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This week’s North East appointments

Your weekly roundup of the latest appointments from across the North East.

John Kenny, Grainger PLC

Newcastle-based property developer Grainger plc has appointed John Kenny as Chief Operating Officer (COO) to support the company’s Private Rented Sector growth strategy.

As part of this growth plan, the firm is focused on further developing a customer-facing scalable operating platform as well as driving operational efficiency.

John has been COO of Liberty Living since 2004, one of the UK’s largest student housing providers with 450 staff and a portfolio of 26,500 beds.

At Liberty Living, he was responsible for operating 60 different assets across 23 cities across the UK and Europe. During his time at Liberty Living,

John oversaw the merging of nine business units into a single brand with streamlined and integrated operations alongside developing a bespoke online customer portal. Prior to Liberty Living, John was COO at MWB Business Exchange plc, a serviced office provider.

Helen Gordon, Chief Executive, said: “I am pleased to announce the appointment of John Kenny as Grainger’s new Chief Operating Officer. John will bring with him strong experience running large operational teams for customer focused, real estate businesses.

“His knowledge of delivering good customer service, while achieving efficiencies through streamlined operations and the use of technology, is perfectly aligned to our current focus and therefore makes him an ideal COO for Grainger. We look forward to John joining Grainger soon.”

Adam Dymock, Watson Burton

Newcastle-based commercial law firm Watson Burton has bolstered its Professional Indemnity Insurance department with the appointment of solicitor. Adam Dymock.

Adam, who is originally from Northumberland, has returned to the North East after seven years of working for firms in South West England and Wales.

Commenting on his appointment, Adam Dymock said: “It’s exciting to be returning to the North East and to be working for one of the North’s leading professional indemnity insurance practices.

“Watson Burton is a friendly firm with a great reputation for this type of work and I look forward to developing my career further and expanding on my previous experience, especially in construction claims.”

Richard Palmer, partner and head of Watson Burton’s Professions and Insurance Group, added: “Adam has gained an impressive level of expertise in the professional indemnity insurance market during his time in the South West and Wales, which will bring further benefits to our regional and national clients looking for the best possible legal advice.

“We’re delighted to have someone of Adam’s calibre on board and I am sure he will be a major asset for Watson Burton.”

Ailsa Oliver, Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena

SMG Europe has appointed Ailsa Oliver as General Manager of Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena.

Having joined SMG Europe in 1995, Ailsa returns to her native Metro Radio Arena after four years as Deputy General Manager of Leeds’ first direct arena.

As part of the launch team for the new arena Ailsa was instrumental in establishing the Yorkshire venue as a must-play live music destination. Prior to her role in Leeds, Ailsa was Director of Playhouse Whitley Bay and Newcastle’s Journal Tyne Theatre.

Howarth Litchfield

Durham-based architectural practice Howarth Litchfield has announced four new appointments.

Interior designers Emma Chapman and Jessica Bradley, architectural technician, James Dunn and senior architectural technician, Neil Brown have all joined the firm of late.

Neil, a chartered architectural technologist, has extensive experience gained from working across a diverse range of sectors and building types as well as a broad knowledge BIM (Building Information Modelling).

Similarly, James brings with him immense technical experience developed while working on commercial projects, including industrial, sports and leisure as well as education schemes.

Meanwhile, Emma has joined the firm having honed her interior design skills while working both in the UK and abroad. With a particular interest in applying BIM to interior design and more specifically, using her knowledge of REVIT, Emma is keen to create visually inspiring interiors which are authentic to their environment.

Finally, Jessica, has most recently worked on projects in the leisure and hospitality sector, designing for hotels, bars, restaurants and cafes. Her keen interest in crafting and shopping makes her well suited to sourcing interesting and unusual materials such as furniture and lighting which are key interior elements.

MD Jonathan Yates said: “Neil, James, Emma and Jessica are joining us at a very exciting time as we continue to win new work in the region and further afield.

“The skills and experience they bring with them are complementary to and work well with our established, talented team of architects, technicians, designers and admin support staff.

“I’m delighted to welcome Neil, James, Emma and Jessica and look forward to the positive contribution I’m confident that they will make to the business.”

Nigel Watson, Northumbrian Water Group Ltd

Northumbrian Water Group Ltd has appointed Nigel Watson as Group Director of Information Services.

Having worked in 24 countries, Nigel’s previous employers are some of the most prestigious organisations in the world; GE Capital, Microsoft, Vodafone and Travelport, to name buy a few.

He joined Northumbrian Water Group in 2015 to help the company prepare for the opening of the retail competition for business customers. His latest appointment sees him lead the development and use of new technologies.

“With cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the seemingly relentless march of technological advances we have to continuously find ways to make it easier for our customers to interact with us,” he explained.

“Advancing technologies will also help us to run our network more efficiently and we are already looking at “smart” equipment, drones, 360 degree cameras, image recognition, gas signature detecting lasers…the list is endless.

“What excites me most is the commitment and passion shared by everyone here at NWG and a culture that wants to challenge, explore and experiment with new ways of doing things better, all with the shared aim of providing excellent service.

“We will achieve this by combining the experience of generations with new, emerging talent in the young people who are joining us in our new apprentice schemes.”

Join us next week for more appointment news.