This week's North East appointments

Wes Clough, Activ Technology

Activ Technology has announced the appointment of Wes Clough who joins the team to handle the marketing and communication function of the business.

Wes joins with over 16 years’ experience as a brand marketer and graphic designer, having worked with DFDS, Dawson & Sanderson and, most recently as head of creative at a design agency based in Durham

Wes said: “I have a long-standing relationship with Ian Gillespie, managing director at Activ Technology, as I began my professional career working for him at Fone Logistics many years ago. When the opportunity arose for me to work with him again, I jumped at it.

“My role will primarily focus on e-mail marketing and supporting the sales team as well as creative design and brand management. However, my first major task has been the design and build of the new Activ Technology website.”

Managing director at Activ Technology, Ian Gillespie, added: “We warmly welcome Wes to the team and I have no doubt that his creative marketing skills will greatly enhance our customer offering.”

Maria Duddin, Silverbean

Affiliate marketing agency Silverbean has appointed Maria Duddin as head of sales UK.

Maria joins Silverbean with a range of industry experience, having previously worked in roles such as director of business development and managing director.

Neil Robbins, CEO at Silverbean, commented: “We held an extremely competitive recruitment process for the head of sales role, and Maria stood out as the exceptional candidate.

“As an agency, we’re driving amazing growth in key markets such as Australia, and it’s crucial that we also have a strong team focusing on our core business in the UK. I’m confident that we’ll see fantastic results with Maria at the helm.”

Maria added: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the superb, forward-thinking team at Silverbean - this role is a really exciting new challenge for me. I look forward to collaborating with the team and driving the business even further forward together.”

Rob Gwyther, Saggezza

Tech business Saggezza has appointed Rob Gwyther as operations director.

Senior IT and technology leader Rob has over 15 years of experience in the field. A specialist in healthcare innovation, Rob’s work has focused on shaping and delivering complex technical solutions and transformations.

Originally from Bristol, Rob has built a career in the North East, has worked with a range of organisations in the public and private sectors, both in the UK and internationally. He joins Saggezza from Accenture Consulting, where he held a director role.

Martin Williams, managing director of Saggezza, commented: “Rob is a vastly experienced, senior tech professional, who will add a new dimension to our UK team.

“His wealth of experience, working on complex projects for a range of well-known clients in his former role, means he is well placed to ensure that we are in the right place operationally as we step up our expansion in Sunderland.

“Rob joins us at an exciting time for the business, and we’re delighted to have him on board.”

Rob added: “Saggezza has immense potential, so the opportunity to join a business where I can play a key role in its development and growth is massively exciting.

“The level of ambition that the senior leadership team has for Saggezza UK was a major part of the attraction, and a few days into my role, I can already see the huge potential of the people and the level of agility that a company like Saggezza has.”