Member Article

This week's North East appointments

A roundup of the latest appointments from across the North East.

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Kelly Hudson McDaniel & Co. Solicitors

Gateshead-based intellectual property (IP) practice McDaniel & Co. Solicitors has appointed Kelly Hudson to the position of director.

After graduating from Northumbria University with a first-class honours degree in Law, Kelly joined the firm in 2008 as a trainee solicitor. She later became a trade mark attorney in 2015 before progressing to senior associate, after being previously appointed to senior solicitor in 2012.

Delighted to make this appointment, director and head of the IP team at McDaniel & Co, Niall Head-Rapson said: “We always place a high value on retaining and rewarding our staff.

“Kelly has made a great contribution to the practice and this is just the next stage of her progress in cementing McDaniel & Co. as a leading force in the provision of intellectual property services.

“Kelly has demonstrated real value to the practice, providing targeted advice, enabling business of all shapes and sizes, as well as individuals, to protect their IP and enhance value. Her excellent service to date has resulted in longstanding relationships with many clients and much of her new instructions have been via referral”.

Speaking about her new opportunity, Kelly commented: “I am incredibly pleased to be moving into this new role with the firm.

“We have the largest dedicated IP team in the North East and take on real quality IP work. I am looking forward to further building the firm’s IP credentials and also getting involved in other management aspects of the business”

Chelsea Clark, intu Eldon Square

Chelsea Clark has been appointed assistant marketing manager at intu Eldon Square shopping centre in the heart of Newcastle.

Chelsea (26) from Alnwick, Northumberland, graduated from Leeds University with a First Class BA Hons in Business Management.

After her first job, where she spent two years as part of the marketing team at an aerospace software development company, Chelsea joined intu Metrocentre as a marketing coordinator in 2015.

“My first two years at intu involved planning and coordinating in-centre campaigns, promotions and events, and working closely with our retailers to provide marketing support,” Chelsea explains.

“I’m very passionate about retail and marketing so this new role as assistant marketing manager is the perfect opportunity to develop my career in the sector.

“I feel privileged to be given this promotion and am very excited to join the marketing department at one of the biggest city centre shopping destinations in the UK.”

Tania Vesty, marketing manager of intu Eldon Square, added: “Chelsea’s wholehearted commitment to retail and marketing, combined with an enthusiastic and engaging personality, will be a real bonus to our busy marketing team.

“It’s a fast-paced environment involving a multi-disciplinary approach and Chelsea is perfectly suited to the role and setting.”

Keith Loraine, Gentoo Group

Sunderland housing association Gentoo Group is welcoming Keith Loraine OBE as the new Chairman of its Group Board.

Keith has 40 years’ experience in the housing sector, the last 24 as Chief Executive Officer of Isos Housing Group. He retired in December 2016 and was awarded an OBE in recognition of his services to housing and the North East community.

Keith joined the Board of Gentoo Group in February 2017 to continue his career in the sector, in a non-executive capacity. Through his role at Isos Housing Group, he brings a wealth of knowledge of the local area, and the North East more widely.

He also has a strong understanding of the requirements of the Homes and Communities Agency as a regulator and will assist Gentoo through his knowledge of governance, finance and performance best practice.

Gentoo’s current Chairman, Ian Self, will be stepping down from the role following ten years on Gentoo’s Group Board, the last two of those as Chair.

Ian commented: “I am delighted to be welcoming Keith Loraine as my successor. Keith takes on this important role at a critical time for the Group.

“We are facing a number of challenges, and I am confident that with Keith’s vast experience and knowledge, combined with our new Group Board and senior team, he can help take the Group forward to a successful future.”

Keith Loraine OBE said: “Having been on the Gentoo Group Board since early 2017, I’m passionate about what the Group is aiming to achieve and its vision for great homes, strong communities and inspired people.

“I’ve worked in this sector for a long time and always admired Gentoo’s work and in particular its commitment to customers, staff and the City of Sunderland.

“There is a lot to do, but with the support of the Gentoo Team and our valued partners, we can make a positive difference. I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Graeme Tait, EvaluAgent

Contact centre software provider, EvaluAgent, has appointed Graeme Tait as a Platform Engineer to further bolster its software development team and help develop its Workforce Engagement Management Platform.

The appointment sees Graeme move from his role as a Software Developer at the University of Newcastle, where he was responsible for designing and developing a bespoke careers system and job board to help thousands of current students and graduates find employment during and after their studies.

Graeme’s new role at EvaluAgent will see him join a seven-strong team of developers working to both innovate existing and develop new contact centre software solutions. This includes developments to EvaluAgent’s cutting-edge Quality Monitoring software that allows contact centres to deliver feedback to agents and improve the standard of customer interactions.

The appointment follows a spate of new hires that has seen EvaluAgent’s employee headcount increase by nearly 30% in 2017 and a raft of new contract wins.

Commenting on the appointment, Jaime Scott, CEO at EvaluAgent says: “In order to drive our success as a leading contact centre software provider, bolstering our team of developers is key. We’re constantly developing new features and our latest trio of appointments allows us to continue to innovate as we look to revolutionise how contact centres operate.

“Graeme’s past experiences and fantastic track record make him a great addition to our team and we’re delighted to welcome him on board.”

Commenting on his appointment, Graeme says: “EvaluAgent is an exciting business and I am really looking forward to working with the team.

“The quality of their software is excellent, and the new products and feature developments we’re working on – particularly to our gamification and quality offerings - will take things to the next level and make a quantifiable difference to our customers and the customer experience that they provide.”

Lawrence Clack, Franks Portlock

A North East asbestos management specialist has made a senior appointment to strengthen its team and drive the organisation’s development.

Franks Portlock has hired Lawrence Clack as commercial manager, a role which will see him develop and encourage growth opportunities for the firm across the UK. Headquartered in North East England and with offices in Rosyth, Fife, and Sellafield in Seacale, Cumbria, Franks Portlock provides a range of asbestos consultancy, inspection, testing and management services.

As commercial manager, Lawrence will be responsible for developing strategies and plans to drive the firm’s growth. He will also work with colleagues from across the business to identify and target new business leads, manage the company’s tendering process and enhance service delivery.

Lawrence, from Cramlington, Northumberland, has over 13 years’ experience in the asbestos industry. During this time, he has undertaken senior management positions at Santia Consulting and Chirman Surveying. He has also worked for major international companies such as Bausch & Lomb and the Bank of Scotland.

He has specific sector expertise in retail, manufacturing and engineering, finance, pharmaceuticals and housing.

Speaking of his appointment, Lawrence said: “Franks Portlock is a professional and diligent company who always strive to provide a high-quality service to its clients. They have an excellent reputation throughout the asbestos industry regionally and nationally.

“What interests me the most about asbestos management is the opportunity to make a real and measurable difference to the safety of people’s working and living environments. Helping to identify liabilities, quantify any risks and then establish a plan to minimise or even eliminate risk is what I find most rewarding about this line of work.

“I am looking forward to working with Phil, Stephen and the rest of the Franks Portlock team and ultimately helping the business to grow.”

Ben Richardson, Alpha Process Controls

Alpha Process Controls has bolstered its team with the appointment of a skilled design engineer.

With years of design engineering experience, Ben Richardson has joined Alpha to support the continuing development of its safety systems for the transfer of hazardous liquids, chemicals and gas.

In particular, Ben will focus on the development of new innovations to support Alpha Process Controls’ customer base operating transfers of product, such as LNG, in cryogenic state. This is Ben’s second spell with Alpha Process Controls and he returns with a wealth of experience delivering significant projects.

In his most recent role, for example, at Axon Energy Products, he had full product ownership in developing new API standard technologies for the company’s UK and US divisions, which was focused on the design and production of heavy fabrications and machinery.

Ben returns to Alpha with his additional expertise alongside the knowledge of the County Durham-based company’s range of safety transfer systems, which he gained from his time with the business in 2012.

In his first spell with Alpha Process Controls, Ben was also involved in pressure vessel and pneumatic systems design, the design of test rigs and validation procedures and had full involvement in projects from initial concepts to full production.

Ben will now help build on Alpha Process Controls’ 40 years experience at the forefront of the hazardous liquids transfer sector. Part of the Knorr-Bremse Group-owned GT Group, Alpha Process Controls has developed solutions for the transfer of products such as LNG following extensive research and development at its headquarters in North East England.

Ben said: “The cryogenic transfer of LNG is becoming increasingly prominent in global industry and Alpha is building on its decades of expertise in the market to consistently develop new solutions to meet the evolving requirements of the sector.

“I am pleased to return to Alpha at a dynamic time in the industry, and to play a part in the company’s ongoing success and increasing international market presence.”

Join us next week for more North East appointment news.