This week's Yorkshire appointments

Andy Perks, Sewtec

Yorkshire industrial automation specialist Sewtec has appointed two senior managers as the company further implements its expansion strategy.

Andy Perks has joined in the newly created role of head of sales, whilst Lee Brotherton has been hired as head of purchasing.

Andy arrives at Sewtec from automation and control solutions provider Applied Automation where he was technical sales engineer.

Prior to that he was a sales engineer at Kawasaki Robotics. He brings more than 20 years’ experience to the business across sales and engineering.

Andy will play a key role in delivering Sewtec’s strategic and operational sales activity as part of the company’s growth plan.

Previously purchasing manager at Yorkshire engineering business Qualter Hall, Lee has more than 12 years’ experience.

At Sewtec, Lee will be responsible for designing, planning and implementing procurement strategies whilst leading a growing purchasing team.

Welcoming the pair to the company, Sewtec managing director, Mark Cook, commented: “Andy and Lee are both great additions to the team. Together, they add more than 30 years of sales and engineering experience and expertise to our business.

“We are actively recruiting for a number of new key positions across technical, sales and production. Andy, Lee and our other new recruits will be instrumental in enabling us to achieve our £50m turnover target by 2023.”

Keith Fleet, Jocelyn Morris and Sorana Duca, Outform

Retail and innovation agency Outform has added more strategic firepower to its EMEA senior team with three appointments.

Keith Fleet as EMEA operations director, Jocelyn Morris as EMEA finance director, and Sorana Duca as EMEA marketing and communications manager.

The new hires follow a sustained period of impressive growth for Outform, which has seen the business in EMEA double in size since 2016.

All three will support Outform EMEA in its global mission to work with the world’s leading and most ambitious brands to define the future of retail. They report into Simon Hathaway, managing director at Outform EMEA.

Simon said: “It’s been another strong year for Outform, we believe in retail and have continued to work with some of the biggest brands on the high street to reinvent their retail experience and exceed customer expectations that are reset with every visit, click and download.”

Molly Fieldhouse and Harry Pollard, Dacre, Son & Hartley

Yorkshire estate agent Dacre, Son & Hartley has made a double appointment at its Guiseley office.

Harry Pollard has been appointed as a sales negotiator and Molly Fieldhouse joins the office’s lettings division as a trainee lettings negotiator.

Harry, who lives in Otley, will now support the office’s existing sales team, as well as accompanying buyers on viewings and assisting with marketing appraisals.

He brings a wealth of previous sales and customer service experience to the role and as part of his training, Dacre, Son & Hartley will support him in becoming accredited by the National Federation of Property Professionals and studying for the organisation’s qualifications.

Molly, who lives locally in Yeadon, has spent the last two years working in luxury hotels in French ski resorts, but a keen interest in property, fuelled by her family owning several rental properties, led her to pursue a career in property.

She will now embark on Dacre, Son & Hartley’s in-house training programme before having the opportunity to complete several industry recognised qualifications.

Richard Hare, who heads up Dacre, Son & Hartley’s Guiseley office, said: “Harry and Molly joining the team will enable us to meet this increasing market demand.

“They both have strong local knowledge and are determined to succeed in the industry, so we’re delighted to be investing in enthusiastic new talent and bringing forward the estate agents of the future.”

Burhan Akhtar and Nikki Przewoznik, Switalskis Solicitors

Yorkshire legal firm Switalskis Solicitors has started the year on a high with two new appointments of homegrown talent joining its clinical negligence and child abuse teams.

Burhan Akhtar and Nikki Przewoznik completed their training contracts at Switalskis Solicitors before being appointed as fully qualified solicitors in the firm’s Huddersfield office, starting this month.

Burhan Akhtar spent time in the family law and child abuse teams, followed by the clinical negligence team in Huddersfield, where he will now remain on a permanent basis.

Nikki Przewoznik worked in clinical negligence also, moving recently to the child abuse team where she takes her role in Huddersfield.

Nikki joined from an estate agency background and was previously a regional property valuer. Having completed her law degree, Nikki used her work experience to join Switalskis in the conveyancing department in May 2016 and then went on to secure a training contract which started in January 2018.

Nikki Przewoznik added: “I get a great sense of satisfaction in achieving justice for clients who have previously been failed throughout their life and in giving the clients the opportunity to finally be acknowledged and heard.

“It’s an incredibly hard-working department, yet still maintains a friendly atmosphere and there is a strong team spirit amongst the team, which I particularly enjoy.”