This week's North East appointments

Leon Hughes, Activ Technology

Leon Hughes has joined the rapidly expanding team at Activ Technology, which operates from its headquarters in Newcastle and Dumfries in Scotland.

Leon, who becomes head of technology, joins from Pulsant, where he held an identical position.

Activ Technology, which employs over 30 staff, is a managed service provider for IT and telecommunications and the appointment of Leon comes at a time when former head of technology, John Prescott, moves into a new business development role within the company.

Leon, from Haydon Grange in Newcastle, said: “I began my career in IT over 20 years ago and have worked across a range of sectors including oil and gas, legal and financial services.

“I co-founded a specialist IT business in 2002 and sold it to Onyx Group in 2007. This formed the managed services division at Onyx. Within my role as CTO, I introduced cloud services, making Onyx one of the first cloud providers in the North East.

“The role at Activ Technology really appealed. It allows me to build on skills I have adopted throughout my career with more emphasis on building the business.”

Chris Coulson and Chris Ham, Mediaworks

Digital marketing agency Mediaworks has welcomed two experienced additions to its team to help maintain its high level of quality and service.

Chris Coulson, with over 20 years of experience in marketing, joins as marketing director. He has worked in many industries and will provide perspectives for Mediaworks’ clients.

Chris said: “The prospect of joining Mediaworks in this role and to be part of their growth was too big of an opportunity to turn down.

“To be part of one of the country’s leading digital marketing agencies, working with international clients on cutting edge and innovative campaigns is extremely exciting.

“The pace of change, partnerships built with clients, and the professionalism of the teams has been fantastic.”

Chris Ham joins as performance marketing director. Having moved to the North East 10 years ago, Chris previously worked at Newcastle University. He was involved with finance, e-commerce management, and database implementation.

Alex Whittemore, Brad Reid and Kieran Smith, RWO Associates

Newcastle civil and structural engineering specialist RWO Associates is gearing up for expansion with three new appointments to strengthen its experienced team. 

Alex Whittemore joins the firm as a structural BIM engineer (Building Information Modelling), while Brad Reid comes in as a graduate structural engineer and Kieran Smith is appointed as a senior civil engineering technician.

With an MSc in structural engineering from Newcastle University and a strong background in BIM, Alex Whittemore brings five years of industry experience to the role.

He will be a key part of the structures team, working on a diverse portfolio of projects for national house builders, contractors and developers.

Brad Reid, who comes from a large multi-national engineering consultancy, will also be part of the structures team, assisting on projects. He is the current North East representative on the Institution of Civil Engineers’ national graduate and student (GSNet) network.

Kieran Smith will be involved in new build infrastructure schemes and commercial developments. RWO, which currently employs a 17-strong team of specialists and recently opened a new office in Leeds, has benefitted from a strong performance in the last six months on the back of new engineering and design services work.

Sean Green, Franks Portlock

Sean Green has more than 29 years of experience in the water hygiene and treatment industry and has joined Franks Portlock to establish and lead the delivery of the organisation’s new water hygiene services.

Founded in 2006, by Phil Franks and Stephen Portlock, Franks Portlock is an asbestos and environmental management consultancy which offers asbestos consultancy, inspection, testing, training and management services.

The company, which operates nationally, has offices in Sunderland, Rosyth, Fife and Sellafield.

Commenting on his appointment, Sean Green said: “I am delighted to be joining Franks Portlock and to be able to utilise my experience to help shape and lead the new water hygiene division.

“Franks Portlock has a reputation for the high calibre advice and services it offers, and I am truly looking forward to working with the team to expand the company’s current offering to include high quality and responsive water hygiene services.

“Our ultimate aim is to work with our water hygiene customers to make sustainable improvements which ensure that they are managing their liability and meeting the correct regulations.”

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