This week's Yorkshire appointments

The Institute of Directors, Judith Parry

The Institute of Directors has announced the appointment of Judith Parry as chartered director ambassador in North Yorkshire.

Chartered director is a qualification awarded to directors by the IoD under its Royal Charter. As a Chartered Director and IoD Fellow, Judith will support the professional development of local directors and help them to enhance their skills.

Judith spent seven years as an independent director of a listed company in the international oil and gas sector. Her background is in corporate business development, PR and investor relations and she has worked for energy companies ranging from start-ups to PLCs.

In recent years, she has mentored regional tech start-ups and has taken on an executive role with an emerging company involved in AI-enabled diagnostic support for mental health disorders.

Judith said: “Becoming a Chartered Director gave me the knowledge to approach a new board role with added confidence, particularly in corporate governance matters. Working with young entrepreneurs, I am now looking forward to playing my part inspiring the ambitious millennial generation as they set out on their journey to success.”

Caroline Pullich, chair of IoD North Yorkshire, said: “Judith is an outstanding advocate for lifelong learning and I am delighted that she is putting such great energy into supporting the next generation of directors to fulfil their potential.

“She will champion the Chartered Director programme and encourage directors to reap the benefits of this world-renowned qualification.”

Lindsey O’Neill, Jade Howson, Katie Waller, Iridium

IT consultancy firm, Iridium, has appointed three new team members as the business continues to grow, seeing the overall team double to 16 in the past six months.

Lindsey O’Neill, talent solutions specialist, will be responsible for matching industry-leading IT consultants with clients’ specific requirements.

Lindsey has prior experience in the recruitment sector, ranging from Assurity Consulting to New Zealand’s Ministry of Health.

Jade Howson, has also joined the firm as business and operations support, having worked previously for PSI Global for the past four years.

Jade’s experience working within a specialist, global recruitment environment will be hugely beneficial as Iridium continues to develop inline with its growth strategy.

Katie Waller is joining to support resourcing, screening, interviewing and onboarding at Iridium. Prior to Iridium, Katie held roles with Strand Recruitment, Amco Management and Adecco as a Senior Permanent Consultant.

Ben Dainton, co-founder and chairman at Iridium comments: “When we started our business back in 2018, we wanted to create a new breed of consultancy that challenged industry norms.”

“Our recent growth just goes to show that our vision to create a hybrid consultancy that offers value and speed with bespoke, high quality service levels was what our sector was crying out for. This vision also saw us creating a workplace that’s inclusive, family friendly and fun, and diversity has always been at the heart of this.

“We’re delighted to welcome Jade, Katie and Lindsey to our team, and we can’t wait to see the impact of their impressive backgrounds and skills on our business. It’s an exciting time for all of us.”

Thomas Bradford, Amanda Koerner, Callum Cole-Needham, Future Life Wealth Management

The Renishaw-based financial planner, Future Life Wealth Management, has expanded its team.

The company has employed: apprentice paraplanner, Thomas Bradford, financial administrator, Amanda Koerner; and apprentice financial administrator, Callum Cole-Needham.

Future Life Wealth Management’s MD Jillian Thomas explained: “This recruitment drive will ensure that our clients always receive the high-level service and results they’ve come to expect.

“We were delighted when Thomas, Amanda and Callum agreed to join Future Life Wealth Management as they all displayed the enthusiasm and professionalism we demand from all colleagues.

“As a company, we remain committed to employing apprentices at every opportunity as we look to ensure that precisely the right employees are in place to ensure our sustained future growth.”

The recruitment drive means that Future Life Wealth Management now has 11 full-time employees.

Thomas said: “When I saw the job at Future Life Wealth Management advertised, I immediately recognised that this was a fantastic opportunity with a company that’s recognised to be one of the best in the UK.

“Within days of joining, Future Life was already investing in my future by securing a Chartered Institute of Insurance (CII) level 4 apprenticeship programme in paraplanning on my behalf.

“I’m committed to working my hardest and forging the next chapter of my career here at Future Life Wealth Management.”

Kate Williams, Just Desserts

The Shipley bakery Just Desserts has appointed its first general manager.

Kate Williams was the business development manager for the company from 2010-2012.

Kate joins from AJ Pies & Pasties of Huddersfield, where she was business development manager and prior to that Kate was regional sales manager for Pelican Rouge Coffee Solutions.

Kate will oversee the daily business operations, develop growth strategies and manage staff, supporting MD James O’Dwyer and the senior management team.

James O’Dwyer, MD of Just Desserts said:“We are also delighted to welcome Kate back into the fold. Kate’s appointment is integral in supporting me and the team with the general management of the bakery moving forwards.”

Anita Tadayon, Leeds Building Society

Leeds Building Society has named Anita Tadayon as its newest non executive director.

Anita joins the Society Board alongside four executive directors and six non executive directors, including chair Iain Cornish.

She brings 15 years of experience in transformation and operations roles with consumer brands, including Sky and Centrica, and is currently Global Portfolio & Digital Product Roadmap Director at BT Group.

Her experience includes transformation and change delivery projects for local and central government and Primary Care Trusts, as well as process and systems design, product development and supply chain management.

Anita said: “I am excited and very proud to be joining Leeds Building Society and share its focus and drive to make things better for colleagues and customers.

“The Society’s corporate culture and values as a mutual were really attractive to me as I looked for my first Non Executive role.”

Welcoming her to the Board, Leeds Building Society chair Iain Cornish said: “Anita shares our belief in purpose-led business, as well as our commitment to continuous improvement to deliver excellent customer service, for the benefit of our membership as a whole.

“I’m delighted to welcome Anita to the Society and believe her skills, knowledge and experience will further strengthen our Board team and contribute to the continued success of the business.”