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This week's North East appointments

The latest appointments from across the North East.

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Roberts Environmental

Following a surge in new projects across the UK, Roberts Environmental has announced the expansion of its Newcastle team.

The geo-environmental consultancy, which provides development advice and site investigation services on behalf of UK property owners, has experienced a 50% increase in its instruction book compared to the same period last year and as a result has recruited three new members of staff.

In April, Roberts announced plans to double its workforce and expand into larger offices by 2020.

It has now invested in refurbishing its existing office on Grey Street to increase floorspace in order to accommodate new staff members and has committed to a new 5-year lease.

New recruits include, principal geotechnical engineer Chris Johnson, who has over eleven years’ industry experience, Chris Armstrong, a graduate geotechnical engineer and Nelli Flannery, an experienced environmental consultant.

Following the opening of a London office in August, Roberts has begun work on a number of new projects in the capital including ground investigation to facilitate the development of a care home site in Chigwell.

In Yorkshire, the firm has undertaken development feasibility work across two separate sites on behalf of Bradford-based principal contractor, HB Projects.

Closer to home, Portland Consulting appointed Roberts in relation to a new residential development in Sunderland and the firm is carrying out ground investigation work in Middlesbrough for Jennings Ford.

Managing director Jeff Roberts said: “2017 is proving to be a defining year for the firm and we are very pleased with the influx of new clients and projects.

“Having celebrated our fifth anniversary earlier this year, it is fantastic that we have been able to expand in line with our business goals, welcoming a total of four new staff.

“The skill set of our new recruits increases our technical expertise in foundation and engineering design. They also provide a link in expertise between the structural engineers we work with and our consultancy advice, providing a more comprehensive service to our growing client base.”

Mark Harper, Parkdean Resorts

Mark Harper has joined Newcastle-headquartered Parkdean Resorts as Chief Operating Officer to help lead the company that owns 73 holiday parks in the UK.

Mark has held a distinguished career in the leisure sector and was most recently Joint Managing Director of Haven, a member of the Bourne Leisure Group. He spent 16 years at Bourne Leisure, including previous roles as Operations Director and Head of Retail Operations.

Taking on the newly-formed role to support Parkdean Resorts Chief Executive John Waterworth and the leadership team, Mark is responsible for the operations team across the business, focusing on the entire customer experience and in particular the retail, food and bars functions.

Commenting on his appointment, Mark said: “I am delighted to join Parkdean Resorts at this exciting time, and am enjoying meeting the operations teams across the business.

“There is nothing better than a business which provides opportunities for owners and holidaymakers to enjoy a hassle-free holiday experience, and my role is to ensure we retain, recruit and lead fantastic people to deliver amazing holiday memories for our customers.”

Employing over 7,000 people, Parkdean Resorts is the largest holiday park operator in the UK with 73 parks stretching across the country. It was ranked 36th in the Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250 this year as one of Britain’s top private mid-market growth companies.

Matthew Williamson, Land Factor

Matthew Williamson has been appointed as a Director of Land Factor after three years with the firm as an Associate.

Land Factor manages estates throughout the north of England and southern Scotland and Matthew has principally been involved with the management of the agricultural and commercial activity on the privately-owned Blagdon and Belsay Estates.

Commenting on the promotion, one of the founding Directors of the business Tom Warde-Aldam said “We are very pleased to welcome Matthew to the Board as a Director. We have recognised his ability from the time he joined Land Factor and we are confident that he will bring his expertise and strategic awareness to his new role as a Director.

“This is an exciting time for the business, having moved to our new offices in Hexham. This has enabled us to bring most of our staff together under one roof and to provide an even better service to our clients as we continue to grow”

Matthew, 34, who is a registered valuer, spent six years as an assistant land agent and then as an associate at a national land agency firm before joining Land Factor in 2014 as an Associate.

“When I joined Land Factor I recognised that I wanted to specialise in land management. I had been looking around for a new role where I could manage large estates and Land Factor was clearly the best in this field” he said.

“The Land Factor culture embodies a real understanding of our clients’ needs and it is something that I know will continue to drive our success in the future. I am delighted to have been appointed as a Director and to join the Land Factor Board. I am greatly looking forward to the challenge”.

Will Johnston, Fusion PR

North East-based PR and marketing agency Fusion PR has expanded its offer to clients with the appointment of a creative director.

Will Johnston has joined the team to provide in-house creative design support to Fusion PR’s diverse client base, which includes Northumberland National Park, Northumbria University and AkzoNobel.

With more than 10 years’ experience in the design industry, Will has previously worked for a number of digital marketing agencies where he specialised in brand creation, designing everything from initial concepts for clients’ logos to flat visuals for websites.

Now at Fusion PR, Will is getting involved with a range of client activities, supporting the firm’s account handlers on the delivery of creative marketing materials for print and digital media outlets.

“It’s a really exciting time for me to have joined the team at Fusion PR,” Will said.

“Fusion PR is a growing business with a wide client base of regional and national, large and small businesses where there is great potential for creative design.

“I love taking on new challenges so I’m delighted to have been offered the opportunity to join the team at Fusion PR and I’m really looking forward to the future.”

John McCabe, managing director at Fusion PR, said: “2017 has been an outstanding year for Fusion PR. Not only have we have successfully acquired a number of fantastic new clients, we have more than doubled our headcount in the last 12 months.

“Bringing Will into the business is the start of a new and very exciting chapter for Fusion PR. We have always advocated an integrated approach to public relations, but by bringing a talented creative director into the business full-time, we are now actively expanding our services and our in-house expertise, which can only benefit our clients.

“We are delighted to have Will on board and we are looking forward to what will hopefully be another fantastic year of business ahead.”

Jason Cochrane, Unwritten

Unwritten Creative, the Newcastle-based strategic brand and digital agency, has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of its first Creative Director.

Jason Cochrane, formally Co-Founder and Director of Digital at Keltie Cochrane, brings with him more than 20 years’ industry experience, including working at the Sunday Times, the Observer and as a Senior Interactive Designer at the BBC, where he led its digital coverage of the 9/11 attacks.

Working alongside Unwritten Co-Founders Lisa Eaton and Amy Mooney, Jason will be responsible for leading the agency’s creative thinking, adding weight to its strategic offering and delivering creative output across the breadth of its clients which include Northumbrian Water, Sage, Tech North and Visit England.

Unwritten Creative uses an innovative approach when generating brand strategies, including the development of Buyer Personas, a tool which helps companies understand their target customers.

Lisa said: “Jason’s appointment is an exciting phase in the agency’s development. His wealth of experience working on both national and international campaigns will give us a new and exciting perspective for all our clients.”

Amy said: “We are being increasingly challenged by our clients to help them emotionally connect with their audiences anywhere that influences their choice of brand. In Jason, we have found a proven creative leader who has the intelligence, creativity and drive to take on these challenges and deliver captivating solutions for our clients.”

Jason said: “Unwritten is an agency with so much going for it. It works with great clients, has a talented team and has an excellent track record which I am really looking forward to building upon.

“But what impresses me most is its commitment to truly understanding its clients and their customers, which is imperative in a world where it is becoming increasingly difficult to capture the attention of the public. I cannot wait to make my mark and start influencing creative direction and output.”

Michael Norden, Kykloud

North East proptech business Kykloud has appointed a new chief finance officer as it gears up for further growth.

The SaaS business, which provides disruptive software for surveyors and property asset managers around the world, has strengthened its team with the appointment of Michael Norden as CFO.

The company, which boasts an enviable client base featuring eight of the top ten global surveying firms, has appointed Norden as part of its strategy for growth.

Norden brings with him a vast amount of financial experience, having worked as financial director at north east stalwarts Hayes Travel and Parkdean Holidays before joining telecoms success story Callstream, where he helped grow and sell the business to the US NASDAQ listed telecoms giant J2 Global.

His appointment comes at a time of significant growth for the SaaS business which has helped to change the face of the surveying profession with its mobile asset management application and data extraction software - now used across the globe to better manage the ongoing repair and maintenance budgets of major infrastructure and property portfolios.

Commenting on his new role, Norden said: “I’ve worked with some great businesses and have helped to achieve their goals. I’m certainly attracted by fast growth, highly ambitious businesses which is why I was drawn to the opportunity at Kykloud.”

He added: “Being part of a disruptive technology business that is having a huge impact within its sector is without a doubt a hugely exciting challenge for any experienced finance professional.”

Commenting on his appointment Kykloud CEO Ed Bartlett said: “Michael brings with him a wealth of experience from a range of companies and is therefore a welcomed addition to the Kykloud team where he will play a pivotal role in helping to shape the future of the business.”

Join us next monday for more North East appointment news.