This week's North East appointments

Chris Callan, Seaward Electronic

Seaward Electronic has announced that it has appointed Chris Callan as its new chief executive.

Chris takes up the new role after building a career in the electronics industry working with businesses around the UK and in the USA.

Since graduating as an electronics and software engineer at Newcastle University, Chris has gained widespread experience in business development, product management and executive roles in the medical, automotive and telecoms markets, most recently as vice-president and general manager of an international components and test equipment manufacturer in the aviation sector.

Chris commented: “I am delighted to be joining Seaward and I am very excited about the future potential of the business.

“The company’s strong reputation and international market presence were major attractions for me and I am looking forward to working with everyone to continue to grow and take the business forward.

“In particular, the company’s commitment to technical innovation and development will remain a key priority as we look to expand the product range, develop new applications and secure a bigger market share.

“To help us achieve this ambition, we will be investing strongly in the company’s renowned engineering capabilities and by putting product integrity and new technology at the heart of everything we do.”

Ola Awobona, Mesma

North East quality assurance software specialist Mesma has announced the appointment of Ola Awobona as product owner.

Ola joins the Sunderland-based firm as product owner as demand increases for its quality assurance software platform, insightQ.

With a background in business analysis and customer technology services, he will oversee the design of the new insightQ2 software.

Director Louise Doyle said: “We are excited to have Ola join us, bringing his extensive experience to improve our product offering among clients, who are investing in online solutions to help them achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness to their quality systems.

“His appointment forms part of our plans to grow our presence in both the UK and other key global markets in 2021 and bring in ambitious and talented people who will drive the business forward.

“Everyone brings something different, new skills and new views, so we’re delighted to have Ola on board.”

Tony Johnson, Avant Homes North East

Sunderland housebuilder Avant Homes North East has announced its newly created role of regional development director.

Tony Johnson, who will be taking up the role, has more than 40 years’ experience in the housebuilding industry and joined Avant Homes’ North East operation in March 2015 as commercial director.

In his new role, Tony will be responsible for leading the regional development team while also overseeing the architectural, engineering and commercial function for the business.

Tony said: “I’m very proud to have been given the opportunity to be the regional development director for Avant Homes’ North East region.

“Throughout my 40 years in the housebuilding industry, I’ve gained the valuable skills required to take on this role.

“With fantastic land opportunities within the region, it’s exciting to be a part of the process of leading the North East to continued success.”

Avant Homes North East managing director, Jennifer Tupman, added: “Tony has a real passion for the housebuilding industry and following his years of experience in the sector is more than up to the challenge of leading the regional development team in the North East.

“As the new regional development director, Tony will be vital in providing his expertise to ensure our architectural and planning functions are watertight and achievable to continue to drive Avant towards further success.”

Trevor Pill, Onyx Health

Newcastle healthcare marketing communication specialists Onyx Health has announced Trevor Pill’s appointment as executive director.

Trevor originally joined the agency as a client campaign manager, later becoming associate director, working on a strategic level across the agency’s full suite of digital, creative, and content-based communications teams.

In his new role, Trevor will oversee the overall creative and strategic digital direction of the agency and the delivery of international client projects.

He commented: “We have developed a golden thread across the agency, which covers strategy, creative, digital and tactical implementation for our clients.

“We’re known for adopting a collaborative approach with our clients, it’s part of our North East agency culture that we’re extremely proud of.

“Throughout 2021, we want all our creative teams to develop communication campaigns that really make a mark.

Karen Winterhalter, managing director, added: “Since joining Onyx Health several years ago Trevor has become one the key driving forces behind the agency’s commercial success.

“His passion for creativity is one of his greatest strengths, and he consistently goes the extra mile to deliver creative concepts that make our clients stand out from the crowd.

“We’ve got some exciting expansion plans for 2021, which Trevor is set to be at the forefront of delivering.”

Karen Hubbard, Redu Group

Retail marketing provider Redu Group has announced that it has appointed Karen Hubbard to its board as non-executive chair.

Karen is former CEO of FTSE retailer Card Factory and brings experience of over 35 years in the retail industry.

Alongside the management team and other non-executive directors, she will focus on providing strategic direction to drive continued growth of the group’s revenue streams, across all business units.

Karen said: “I am delighted to be joining the board at Redu and look forward to contributing to the group’s strategic growth.

“Being passionate about retail, I am excited about the technology and solutions that they have developed, which have true potential to provide digital transformation helping retailers achieve exponential growth; in addition with their innovative employee reward scheme that combines benefits with an additional focus on employee well-being and is relevant to all sectors and industries.

“I am pleased to be working with a highly skilled and innovative senior management team and look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience as the company continues to grow.”