This week's London appointments

Kaleigh Haeg, CBRE

Global real estate advisor CBRE appointed Kaleigh Haeg as business development director in its UK life sciences team.

Kaleigh brings a range of experience to the newly created role, having previously worked in the US for 7 years in the pharmaceutical industry.

Most recently Kaleigh held the position as head of UK/EMEA life sciences for global real estate company Colliers.

Commenting on her appointment, Kaleigh said: “CBRE is a market leader in the life sciences sector and I am excited to be joining the firm as the scope of opportunity in the life sciences ecosystem continues to evolve.”

Joanne Henderson, CBRE’s head of life sciences - EMEA, commented: “Kaleigh’s appointment reflects our continued focus on the life sciences sector and the opportunities we foresee within the UK.

“Working collaboratively with our existing team, Kaleigh will focus on the strategic development of the sector as we continue to grow our mandates both in the UK and beyond.”

Liam McGuinness and James de La Salle, CIL

Management consultancy CIL has made two promotions within its senior team.

Liam McGuinness has been promoted to partner, while James de La Salle has been appointed as director of the built environment practice.

Liam, who heads the consumer practice, joined CIL in 2007, with knowledge across the sector including UK and European holiday operators, branded and private label food and drink manufacturers, gym chains, fast casual dining chains and D2C subscription businesses.

Commenting on Liam’s promotion, Giles Johnson, managing partner at CIL, said: “Liam is a great example of CIL’s home-grown talent. He joined our graduate scheme and has successfully developed our consumer practice, advising household names and fast-growing businesses.”

Liam McGuinness added: “I am delighted to join the senior management team. The business is growing rapidly, and we are seeing increasing demand for advice from investors and corporates. I look forward to further developing our consumer and retail consultancy offer.”

Joining CIL in 2012, James has focused primarily on construction and building projects. He also has experience in business services, particularly legal services.

Commenting on James’ promotion, Giles Johnson added: “James has established himself as a truly credible expert on the built environment and has worked for some of the leading businesses in the sector.

“His promotion is recognition of the contribution he has made to the growth of the practice.”

Andrew Wagstaff, CALA Homes

Housebuilding firm CALA Homes has appointed Andrew Wagstaff as managing director of its Thames region.

Andrew joins CALA from residential and commercial property developer Dandara, where he worked for over 14 years, eight of which were in the role of managing director of the Company’s UK South East Subsidiaries.

Prior to joining Dandara, Andrew gained experience in land acquisition and development roles within Miller Developments and hotel and restaurant operator Whitbread Plc.

In his new role, Andrew will be responsible for driving forward and further expanding the Thames business, with a key focus on land acquisition in desirable locations in and around the A3, M3 and M4 corridors.

Andrew comments: “I am delighted to join CALA Homes in what has already been a strong year for the Thames business, with multiple sites secured across the region’s target locations.

“Under my predecessor, Nick Twine, now regional chairman at CALA, our team of over 130 talented and committed people, successfully grew the region from 142 units in 2014 to 299 in 2018 and we have plans to increase this beyond 400 units over the next few years.

“I’m delighted to take over the reins at this point and continue to build on that momentum.”

Paul Reading, Andy Drinkwater, Chris Dack and Will Thew, tifgroup

Travel insurance company tifgroup has made four new appointments to its management team.

Paul Reading joins as head of innovation, Andy Drinkwater has been appointed as head of PR, Chris Dack has become head of statistical underwriting and Will Thew has taken on the role as head of audit underwriting.

Previously with Barclays and Saga, Paul will work closely with existing teams and draw-in market knowledge, ensuring that all products and processes are designed using customer and market insight.

A former journalist, Andy has 20 years’ experience in consumer and corporate PR, working with brands including Costa Coffee, Starbucks, AXA, UK Power Networks and MS Amlin.

Commenting on the appointments, tifgroup managing director Richard Smith said: “I am delighted to welcome Paul and Andy to tifgroup. With their wealth of knowledge and determination to drive positive change, they are the perfect fit for our company. I look forward to working with them as we continue to challenge the industry.

“We feel it is important to reward those who show dedication and commitment to tifgroup. I’m proud to see two high achieving team members progress within the company and become heads of [departments]. Well done and congratulations to Chris and Will.”

Andrew Morsy and Alec Greenberg, Peer39

AI-powered tech specialist Peer39 has appointed Andrew Morsy as its international managing director and Alec Greenberg as its VP - partnerships as it opens its first London office.

Andrew brings 15 years of experience in digital advertising to his new role, with knowledge of scaling commercial operations having worked at the likes of Yahoo and Sizmek.

Having spent almost two decades in the ad tech sector, Alec has acted as VP - partnerships at Amino Payments, VP Demand at Sovrn as well as stints at Dstillery and aCerno.

Commenting on the two appointments, Mario Diez, chief executive officer of Peer39, said: “We are delighted to welcome Andrew and Alec to the Peer39 team, as the company enters the next phase of its development.

“Both possess a far-reaching knowledge of the digital advertising industry, proven leadership skills and a terrific focus for customer and partner success.”

David Allison and Rich Jones, OVO Energy

Independent provider OVO Energy has made two new appointments to its senior management team.

David Allison joins as technology director and Rich Jones has been appointed as product director.

David has joined the firm following nine years at Hotels.com where he held the position of senior director of technology.

In his new role at OVO Energy, David will lead OVO Energy’s technology team and drive the use of technology to deliver experiences for OVO Energy customers.

David commented: “I’m really thrilled to join the talented team at OVO Energy. OVO Energy’s focus on doing things differently by using technology to support customers in living more sustainably and putting them in control of their energy is really inspiring. I can’t wait to start working with the team.”

Rich joins the firm from online fashion retailer ASOS, where he was director of digital product management. Prior to this, he led product at streaming service, Blinkbox and was Creative Director at the BBC, responsible for running a team of UI and UX designers for BBC iPlayer.

Rich’s new role will focus on the development of product strategy and delivery for all OVO retail brands, with a focus on OVO Energy.

Rich commented: “It’s great to be joining the talented team at OVO Energy.

“OVO Energy is really leading the way in the energy industry with their tech focus, thinking about how to change the relationship the customer has with their energy provider - I’m pleased to put my experience to good use to help further improve the experience for our customers and continue innovating within the category.”

Adrian Letts, CEO of OVO Energy, commented on the new hires: “We’re delighted to be welcoming David and Rich to the team. Both come with a wealth of experience and expertise that will help us push boundaries, and take us in exciting new directions.

We’re confident that both David and Rich’s experience from the fashion and e-commerce industries will add an invaluable layer to the OVO Energy team and customer experience.“