrepreneurial businesses, advising owners and managers from start-up through to exit.

“Joining Deloitte gives me the opportunity to work with some of the region’s leading entrepreneurial businesses,” he said. “Whether they are start-ups or more established companies looking at an exit strategy, tax considerations will be high on their agenda.”

Stephen Hall, office senior partner for Deloitte in the North East, said: “Our continued growth in the North East, and our recent awards, are testament to the talent within our team, and that is reflected in our ability to attract people of the calibre of Jackie and David.

“Their skills and experience – particularly working with entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses – will be an asset to the team and to our clients in the North East.”

Join us again next monday for more regional appointment news.